Imbolc: The spark before the flame

some hope for dark days

art found on Eclectic Witchcraft

Imbolc: Feb 1-2

Imbolc is a pagan holiday that marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox—a time when the earth begins to stir from its slumber, anticipating the arrival of spring. This ancient Celtic festival is a joyous celebration of the returning light, the promise of renewal, and the awakening of nature's dormant energies.

At the heart of Imbolc stands the revered goddess Brigid, a multifaceted deity associated with fire, poetry, and the creative arts (umm yes please!) Brigid is a deity so beloved that when Christianity swept through Ireland, the people refused to give her up. Instead, she was canonized as Saint Brigid, and her sacred flame continued to burn in Kildare, tended by women for centuries.

words by Alexandria Kenyon

As the Celtic triple goddess of poetry, smithcraft, and healing, Brigid weaves the threads of creativity into the fabric of existence, fostering the growth of ideas, the mending of spirits, and the forging of new beginnings.

Legend has it that Brigid’s presence is especially potent during Imbolc, blessing the land with the first signs of spring and igniting the poetic flame within every soul.

Right now, in a world that feels unbearably heavy, we need that flame more than ever.

Art by Water of Whimsy

When the World Feels Unbearable

Friends, I know the world feels impossibly hard right now—especially in the United States, but not only here. There’s a relentless, gnawing panic, an alarm that won’t stop ringing. Even a glimpse at the news floods my body with fear, grief, and overwhelm. My friends are texting me, asking if we should leave the country. Some already have. Others have lost their jobs overnight due to executive orders. Many in my community are trans or have trans children and most of us are queer in one way or another. We are all watching, waiting, bracing.

art by raniban and inspired to write

But here’s the thing: Anxiety speeds us up, presses on us with urgency—hurry, go, act now! It creates a false sense of immediacy, pushing us toward rash, often unproductive action—or worse, paralyzing us entirely. Our thoughts race ahead of our emotions. We scramble to do something, but when we see how much is at stake, how much there is to fear, we burn out before we even begin.

When we spend our energy throwing fire at the sun, we only exhaust ourselves.

The Slow Burn of Resistance

We need to take time to slow down. Yes, we will act, but also…

Find things that give you joy. Play music or see a show, make cookies with a friend, or take up a new skill. Create a ritual that will sustain you during the months ahead and begin to make that ritual a habit. If you don’t have a spiritual practice yet, get one! Now is the time to get grounded and have a system in place for renewal.

The world may still be frozen, but the light is creeping back in. We are at Imbolc, a time of waiting, yes—but also of quickening. The first stirrings beneath the surface. The spark before the flame.

Brigid is a goddess of making things—poems, swords, new paths forward. Today, consider how poetry and blacksmithing share a common energy: What are you forging?

Creative Prompt for Imbolc

🕯 Prepare Your Space – Light a candle and take a deep breath. Imagine yourself standing at the threshold between winter and spring, past and future, the known and the unknown.

🕯 Seek a Sign – Choose a method of divination to guide your writing. This could be:

• Pulling a tarot or oracle card

• Opening a book you find sacred and reading the first phrase you see

• Going for a walk and looking for signs - animals, sounds, plants

🕯 Write What You Receive – Use your divination as a creative spark. Let the message unfold in poetry or freewriting.

I would love to see your channeled work!

The Work We Do Here

so many ways to engage

One thing I know from years of social justice and community work is this: we need all hands on deck, all sort of people doing all sorts of things to make a movement successful.

As community members we each bring different strengths to the table. Some of us are activists who change the world with our actions, some are poets who move people with our words, some of us are artists who make changes by challenging what came before, and some of us are parents, changing the world one person at a time. We are all important to social change. Never underestimate what you have to bring to the table.

For those of you who already support this space—thank you. Your presence, your engagement, and your belief in this work make all the difference.

Our next live writing session will be next week, Saturday Feb 8th, at Noon Eastern! If you’d like to join us, please be sure to upgrade your subscription before Saturday morning!

Imbolc is the spark in the darkness, the moment before the first green shoot breaks through the frost. Trust what is stirring.

With warmth and wild dreaming,
Alix