Wishing everyone many Imbolg blessings!

[Leutnantzursee]

Hi everyone

As its the old Pagan festival of Candlemass - or 'Imbolg' to give it its original name, I just wanted to wish everyone on SR a 'happy new year'. Imbolg is traditionally the time of conception and new beginnings, it marks the first embryonic stirrings of spring, its emblem being the snowdrop and the Celtic Goddess Brigid. Brigid is associated with poets and artists as well as smiths, in later times the nuns of Kildare in Ireland kept a 'sacred flame' burning in honour of her Christianized form St Bridget. Out of interest, a number of the old pagan cross quarter days correspond with festivals in the Jewish calender, something that many radical female rabbis are keen to recognize. Some like Rabbi Jill Hammer want to integrate Judaism's pagan origins a little into the religion, that gets the thumbs up in my book.

This is one of my favourite festivals, there's nothing like new beginnings and new hope. I'm also drawing together my old women's spirituality circle 'Seven sisters' (which includes my long time Jewish friend) on Saturday after five years of inactivity, so I'm really excited. This marks a deep commitment on my part to my spiritual path, which I've neglected for far too long. I have to say I do feel imbued with a much more positive attitude towards life these days, and I want to thank all my wonderful friends here for the support and love you've given to me on my journey to healing my own PL as Emil.

Much love to you all, and all good wishes for a year of growth and understanding, wherever your journey takes you - may the road rise to meet you!

Liz

[Laurasia]

Hi Liz.

I know that I am terribly, terribly late with this (things have been a real rollercoaster lately), but I hope that you had a wonderful Imbolg as well. (Thor's Night was towards the beginning of the month as well, but I suspect that I'm the only Pagan on the forum who acknowledges that holiday.)

I think it's wonderful that you've gotten back together with your circle! Beginnings indeed....it has been a time for that this year! I became concretely aware of what had been one of my suspected past lives for years around the beginning of this month....& it turns out to have been the earliest one that I've yet to remember. I've also discovered a friend whom I've been able to confide some of the deeper aspects of myself with, so that has been very comforting.

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[Leutnantzursee]

Hi Laurasia :-)

Yes indeed about a whirlwind of revelations PL wise! This is why I've been a bit absent on SR lately, that and my elderly mother being ill.

But yes... I've been very saturated in Richard III since his bones were uncovered in Leicester a few weeks ago - strange but true! It's been pretty full on actually and VERY weird, a real immersion in another lifetime. It's not remembering a PL with him at that time, but remembering his soul, in other incarnations he had - one specifically that I'm connected to him through. It sounds overblown and crazy I know, but it makes sense of the sheer numbers of ardent Riccardians out there, it's such a passion, the drive behind it has to stem from PL memory. But they can't all have fought in the War of the Roses and known Richard then! Granted, some are probably just into the era and others just curious, but there's thousands who love this man deeply, which makes me feel like his 'fame' stems from more than one notable lifetime. Anyway, I've been picking up stuff about him being a Queen back in ancient times, way, way back. Anyway, its been pretty all-consuming!

Glad you had a good Imbolg hon - we had a great afternoon catching up with gossip and eating the curry I cooked!