The simple action of sitting in a sunbeam and allowing its heat to seep through my skin and down to the bones, is one of the small, indispensable actions that go with this time of year.  Imbolc is coming ever so slowly, and I am eager to light the candles and help encourage the return of the light.  This has been an extremely mild winter here so far.  Even still, I miss the "laying on a blanket in the grass" type days.  There is some part of this California born and raised girl that needs that.  I have to remind myself that I also need this colder darker part of the year.  I know that I need this quiet time to look inside and plan the coming growth, just as my garden needs this time to prepare.  Even the soil benefits from the cold and snow (although we have yet to have any this year).

I have started a new type of meditation using a short mantra that just happens to be the title to one of the kid's books. "All I see is part of me."  The simple repeating of this phrase while in trance has been an amazing experience.  I feel as if my body is desolving and taking everything into itself. The tingling sensation behind my "third eye," that tends to go with trance work for me, seems to be happening in all of my body, instead of just that one spot. It allows me to feel the dark to be as  much a part of me as the light.  Probably doesn't hurt that I tend to do meditations in the dark of night.

I took two prayers written by a fellow ADFer and made a prayer to help me pull this feeling into my conscious, waking moments.

Bold Orion on the rise,
see the summer fall before you: 
guard us in the growing dark...
There is beauty in emptiness, and in the skeleton of trees against the dark blue of dusk's sky.
When my teeth chatter in winter's wind, remind me of this, God who dwells in the dark as well as the light.~Ceisiwr Serith



But just incase, I also have this

I apologize for being gone for so long.  This last month has been rather busy, although that is hardly an excuse.  I officially turned in my DP on Dec. 1st, and nope, haven't heard back yet.  After the reading, re-reading, re-re-reading process, I decided I needed a break for a bit.  I have since found myself daydreaming about my next step (if I pass), which will hopefully be the Initiates Path.  To that end, and just because I was going to do it anyway, I started working on learning ancient Greek.  This will be a very interesting process and one I am very much looking forward to. I am using a teach-yourself book, but have also found a great way to hear what it should sound like.

Yule Ritual was a lot of fun, with about 15 in attendance.  Our final offering to the God Saturn was a rousing game of Zoom, Schwarts, Pafigliano.  I have yet to play that game and not have it be a great deal of fun, as well as a great energy raiser. I truly believe that Saturn was pleased. The omens were Woad for the acceptance of the offering; Air Dragon for what the Gods ask of us; and Bear for what they offer in return.

Woad is symbolic of freedom, bardistry, and warriorhood.  I took this to mean that the sacrifices were accepted.

The Air Dragon is the symbol of inspiration, insight, and vitality.  This was a bit hard to interpret for me, because it felt more like something that was being offered, not asking an action from the group.  I think that the Kindreds were asking for clear headedness as well as insight.

Ah, the bear, he has a deep connection to winter in my mind (might come from all the times as a school child that we talked about hibernation as soon as the air got nippy).  He represents primal power, sovereignty, and intuition married with instinct.  This is a very powerful card to receive as an offering from the Kindreds, and is also a card I have very rarely drawn in my private practice.  I took this to mean the ability to not only survive, but to thrive during this cold time of the year, and that the instincts and intuition to do this would be provided.

I am extremely glad to have the light returning, and that soon we will come to my all time favorite holiday of Imbolc. I am still trying to figure out how best to celebrate this one as a grove though. I hope that the returning of the light will bless us all.