Preparing for Imbolc

I know Imbolc is a couple of weeks away but many of us have already begun our preparation for this time of year. Cleaning is one of the main things we do - as we want to welcome Bride/Brigit/Brede/Bridig into a clean home on the 2nd of February.

Many people don't really think of Bride as the Goddess of the home and hearth, but she is, among other things, and among other deities. She brings that step of inspiration that hint of spring, clearing the cobwebs of winter away, igniting our creative spark.

This weekend I and my husband have cleaned out our bedroom, the fridge, one kitchen cupboard, cooker and done some dusting. The bathroom was cleaned last weekend and we will do the rest of the cupboards before the end of the week.

Taking time and breaking the job down makes it seem like much less of a hassle and mammoth task. We are lucky in this instance that we live in a small house, one bedroom, bathroom and a kitchen/living room. We have a small job really but even those with much larger homes can lift a duster, hoover, clean their cupboards and fridge out, squirt the loo with bleach etc. A couple of tasks a day has it all clean in no time.

In this we are also mentally preparing for the return of the spring, for the divine to return to our homes.

In your living room (or kitchen if this is your main room), light a white or pale green candle, preferrably beeswax, in preparation for Bride's return.

Baking is another great way of welcoming Bride. Bread or cakes are the best way to welcome her home. They are also the best way to make a house a home.

Soda Bread is a great and very, very easy bread to start with.

500g plain flour
1 tso salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
400ml live full fat yoghurt

Preheat over to 200C/400F/GM 6

Flour a bakig tray and a work top.

Sieve dry ingredients together, make a well in centre and add yoghurt. Mix to gooey/sticky consistency (add a hint of milk if you need).

Put out onto work top and form into a round - don't work with it too much.

Place on tray and score a deep cross on the top of the bread.

Bake for 40-45 mins. When taking out, tap base - if it sounds hollow, it's ready. Pop on a cooling tray and you can have a slice as little as 15 minutes later :D

I think this bread is better the day after it is baked.

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Spring is now in the air!

The flowers are blooming, the grass is green and the birds are singing their hearts out. Spring is here with a vengeance!

This time of year is less about inner work and much more about external work. We want to be outside, in the air, with the sun on our skins. Ok, in Scotland, the latter is often harder to get a hold of but we all feel like doing a Julie Andrews in the 'Sound of Music'!

Getting out, even just for a wee walk, is re-connecting with nature. Feeling the ground beneath your feet is a way of drawing earth energy into us. Drawing air into our lungs blows out the cobwebs.

Beltain is fast approaching and this is a wonderful time for fertility magic, for any form of creative magic and for beginning new artistic projects. This is when we are most connected with the earth, when we feel the 'sap rising', the wonderful energy from below that is brought up in the Spring to keep us regenerated through the Summer.

Enjoy the waking of the earth!

A great book to get you going, a book that has pagan references and Sidhe/fairy/fey featuring is this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stone-Sword-ebook/dp/B006ZQIEPG/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1327179005&sr=1-3

Month of May, post Beltain

May is a beautiful month. All the most vibrant flowers are appearing, the scents are amazing and life is fully blooming.

May starts with a blaze, Beltain, and eases into Summer, usually with a sizzle.
In the Celtic Tree Calendar, this is in part, the month of the Willow (15th April to the 12th May). I always thought that odd, as Willow is a wet tree and May is usually one of the driest in the UK and in W Europe.

The Willow Tree represents water and is ruled by the moon. There is a new moon on the 3rd of the month. As this moon grows, think about aspects of your life you would like illumination or inspiration for, as the magic of the Willow is that of inspiration, divination and prophesy. The Willow represents Spring and Autumn, the tides and as such is considered a feminine tree.

It is associated with weddings in the garlands of flowers worn on the head of the brides and in pentagrams made for handfastings, due to its flexibility.

While Beltain has passed, the rest of the month is lively, filled with life and vibrancy and the key to the first part of this month is, due in part to the tree, flexibility.

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin