Imbloc, Candlemas, Approaches

A dear friend recently told me “I never understood why you loved candles so much, until I took one with me for a late night shower. Then I knew. Its the softness of the light, and the way it interacts with the softness of the world.” Or something like that.

To be honest, the art of letting a candle burn, and giving into that softness, has at times been lost to me in my craft, especially in these COVID days. The art of making a candle became a routine, a piece of something I do rather than a sacred piece of myself. Momentum sometimes pushes our actions rather than true dedication and mindfulness.

I live my life by momentum. The seeking of Love, the making of a candle, selling my craft and my work. All momentums, which swirl together without mindfulness to create a life. I suspect many people I share life with feel this same momentum. This is especially true in the depths of the winter nights, when we’re just keeping ourselves going until the spring thaw, and the appreciation of living that comes with it.

Holidays and reminders break up this momentum, force us to pause and find our mind again. So why not add more holidays?! I dont know if you know Imbloc, a Celtic holiday, the mid-point between the solstice and the equinox which occurs on Feburary 1st. It is candlemas, it is the return of that soft light. St. Valentine’s day celebrations of Love often replace it in America, but why not celebrate both! As Gaby Herstik describes-

Imbloc is the day when we are allowed to thaw our pains with medicine from the Sun, and grow what we want as we approach the spring equinox and the start of a new cycle. – Inner Witch, pg. 62

There are some rituals she describes in Inner Witch and in her Imbloc ritual guide which help us find our way from momentum to mindfulness. Go check those out if your interested. https://www.gabrielaherstik.com/shop I myself can offer tools for some of these rituals, beeswax candles which hold in them different elements and facets of life, which can be used in Herstik’s rituals or your own. Contact me if you would like some.

My intention this Imbloc is not let momentum rule me, and step into mindful action whenever I am able. Sometimes I wont be, and that’s fine. Candles are tool to help me realize this. To be mindful of a flame is to be mindful of the danger of life, but also its softness. Go find that softness as the thaw approaches.