The Snow Moon: An Imbolc Invitation
“The icicles wreathing
On trees in festoon
Swing, swayed to our breathing;
They’re made of the moon.”
- Elinor Wylie
Imbolc greetings, witches! How are you spending this magickal day? Sabbats are wonderful opportunities to cast spells and work with the unseen, but Imbolc magick is more subtle, some might say sleepier than that of Samhain or Yule.
Placed midway between Yule and Ostara, for some people, Imbolc marks the unofficial start of Spring. Our skies might be stormy, the earth icy, but Imbolc reminds us – we're almost there.
Also known as Brighid's day, Imbolc doesn't suggest we throw caution to the wind and ignore the lessons from winter. Because until the Springtime Heroine shows up in March (the Spring Equinox), the Winter Witch still steers the seasonal wheel. Like a light at the end of the tunnel, Imbolc is a spark. An awakening. It's an invitation to follow the flickering candle to the next chapter of our story.
This year, Imbolc arrives a few days before February's full moon. Nicknamed the Snow Moon, Milk Moon, Hungry Moon, Storm Moon, Eagle Moon, and our favorite, the Budding Moon, February's moon asks us where we'd like to go, what we feel called to do, and how we might arrive at each destination. In folklore, February's moon marks the annual battle between the Cailleach (the Winter Crone) and Brighid (the Springtime Maiden). As Brighid thaws the Cailleach's icy grip on the Wheel of the Year, she offers a glimpse of what's to come - early spring flowers, ambitious goals, and the warmth we crave.
The Cailleach battles Brighid with storm and spite, but eventually, the ancient goddess grows weak. Just like last year and the year before, the Winter Witch submits to Brighid and forfeits her throne. The Cailleach doesn't wallow or weep. Instead, she shapeshifts into an owl. She flies to the Green Isle, drinks from the Fountain of Youth, and settles in for some long-awaited rest.
In this story, the Cailleach is the apparent villain, Brighid our heroine, but on closer inspection, these enemies are not much different – in fact, they're two sides of the same coin. Together, the Cailleach and Brighid illuminate our dualities, transformations, and seasonal rhythms. They ask that we acknowledge, integrate, and learn from our inner and outer metamorphosis.
As the philosophers say and the poets prove, the only constant is change.
During February, we honor the quickening – the quickening within ourselves and also the land. For our ancestors, February could be the most challenging month of the year. The rain pours, the winds howl, and our reserves from harvest season have dwindled. With the exception of late winter blooms like Camellias and Snowdrops, any plants brave enough to sprout risk being covered in snow or ice. Even today, people who grow food say that February's moon is a sacred candle, a lunar lantern spiraling to and from the Underworld.
In honor of Imbolc, stories, and the candles that light our way, Little Witch Books author Kristin Lisenby and fellow word witch Kate Belew invite you to spend Imbolc with them at The Winter Crossroads – a five-week course on myth, magic, sacred stories, and potent plants!
Under the Dark Moon in the days around Imbolc, the storytellers gathered…at the Winter Crossroads, magic is made. During this new five-week series and program, Kristin and Kate hold space with you at the creative cauldron of winter. Gathering by the fire, the lit candle, and the winter altar, they'll explore and tell the tales of the Winter Witches, potent and poisonous plants, folklore, and myth.
Beginning on Wednesday, February 1st via Zoom, the Winter Crossroads will meet weekly on Wednesday evenings for five weeks.
Week #1: The Quickening: Brighid, The Cailleach, Snowdrops, Winter Winds
The Cailleach is the mountain crone, storm sorceress, and keening Winter Witch. During the dark months, when the winds howl and humans seek refuge indoors, the one-eyed giantess hops from mountain to mountain. Her footsteps create canyons, and the earth quakes beneath her magickal hammer. This week, you'll contemplate the folklore of The Cailleach, Brighid, and their annual battle for the seasonal throne. Alongside Brighid, the determined springtime maiden, you'll face the winter winds, follow the Snowdrops to the Green Isle, and drink from the Fountain of Immortality.
Week #2: The Liminal Crossroads: Hecate, Henbane, Hell Hounds, Serpents
Hecate is known as the Greek Goddess of Witchcraft, the crossroads, hell hounds, skeleton keys, and the potent and poisonous plant path. This archetypal figure is both a guide and a reckoning, a seer, and the underworld magic from whence Witchcraft came. This week, the coven will discuss the mythology surrounding Hecate and her poisonous plant garden, where serpents play, priestesses are initiated, and where you yourself may face an initiation. Gather around the lit candle, and listen to Hecate tell the stories of the crossroads, mandrake, and henbane, while her hell hounds curl at her feet.
Week #3: The Seeking Arrow: Artemis, Cypress, Deer, Moon, Dogs
The Huntress of the forest, the keeper of the wild wood, Artemis, arrives this week with her seeking arrow to teach us about the moon, wildness, cypress, and the hunt. This independent archetype, teacher of fierceness, this Winter Witch reminds us that the wildness that grows deep within our rib cages is longing to unfurl into the world and our work. This week, Artemis strings her bow and aims for the heavens, teaching us that we ever need exists already within us. Wherever Artemis walks, her hunting dogs by her side, Cypress spring up behind her, teachers of wildness and magic at the edge of the forest. Gather around this bonfire, and listen to the tales of her potent and powerful path.
Week #4: The Garden of Lilith: Lilith, The Serpent, Belladonna
Lilith is the Hand of Inanna turned Mother of Demons. In Hebraic myth, she is the Witch, Whore, Serpent Woman, Baby Snatcher, and Hag that feeds on a person's life force when they are most vulnerable. Whether highlighted through humiliation, rage, or someone's desires, Lilith is only dangerous when suppressed. This week, the coven will discuss Lilith as an embodiment of the Great Mother and the former wife of Adam. They'll explore the Garden of Eden, the Red Sea, and visit the Belladonna fields. You'll collect “witch berries' for the Goddess-turned-Femme Fatal and contemplate the Dark Moon mysteries.
Week #5: The Magick Mirror: Athena, Medusa, Metis, Olive
Deep within the Gorgons' lair, the memory of Medusa is alive and well. A monster who revels in turning men to stone, this snake-haired maiden is best known for her feud with Athena, the Greek goddess of war and justice. But in an earlier life, Medusa stitched herself into the heavens under the guise of the dark moon. Beneath the cover of night, she was a Serpent Queen, oracle, and healer. This week, you'll will gaze into your inner sanctums using Medusa as a mirror. You will don the Gorgon mask and draw down the moon. You will try on Athena's armor, Hermes' winged sandals, and pluck seeds of wisdom from the Olive tree. With any luck, Medusa will introduce you to sea spirits, serpents, and a way of existing before the solar gods arrived.
These stories are fodder for your creative work. They are rituals to hold you through the cold. They are seeds to hold in your hands before the coming spring. The Winter Crossroads is about gathering from our corners of the world to hold coven around these stories and support the telling of your own.
This never before-taught, five-week program includes five 90 minutes classes, with recordings downloadable, five downloadable PDFs with rituals and prompts for comprehensive study, a Slack Community & Coven to connect with other Winter Witches around the tales, potent plants, magic, astrology, ritual, and storytelling (including Kate & Kristin!).
Raise your hand if you're already packing for your trip to the Winter Crossroads. You can find more info here.
Hope to see you there!