{"id":929,"date":"2018-04-01T17:34:46","date_gmt":"2018-04-01T21:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betzking.com\/blog\/?p=929"},"modified":"2024-11-29T17:07:26","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T22:07:26","slug":"the-seasonal-psychologist-on-imbolc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betzking.com\/blog\/the-seasonal-psychologist-on-imbolc\/","title":{"rendered":"The Seasonal Psychologist – On Imbolc"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Seasonal Psychologist is a year-long series by Pagan Psychologist Betz King.\u00a0 Each piece corresponds to one of the 8 Pagan Sabbats, or holidays, while exploring ways to use the symbolism of the season for personal growth and in clinical practice.<\/em><\/p>\n

I conceptualize both my personal development, and that of my clients, within the framework of our local 4-season landscape. Mostly this means a framework of trees, crops native to Michigan, and lots of plants, crops, and flowers. The Pagan path is a seasonal one, hosting 8 holidays called Sabbats. They parallel the movement of the sun across a year. Each holiday expresses a facet of the relationship between Light, Dark, and life. I use them as lenses of reflection, opportunities to contemplate the cycle of birth, growth, harvest and death that impacts all living beings.<\/p>\n

As a Pagan psychologist, many of my clients have some form of an earth based belief system. This allows us to revisit treatment goals seasonally. The view from my office window is lush with trees. A simple glance outside provides the framework for our review; whatever the trees are doing becomes an invitation to consider the same within ourselves.\u00a0 The Oak Holly, whose strength peaks at\u00a0Midwinter, begins to retreat with the warming temperatures and we are reminded that one season\u2019s strength is another\u2019s weakness.<\/p>\n

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On Imbolc<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

Wheel of the Year<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If we imagine the year as a pie, sliced into 8 equal pieces, then each slice represents about 6 weeks.\u00a0 6 weeks doesn\u2019t sound like a long time, but where Mother Earth is concerned a lot can happen in 6 weeks, especially in Michigan!\u00a0 At Winter Solstice, the earth was frozen solid, and we remained that way well past our next Pagan holiday, called Imbolc, or Candlemas. It falls smack dab in the middle of Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox on February 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0(also known as St. Brigid\u2019s Day and Groundhog\u2019s Day).<\/p>\n

Depending on where you seek definition, Imbolc is thought to mean \u2018in the belly,\u2019 \u2018first milk,\u2019 and \u2018cleansing\u2019.\u00a0 All are references to the first signs of life after a long, long winter.\u00a0 Animals do not give birth in conditions unsuitable for newborns, therefore nursing lambs give us our first sight of the coming spring. Far underground, the snowdrops and crocus are stretching towards the light.\u00a0 They are so eager for the sun that they \u2013 unlike the wise little lambs \u2013 frequently birth themselves too early and are covered with snow.\u00a0 Yet they survive.<\/p>\n

\"Imbolc<\/p>\n

Crocus in the snow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Groundhog Day is a secular offshoot of Imbolc, when Pagan representative \u201cPunxsutawney Phil\u201d comes out of hibernation to predict the coming spring. Regardless of whether he sees his shadow or not, Spring will come soon. Traditionally, this Sabbat is celebrated with the color white, symbolizing purity and innocence. If Yule is the re-birth of the Sun, then the Sun at Imbolc still an infant, but well on the way to being a playful toddler.\u00a0 Imbolc brings a sense of impending adventure, much like the toddler feels when beginning to stand upright and, well\u2026 tottle!\u00a0 The year is new, the body young; there\u2019s much exploring to be done!\u00a0 Imbolc is a betwixt and between Sabbat, neither Winter nor Spring. As such, it offers us much to contemplate:<\/p>\n