the season of Imbolc

my Imbolc altar: a little Brighid doll that I made a few years ago, some early snowdrops, white lace cloth, some crystals, a Brighid cross from Ireland and a healing cloth [folk lore from my ancestors says that if you hang a cloth outside on the eve of Imbolc, then Brighid will pass by and bless it.. and she did pass by that night, leaving a trail of thick white frost, early morning]. I love decorating my home to celebrate each turn of the Wheel of the Year..

"Woke to the carolling of magpies in the pine trees
Maybe telling us that it is nest building time and they will soon have baby magpies to introduce to us. Their singing was more melodious , more intense, more loud than other days. It was beautiful to lay in bed and listen. I am grateful that I can hear.
A chilly morning with a heavy frost , my birdbath was frozen,

the snowdrops are up, a sign of early spring. This is the plant that I will plant in my wheel of the year garden to mark Imbolc, early spring. They never fail to bloom right now. An early walk around the garden with frost crunching underfoot, I observed the plants, surrounded by the light covering of frost on the mulch. They are all getting in readiness for the spring burst of growth, I can feel it. Flower stems promising a profusion of the madness of colour in spring that comes with a cottage garden

This will be my first spring at Avalon in Katoomba. I walk to my front gate and untie the holly from Yule and place it in my new cauldron where it will be burned sometime during the next week for Imbolc.
I try not to stress too much about doing all of this on the actual date, most importantly for me is that I am noticing and honoring the seasonal wheel turning. As I walk around my garden the magpies continue to sing and I see them flying around. One alights in the old cherry tree and watches me. I wonder if he/she is watching to see if I am a threat to their nest. Fear wells up, these birds, as gorgeous as they are, can sometimes be quite aggressive at nesting time. A note to myself to be aware of this. I hope to make friends with these birds like I did at inglewood where they knew that they were safe in my company"