Sowing Seeds

In the Celtic traditions, today is the first celebration of spring: Imbolc. It aligns with the Canadian mythos of groundhog’s day when the weather’s effect on a lovable rodent’s shadow will predict whether we have 6 more weeks of winter. While I appreciate the sleepy groundhog, the February story I most resonate with is that of the old woman of winter, Cailleach, who, on a clear day will go and gather firewood to insulate against the upcoming 6 weeks of bad weather or on a cloudy, blustery day, will stay in bed and sleep, forgoing the firewood and opening the pathway to spring.

In Calgary, it is almost guaranteed that we will have 6 weeks of variable weather. Warm weeks when it feels as though spring has finally arrived. Frigid weeks where it feels as though Winter will never lose its icy grip on the land. Today, spring still feels distant, with snow still on the ground, and the temperature firmly below zero. Still, I am starting to feel the shift as each day there is more and more light. It lingers a little longer, and hints of halcyon days to come. Aligning myself within the seasonal cycle of light helps me to move through the darker parts of the year; provides promise for what is to come.

I see February 1st as a time of planting seeds, both literally and metaphorically: A time of dreaming of what may come. All dreams start with a spark, an idea....an inspiration. Often dreams need to incubate in the dark, much like seeds beneath the surface of the soil, waiting for just the right combination of nourishment to sprout. All that we harvest has to start as a seed; a small desire for something to become.

So, on this chilly February morning, I am taking a moment to think about what seeds I want to plant for the year. I invite you to do the same; take a moment today or tomorrow. Go outside and feel whatever weather is present. Check-in with your body, with your mind-state, and with your feelings. Do you need to rest? Where are you ready for change? What wants to become? Let yourself dream of what may come in the year. Imagine that you are planting one seed to begin the process of creating what may be harvested later. What seed are you planting? What needs to be seeded today for the tomorrow you envision?