Imbolc New Moon 2011. Dark Musings and Renewed DreamsPersonal Imbolc thoughts from the sacred hearth of the Druid Grove of Bega
by Alex Langstone.
by Alex Langstone.
This particular new moon, appearing at the time of Imbolc or Candlemass; with the recurring themes of light from darkness, the warmth of the hearth and mystical creativity from the Celtic patron of poetry herself. I sit by my own hearth, snug within the green rounded foothills of the great brooding granite slab known nowadays as Bodmin Moor. I am musing on many strands at present. From the past I am struggling with a huge creative project known as Spirit Chaser. Nearly done now, but I am still unsure how I feel about it all. Do I really want one of my most personally intense spiritual quests in the public domain?
Equally I am exploring future possibilities. I am still locked in a 9 - 5 working day, which is increasingly taking up far more than 9 - 5! Trouble is I do love my day job, however I also love my vocation; and as I write, and see more of my work in print I truly see that I need increasing time to continue to develop my craft.
My Libran true self of the rising kind gives me trouble when I come up against opposing forces. The scales of justice need to be finely balanced and I feel uncomfortable when the antithesis tips. At this time of year, in our modern world blogging and social networking allow me to escape my commitments for a while, but they can be all consuming, eating away at my free time. So I escape further into an esoteric dream of my own making, where the poet is enraptured by an invisible world on the periphery of time itself.
Druidry gives me a way of communicating and joining with the wider community, away from the safe little cyber world. Handfastings to be planned for the coming spring, much joy and celebration for folk who have their own jubilant aspirations, hopes and dreams to fulfill.
The wider world is awash, as ever, with horrifying nightmarish scenes. This has given rise to my night-time dreamscape, where all manner of things reported on the news are given an even more sinister twist. Abstracted and twisted, the media propaganda is working deep within my psyche. Menacing and ever present through the modern all powerful satellite TV world. But how to respond to all of this. Egypt, Afghanistan, North Korea, where man is destroying. Then down under, in Australia we see natural disasters that seem so vast that it is almost unimaginable here in our cosy UK.
I read a report this morning from the prime minister, David Cameron. He says that multi-culturalism is not working in the UK. What a strange thing to say, in the context of the global village it appears that hatred and violence is the religion of the 21st century. Multi-culturalism appears not to be working anywhere. Stereotypes seem to be looming large all over the place. Building up to a seething hatred. Stop!
All of this is totally beyond my control, but my Libran scales are now way out of alignment, my Piscean sun is horrified and disturbed, and I can't understand why the government wants to sell off all of the publically owned forests. The finance doesn't add up. It surely will not help balance the deficit? (Oh hang on, it means we can have a few more golf courses, sanitised Centre Parcs and playful paint balling war zones!) I still await a reply from my MP. I feel I may have a long wait. Then there is the issue of the closure of public libraries, is this yet another government ploy to continue the desensitising and dumbing down of society?
So is there any light emerging from the darkness this February day? Of course! Snowdrops are blooming all over the garden and in the woods at the periphery of our little enclosure. Days are lengthening and an optimism is gradually emerging in my little world, and whilst I can't solve the wider global problems, I can, I hope, have a positive effect on the lives of those around me. Here's to the coming spring, the warmer days and the emerging light. Here's to joy and unity and the hope that peace and understanding will one day prevail.
Equally I am exploring future possibilities. I am still locked in a 9 - 5 working day, which is increasingly taking up far more than 9 - 5! Trouble is I do love my day job, however I also love my vocation; and as I write, and see more of my work in print I truly see that I need increasing time to continue to develop my craft.
My Libran true self of the rising kind gives me trouble when I come up against opposing forces. The scales of justice need to be finely balanced and I feel uncomfortable when the antithesis tips. At this time of year, in our modern world blogging and social networking allow me to escape my commitments for a while, but they can be all consuming, eating away at my free time. So I escape further into an esoteric dream of my own making, where the poet is enraptured by an invisible world on the periphery of time itself.
Druidry gives me a way of communicating and joining with the wider community, away from the safe little cyber world. Handfastings to be planned for the coming spring, much joy and celebration for folk who have their own jubilant aspirations, hopes and dreams to fulfill.
The wider world is awash, as ever, with horrifying nightmarish scenes. This has given rise to my night-time dreamscape, where all manner of things reported on the news are given an even more sinister twist. Abstracted and twisted, the media propaganda is working deep within my psyche. Menacing and ever present through the modern all powerful satellite TV world. But how to respond to all of this. Egypt, Afghanistan, North Korea, where man is destroying. Then down under, in Australia we see natural disasters that seem so vast that it is almost unimaginable here in our cosy UK.
I read a report this morning from the prime minister, David Cameron. He says that multi-culturalism is not working in the UK. What a strange thing to say, in the context of the global village it appears that hatred and violence is the religion of the 21st century. Multi-culturalism appears not to be working anywhere. Stereotypes seem to be looming large all over the place. Building up to a seething hatred. Stop!
All of this is totally beyond my control, but my Libran scales are now way out of alignment, my Piscean sun is horrified and disturbed, and I can't understand why the government wants to sell off all of the publically owned forests. The finance doesn't add up. It surely will not help balance the deficit? (Oh hang on, it means we can have a few more golf courses, sanitised Centre Parcs and playful paint balling war zones!) I still await a reply from my MP. I feel I may have a long wait. Then there is the issue of the closure of public libraries, is this yet another government ploy to continue the desensitising and dumbing down of society?
So is there any light emerging from the darkness this February day? Of course! Snowdrops are blooming all over the garden and in the woods at the periphery of our little enclosure. Days are lengthening and an optimism is gradually emerging in my little world, and whilst I can't solve the wider global problems, I can, I hope, have a positive effect on the lives of those around me. Here's to the coming spring, the warmer days and the emerging light. Here's to joy and unity and the hope that peace and understanding will one day prevail.
Imbolc PrayerAs the snowdrops rise from the frozen earth
And the snow falls from the steely leaden sky
The waxing sun rises o'er the eastern snowy hills
Casting light onto a new day.
As we sit by the warming hearth
Contemplating the ancient fires of Brigit
The rising sun and the sacred flame become as one
And the Fiery Goddess of the dawn
Reaches out and touches each of us
Warming, loving, healing,
Her solar rays reaching out
Spreading across the earth
Seeking all who need the ancient
Sanctity of Her healing rays from
Deep within Her ancient well and
The sacred oak ringed spring by the eternal flame
Which lights the way to
The earth's stirring womb of creation.
Be at our side Brigit
Guide us and show us your holy light and
Lead us to your sacred sanctuary
Where we can safely and quietly contemplate
Life's strangely weaving mysteries.
Haven't seen the above article before. I think it is very touching and as I read it and took it in, I was also very pleased to read your thoughts about our world. Don't quite know how I missed this one. I also rather liked the Imbolic Prayer and the Universal Gorsedd Prayer.
ReplyDeleteBEJL