By Ginger Edwards, North Fork 53 Communitea Wellness
Today, February 1st, might just seem like any other cold, winter Saturday but it’s actually a very ancient holy day.
Imbolc (translated from the Irish roughly as “in the belly”) marks the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
It comes right at the point where winter begins to shift and the first brave green shoots poke their heads above ground.
In the Celtic lands this is the season of the Goddess (turned Saint) Brigit.
She is a fire Goddess that was widely worshipped across the British islands before the Romans invaded- and she’s experiencing a resurgence in popularity these days.
Why would anyone care about this in 2025 as the world tumbles into chaos all around us? Good question!
Brigit is a Goddess of many things but she’s primarily a Goddess of Creativity. She’s the one to turn to when you need inspiration, to dream up something new or to heal and transform what isn’t working.
Now can you see why her energy might be pertinent to the moment we find ourselves in?
This morning, instead of looking at the latest news coming over my phone, I lit a beeswax candle and burned a little sage for Brigit.I placed a knife made by a local blacksmith and a tincture of nettles made here last spring near my statue of her.
I also put a little toy snake on the altar because 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake – and snakes are ancient symbols of transformation and feminine power.
Herbalism, blacksmithing, candle making (another name for this holiday is Candlemas) midwifery, poetry, music, cooking and basically all the creative and healing arts are Brigit’s thing.
She’s the innate human need to create. All cultures around the world from the beginning of time have this in common.
People make art even in times of famine, war and extreme need. We act like our survival depends on it- because it does.
Turns out the opposite of anxiety is not calm. Maybe that’s why being told to “CALM DOWN” never works.
The opposite of anxiety for the human brain is curiosity.
Curiosity leads us directly to the right hemisphere of the brain- the part of us that is designed to make connections between different ideas- to get creative- to understand the big picture.
It’s very hard to be anxious and curious at the same time.
Curiosity leads to creativity which leads to connection. All three are key players in making us healthier and more joyful humans.
If you want to hear more on this please listen to the latest Nurture Pod episode I made with my friend Iris.
We talk about all of this and way more (inspired by a new book called Beyond Anxiety, Curiostiy, Creatiivity and Finding Your Life’s Purpose. by Dr. Martha Beck.
Listen to the Imbolc Podcast here
While you listen I highly recommend you wander outside and take a walk in nature and look for the early signs of spring. This is a great weekend to turn off screens and light candles. Bake. Knit. Paint. Plan your Garden. Do something to feed your creative flame. You’ll feel better for it. More hopeful. More connected.
Hang in there. Spring is just around the corner.
We can create the world our hearts know is possible.
For more about North Fork 53 Communitea Wellness, coaching, blogs, podcast, events and more, go to www.northfork53.com
