Sli an Chroi Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Imbolc

In my post the other day, I wrote of the new moon, the beginning of the Chinese New Year (Water Tiger), and the beginning of February. I failed to mention the Celtic holiday of Imbolc (or Imbolg), which traditionally begins at sundown on February 1^st and ends at sundown on February 2^nd. Considering my nearly thoroughbred Irish lineage, this was an egregious oversight.

Imbolc derives from a Gaelic word meaning ‘in the belly.’ And occurring as it does at the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, it represents that time when life has been seeded and is quietly growing in the warm darkness of the womb (of cows, ewes, and – of course – humans).

In addition to the informational link above, I’d also like to introduce you to some dear friends, Karen Ward and Sean Cantwell, of Sli an Chroi (Pathway of the Heart) through this short video. In it, Sean and Karen describe the significance of Imbolc and offer a lovely ceremony to honor this time of year in our lives.

The link I’m giving is from Imbolc 2021, but the ceremony described for us to do for each other and our homes, and also offered to us as viewers, are timeless. They can be performed each and every Imbolc.

Especially Powerful

Since Imbolc always occurs (astronomically – as the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox) at a technically calculated moment between February 1 and February 3 (the precise moment changes each year), it doesn’t always coincide with a new moon, as it does this year. And the Chinese New Year always begins on the first new moon following the first full moon of the year, so that, too, changes every year.

As a result, the synchronicity of these astronomical events is what makes the past couple of days particularly powerful energetically. A new moon, a new year, and the turning of the season toward spring all coinciding to call in and celebrate new beginnings, fresh starts, and a cleansing of all the stagnant stuff of winter.

Tarot Card for Imbolc

I thought I’d choose a card from a deck I have that feels especially connected to the Earth and the Old Ways: the Greenwood Tarot. What message would the Ancestors like us to focus upon as we begin to emerge from the darkest and shortest days of the year and begin to notice a quickening within? What are we gestating?

Ten of Cups – Happiness

What a lovely (and frankly unexpected) message to receive. Dare we take this as a glimmer of hope that there is, indeed, light in our future? Is new life and growth (all the sprouting leaves and grass on the hillside) on the horizon? Will our thirst for truth and accountability finally be quenched by the streams of water gently cascading into our waiting cups?

One thing I like about including in my posts photos of the cards I choose is the ability it gives us to magnify the images and really take a look at the details the artists provide. In the case of this card, not only are there a number of different trees (that undoubtedly have signficance and which I therefore should identify), but there’s also a couple – a green couple – standing at the base of the hillside, embracing each other, side by side, joyfully welcoming the cascading water filling their cups.

This card feels like a literal breath of fresh air, blessing of flowing water, and joy; a culmination of what we’ve been hoping would arrive; a fulfillment of our emotional needs and greatest yearnings.

I’m grateful for the appearance of this card at this Imbolc. Gestating happiness. May it be so.

(T+57)

Aftermath: Still Ominous – Photo: L.Weikel

Electricity Restored and Awareness Heightened

I’m delighted to report that our electricity was restored at approximately 4:30 this afternoon.

The last time we lost our electricity for any significant amount of time was in 2012, after Hurricane Sandy, when it was out for something like ten days or so. What an awful, deeply uncomfortable ordeal. A tiny, insignificant taste, I realize, of what so many others have endured following tornadoes, wildfires, and hurricanes. But enough of a taste to leave a stark impression.

But during that profoundly uncomfortable and very chilly time, we had guests. Our dear friends, Karen Ward and John Cantwell, founders of Sli an Chroi (Path of the Heart) from Dublin, Ireland, were visiting us and presenting a wonderful retreat on Celtic shamanism and spirituality.

Asking Our Guests to Rough It

Karen and John were troopers throughout that experience in 2012. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, for them to ‘make do’ in our home without heat, lights, or running water. Nor did we yet have our fireplace installed (that came a mere two months later – lesson learned!), so we would sit briefly each night, swapping stories over candlelight before retiring to our respective bedrooms and the comfort of cuddling under piles of comforters!

Friends Come Through In a Big and Generous Way

At first we weren’t even sure if we would be able to follow through with offering the program, for we knew no one personally or commercially who had space that was not impacted by the electricity situation. Finally, one of my closest friends in the world offered to host our retreat in her living room – by the light and warmth of her gas fireplace. Janet and her daughters generously opened their doors and quite literally saved the day for all of us!

What a wonderful retreat it ended up being, too. Filled with magic and playfulness, wisdom and ancient insights, we spent the weekend reconnecting with our ancestors (Irish or not, it didn’t matter) in profound and meaningful ways.

Photo: L.Weikel

There are many aspects of our work together that weekend that I could write about here. And there’s a strong chance, too, that I’ll harvest ideas from those myriad experiences as we wend our way through the next 998 posts in my 1111 Devotion. But the one thing I want to focus upon this evening is yet another example of the power of words.

Naturally, a major focus of many of our conversations (of pretty much everyone, everywhere you went in our community) that long weekend centered upon the status of our electricity. It was not uncommon, if one were to simply grow quiet for a moment, to hear several conversations being carried on at once, each one of which was peppered with the phrases, ”We’ve lost our power;” “I have no power;” “How long will we have to be without power?” “When did you lose your power?” – and innumerable variations on that theme.

We’ve Lost our POWER?

It was our Irish visitors who called our attention to our flagrant disregard for the power of our words. In fact, they didn’t know what Karl and I were talking about when we picked them up at the airport and started babbling about our ‘lost power.’ That’s simply not the way a disruption in electrical service is described in Ireland. Ever. As a result, they were acutely aware of the precise words we were using to describe our situation, for they sounded so odd and curiously out of place.

And they noticed it even more when we gathered at Janet’s home for the retreat. They were astonished by how all these Americans were going on and on about having lost their power. They were appalled at our lack of precision with our vocabulary, and rightly called us out on it.

Precision is Important

Thus, since October of 2012, I know I, and my entire family, have been careful to exercise precision in our language when a situation such as last night’s occurs.

To be clear? Our electricity cut out last night. We did not ‘lose our power.’

Has paying attention to how we describe this situation made a tangible difference in our lives? Who’s to say? One thing I do know, however, is that this was and is a case of walking my talk.

I know the power of words. I have seen how the way we phrase our description of situations can have a remarkable impact upon our perception of experiences. And I have seen words, used often or forcefully enough, wield a great deal of power.

So I pass along this lesson from my Irish brother and sister on to you: Use your power well. And don’t ‘lose’ it indiscriminately!