February is the season of the Goddess Brigid

Her holiday of Imbolc, is celebrated at the beginning of the month–January 31-February 2. Imbolc (meaning “of milk” or “in the belly”) was a powerful time for the ancient Celtic people (primarily those in what we now know as Ireland, Scotland and Great Britain). This was a time when the cows and ewes began to lactate, offering the fresh food for the first time since the final harvest at Samhain (end of October/beginning of November). It signaled the final weeks of winter and offered the promise of spring. Would-be parents timed their pregnancies so that their babies would be born at Imbolc. The additional fresh food meant healthier mothers and therefore, healthier babies.

Today, additional implications of Imbolc signal a brighter time. Days are noticeably longer. Where I’m at (in the Pacific Northwest), it can mean Seasonal Affective Disorder is easing up!

Spiritually speaking, this is a time of planning changes

Spring promises new beginnings. It also gives us a chance to start making changes in our lives. We’re coming out of the doldrums of winter and it’s time to move forward.

Not sure where to begin? Ask Brigid!

Make a cup of tea and set it near the hearth of your house If you have a fireplace, use its hearth. We do not have a fireplace, we so make our offerings to Brigid in our dining room–which is in the center of our house. To my husband and me, it represents the “heart” and therefore, the hearth of our home.

Light a candle Red is a great color for Brigid. Being a Goddess connected with the sun, She also loves orange and yellow. If you don’t have either, any color will do.

Say aloud: “Brigid is come! Brigid is welcome!” Repeat until you feel your skin or scalp buzz.

Brigid may bring you your message immediately. You may suddenly know what you need to focus on as spring approaches. But if you don’t know, the following Tarot spread is one I designed specifically for understanding Brigid’s message.

Shuffle your Tarot cards and lay the spread as follows. It’s based on the St. Brigid’s Cross (in my view, the Goddess Brigid and St. Brigid are essentially the same), which was meant to represent the sun. St. Brigid Crosses were woven out of rushes or palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. They would be placed in the rafters of the house or elsewhere, asking St. Brigid to protect the house from fever, famine and fire. The previous year’s crosses would often be burned and the ashes spread on a field.

Using this spread, based on the St. Brigid’s Cross, is a great way to decipher Brigid’s message for you as Springtime dawns:

I did the spread for myself!

(Deck is my Tarot of the Boroughs)

1.) The Central Message: The Chariot  This made sense to me. I’ve been wondering whether I should go ahead start my next book or wait for a few months. This said to me that Brigid wants me to get on it!

2.) The Inaction (What To Avoid): 4 of Wands In Tarot of the Boroughs, the 4 of Wands represents decadence. I generally avoid sugar, flour and alcohol…but I’ve been a bit lax these last few weeks! It’s time to get more disciplined about my food choices!

3.) The Action (What To Do): The Empress A card of creation, this is almost always a writing card for me, so it’s yet another reminder that I need to get started on my next project! It’s also a reminder to be more attentive to my home and the people who depend on me. I’ve been working on a lot of different projects which have left me a little less focused on home. Time to change that!

4.) Influences To Accept: The Hermit I spent most of 2018 in the solitude of The Hermit, working on my last book. I’ve been getting out more recently and fear of missing out (or FOMO, as the kids say) has kept me from starting the next one.

5.) Influences to Avoid: Page of Cups The Page of Cups is also a writing card, as well as one sharing the open heart. I write a lot from my experiences–honestly, even brutally so. This card confused me. The reading seemed to tell me to write…but also suggested avoiding writing? What does that mean?

Because I was confused, I drew a clarifying card: Knight of Cups, Reversed This too is a card of sharing, but not necessarily of writing. I take this reading to mean that it’s time to get started on the next book…but to keep the details about it a secret for now.

Thank you, Brigid! Message received!

For more information on Tarot or Brigid, please see my books: Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess and Tarot for One: The Art of Reading For Yourself.

Tarot of the Boroughs is available here.

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