2026 Imbolc Newsletter

Embrace Hope my friends,

Imbolc (February 1st and 2nd) is the time of hope for new life and the return of the light. For thousands of years, Imbolc, meaning “in the belly” was a sign of hope that the ewes were pregnant and there would be lambs born in the spring. People also celebrated that the days were gradually lengthening. 

The older traditions are based on the seasonal signs of Nature. Our Ancestors knew that Nature was the most important teacher. Hope was generated by the signs Mother Earth provided such as pregnant sheep and the first flowers poking up through the snow. Even though our culture has mostly disconnected us from paying attention to the natural world, there is a growing trend to bring us back to practices such as Forest Bathing, planting our own healing herbs and protecting both plant and animal species. The deep healing potential can be provided by connecting with wild natural landscapes such as forests, deserts and canyons.

We can all use signs of hope. Yet so much fear has been evoked because of our political upheaval at this time. Yesterday, an example came to me from a colleague living full time in the UK. She told me that the government was issuing warnings daily about making sure citizens know where there are nearby sources of clean water and also urging them to purchase special kits that filter bacteria and parasites from dirty water, in case these water sources have become contaminated. What was truly unsettling is that they were warning citizens that they need to be prepared for war.

Hope is unique from other positive emotions because hope requires some degree of difficulty or uncertainty to be ignited. For example, living through long winters yet celebrating Imbolc in early February was a way for the community to gather and encourage each other with festive candles and sharing what food they have, lifting everyone’s spirits.

The wisdom of our ancestors is that you never want to go it alone, and these community gatherings were crucial as a reminder that folks are there to help when you need it. It is reinforcing the values of sharing, of hospitality to traveling strangers and of offering whatever you have in difficult times.

Hope is one of the most important emotions that allow us to feel alive and attract the possibilities that lead to feeling that we do have agency. When hope is purposely destroyed, we lose the will to live. Hope is not the same as wishing things were better but it is cultivating the strength to allow ourselves to anticipate the possibility of joy, turn away from thoughts that dash hope, and to celebrate life, even in the small things we can look forward to, keeping our focus on what makes us hopeful.

For Imbolc, I invite you to have your own gatherings; include friends that will bring others, or join with a community that is dear to you. Promoting connection increases health and feelings of wellbeing which raises our energy, making choosing the path to hope possible.

May you renew your feeling of hope through connection,

Much Love, Linda