Happy Imbolc Everyone!

Today is Imbolc, as well as the New Moon! What a delightful combination, I must say. The sun is out for long periods of time, and even though there is still a chill in the air (a delightful 25 degree's here), you can start to feel the warmth of the coming spring. It is time to clean your house and start de-cluttering it, both physically and energetically, from the long nights of winter. Here are a few fun and simple activities for your Imbolc celebration:
Cleanse your house with sage (air/fire) and salted water (earth/water) and follow by anointing all of the doors and window frames with a blessing oil. As you do this, say:
With the purifying power of Water,
With a clean breath of Air,
With the passionate heat of Fire,
With the grounding energy of Earth,
I/We cleanse this space!

Here is a spell of personal purification that works directly with the Goddess Brigid:

A Spell for Purification:You will need:  3 candles of varying colors,
suggested colors: red, white, yellow --a bath oil of a warming spirit

Suggested place to do spell: Bathtub/Shower
 

Plan the spell for a time when you can be uninterrupted.
Quiet your mind the way you usually do.  Focus on Brigid's flame burning within your heart-center.  With each breathe this flame grows warmer and warmer and fills your entire body.  See, with your mind's eye, the flame from your heart now enveloping you.  Push the flame as far out of your body as you can.  Try to make it fill the entire room.

Once you have captured the image of the flame raised to where you want it, begin focusing on the things you want to bring in to your life now. Imagine yourself receiving these things before the Spring Equinox.  It may help to visualize a calendar with dates
-- be sure to see the numbers 2011!

When you have finished drawing your future with your mental magic-want, begin bringing the flame down and back into your heart.

Thank Brigid with your heart-light. Try to let the candles burn themselves out (never leaving them unattended).

Remember, no matter what you decide to do today, it is a time for new beginnings in all ways of life! So go purify your mind, body, and soul and jump into these new beginnings with a clean slate!

Blessed Imbolc Everyone!

A cleansing bath

Many of us, on our various paths, frequently partake in cleansing rituals. These rituals typically start with a bath (or shower for the witch-on-the-go) and are followed with a wide array of rituals and spell work. I got to thinking about these things which so many of us partake in and wondering if people actually take the time to think about what they are doing. Really. When you take a cleansing bath, have you ever really contemplated or meditated on the true meaning of cleansing? Or are you simply going through the motions in order to move forward with the following ritual or spell work? I can admit, I'm guilty of jumping into a quick shower, scrubbing myself down with a sugar scrub and asking Isis to cleanse my mind, body, and soul, then jumping back out of the shower, slapping on some make-up and running out the door. Let's face it, life happens. But, I challenge you, the next time that you are preparing for a ritual or spell in which you must first partake in a cleansing bath, to light a candle, some incense and put on good meditation music then crawl into a nice hot bath and really SEE and FEEL the cleansing. Don't just ask for it to be done, but see the dirt and grim of the day wash off your body. Feel the emotional weight and stress of the day melt away into the water. And, just as importantly, center your spiritual self. Find that divine spark within and feel it expand through your whole body. Remember, you are a child of the divine, whatever divine you believe in, and it is so, so important to be at one with that divinity and to have your spirit and soul cleansed of all that is not divine.

Go in peace, my dearest friends.
Brightest Blessings to you.