January 29, 2016
In my part of the world, Winter has finally arrived in all of her
glory and we are now at Imboc, a wintry holiday of renewal and
regeneration (ok, so some people say that Imbolc is the first sign of
spring; I consider it a winter holiday and celebrate it as such. There
are no real stirrings of spring here till late February or early March
when the
maple sap
begins to run). In today’s post, I’m going to share with you one of my
favorite Imbolc activities–unfolding sacred patterns and symbols upon
the inner and outer realms, using snow as our canvas. This is a
delightful outdoor activity you can do while we have snow coverage
during this quiet and most sacred time of the year. For those that are
already groaning and saying “Oh no, not more snow!” please scroll to the
bottom of this post, to the “Shifting Mindsets” heading and read that
first
:).
A Blessing Within and Without
Fresh snowfall blesses us an incredible canvas upon which to work, to
imbue ancient patterns of sacred meaning. The act of creating sacred
geometrical patterns, mandalas, or other symbols in the snow allows you
to embody those patterns through the simple practice of walking
meditation. This act creates not only a blessing from within, where
those patterns unfold on the inner planes as you walk them, but also a
pattern for blessing our land on the outer planes. This blessing can
resonate for weeks, months, and years after the patterns themselves melt
away. There are few things we can do in winter that are so simple, and
yet so profound.
I use the strategies I’m going to be sharing today with you as either
the main celebration ritual that I do for Imbolc, or as a large part of
that ritual. The photo above was taken at Imbolc last year (2015). My
friends and grove members gathered on the frozen pond at Imbolc, where
we created an “unwinding” spiral (counter-clockwise) to unwind and
de-stress as we went deeper within. Then we laid upon the ice in the
center of the spiral for a time, and, when we felt ready, we “wound back
up” and brought the positive energy, rejuvenation, and clarity to
ourselves as we went out. This ritual was conducted when I had just been
offered a new job in home state of Pennsylvania and was making a
decision that would have life-long ramifications–the act of walking this
snow spiral helped clarify, for me, the next stage of my journey. I
cried as helped create the spiral, unsure of the best path. But by the
time I had walked back out of that massive spiral, I knew the answer to
my decision: I was going home. These practices can be profound, indeed!
The Process
Another Imbolc spiral – this one in the sacred circle
So let’s take a look at this process and how it can unfold as a sacred magical practice or ritual.
Your Snow Canvas. First, find yourself a snowy
space, of any size. It doesn’t have to be completely clear–in fact,
trees, stones, or other features can add their own beauty to the
design. My favorite place to walk on my homestead was my frozen-over
pond, once I was sure it was frozen
:).
It was a perfectly flat surface and usually had less snow than the
surrounding areas. My other place that I always traced symbols was my
sacred circle. Since moving to a new state and living in town, I have
found that my tiny backyard and even local parks are good spots to do
this. You can even do this on a small porch or balcony. Even a tiny
patch of snow can be used, where you trace the symbol with your fingers
rather than your feet. The snow can be fresh or even starting to melt
(as my second photo suggests) Once you have selected your canvas–it is
time to select your symbol.
Symbolism. There are two ways to go about selecting a
symbol. You can choose to use a symbol for a specific purpose and
meaning (see the next section) or you can choose to create an organic
symbol from what emerges. I’ll cover both practices.
- Selected Symbol. Set forth in your mind the symbol you wish
to create. Envision that symbol already traced upon the snow–how large
it will be, how you will need to walk to form it, where its boundaries
are and spend some time in this visualiation process–it will help you
plan things out, especially for more complex symbols. Visualize that
symbol in an appropriate color (yellow-green light or white light is a
good choice), already there upon the landscape. All that you will need
to do, then, is follow the pattern.
- Intuitive Symbols. The alternative is not to select a
symbol at all, but simply to begin walking and see what symbols unfold
within and without–I’ve done this numerous times with my eyes closed in
an empty field. I also like weaving spirals among the trees in a forest
in this manner.
Establish Sacred Space, Ground, and Center. As you are ready to begin to create the actual symbol, you can choose to open up a sacred space at this point (I use the
AODA’s solitary grove opening
for this), but its not always necessary. Since I usually do these snow
symbols as part of a seasonal celebration, I usually will open a space,
standing to the side of my selected “canvas” and then include my canvas
in the ritual space. If nothing else, however, you can take three deep
breaths, clear your mind, and begin to walk.
Walk the shape. The process unfolds from the simple
practice of walking. Walk slow and purposefully. As you walk, set your
intentions for the work you are to do. It might inner healing or
direction (as my opening example suggested). Or, it might be a strong
land blessing. As you walk, with each step, imbue that energy into the
space and into the symbol. Note that you can use the symbol again and
again as long as the snow remains on the ground–so it might be that you
start with a land healing symbol, and once that’s firmly established,
you then walk it again for some personal healing. Another note here–the
more snow, the more challenging walking may be. I remember a few years
ago when I was making one of my pond spirals and it was over a 20″
deep–I had to walk that symbol many times to really have a nice path,
but it was a wonderful experience to do so.
Return often. Even after you’ve walked the shape,
you can continue to come back to it. A few winters ago, during the year
of polar vortexes, I had symbols in the snow that continued to persist
for several months! Each day in the month of February, I would come
home and walk the pond spiral before going into the house. It was a
great way to reconnect with my sacred land. You can also rewalk the
symbol with fresh snowfall. The longer the symbol persists, the more
energized the space will be.
Vesica Piscis and Cross Design in Recent Snowfall in my backyard in town – this was walked one time.
Symbols, Energy and Intentions
The symbol you choose to create and why you create it is an important
part of this process–and like all other magical acts, you should
consider this carefully before you begin. When my grove came together
last Imbolc to create the spiral, each of us were faced with a major
issue in our lives that needed some guidance–and we created the spiral
primarily for that purpose. If you have no direct intentions, then
saying you are “open” is a good one! Also, the land can *always* use a
blessing, and certain symbols are particularly good for that.
I’m going to now share a few different symbols, primarily drawn from
sacred geometry, that can help you see the wide range of symbols
available to you. A few of these images are from a project I’ve been
collaborating on with with a friend–a sacred geometry oracle deck and
book. I’ll share more about the project as we get closer to the release
date–so stay tuned! But in the meantime, here are some of the symbols:
The Pentagram and Pentacle
The Pentagram and Pentacle are symbols over 5,000 years old, used for
a variety of purposes, nearly all of them protective in origin. A
pentagram is a protective symbol that radiates that energy outward with
the five points. A pentacle contains the energy within the five points
as it is surrounded by a circle. If you wanted to do a blessing and
protective symbol for the entire land, a good choice would be a
pentagram. If you had a sacred space you were working on empowering,
say, a stone circle or garden, you might choose a pentacle instead to
keep the energy contained within that space.
Pentagram (left) and Pentacle (right)
The Spiral
Spirals are my favorite of the snow symbols to create because they
can be very easy to create, requiring nearly no thought, and yet
profound. Spirals are likely one of the oldest symbols in human
culture, and can be found in paintings in caves and carved in stones as
far back as 8000 BCE. The spiral is representative of many things–to
the Ancient Celts, one meaning was the life force or cycle of life.
Spirals reinforce the notion of a cycle or season upon us, and are
particularly useful for meditation and walking meditation. I have found
that my snow spirals have a twofold effect–they encourage a deeper
awareness and meditative state where I can work out various deep rooted
issues, but they also have a profoundly energizing (winding) or clearing
(unwinding) energy about them.
Some simple winding (sunwise) and unwinding (desoil) spirals
A second kind of spiral, a bit harder to get right in the snow, but
no less profound is the one that unfolds from the golden mean. This
spiral is created from the Fibonacci sequence (1, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21….).
Entire books have been written on the meaning of this spiral (
here is a nice overview)–a
most basic understanding of it is that it is what connects the heavens
and the earth; we see this spiral reflected in the shape of the Milky
Way galaxy all the way down to a simple snail shell. This same sequence
is present in the many ratios of the human body, the notes on a scale,
the pattern of a sunflower or the branches on a tree. When I walk this
spiral in the snow, I see it as a connecting spiral, a spiral signifying
the universal gnosis, the oneness of all living things. Walk this
spiral and see what unfolds from it.
Golden Mean Spiral (with divisions)
The Vesica Piscis
Another symbol for snow workings is the vesica piscis–another ancient
symbol drawn from sacred geometry with profound implications. The
vesica piscis is reflected on Glastonbury’s Chalice Well as well as in
various religious art and symbolism; it literally means “the bladder of
the fish.” It is a symbol representing unions of many kinds–the union
between heaven and earth, between humans and nature, between male and
female, between light and dark. When I create this symbol in the snow, I
see it as a promise–a sacred pact between myself and the lands that I
serve. This is the one I walked last week in the snow–a promise of
unity with my land.
Vesica Piscis
Awen
Of course, no discussion of sacred symbolism on a druid’s blog can be
complete without a discussion of the Awen symbol! Not nearly as
ancient as those above, the symbol still carries profound energy–the
energy of creative awakening, divine inspiration, and the arts. I draw
this symbol when I want to bring those blessings into my life or into
the lives of those around me. This symbol is particularly good for
workspaces or areas where creativity may flow–consider, for example,
using this symbol near a fire pit where the bardic arts are often
shared!
The Warrior’s Call Symbol
The final symbol I wanted to direct your attention to specifically
for land protection is a symbol developed by the pagan group against
fracking,
The Warrior’s Call.
This is is the newest symbol here, but it is being actively used by
many around the world to energetically address fracking and protect the
lands from fracking activities. I have found that this symbol is fairly
complex for the snow, but its do-able. I have recently used a
simplified version of this symbol during our latest snow fall here in
Pennsylvania, near some gas wells, given that I live among the oldest
sites of Fracking in the USA. This symbol works well as an
acknowledgement of the land’s suffering and pain. I think this symbol is
highly appropriate for snow sigils in areas being fracked or under
threat of fracking or other duress.
Warrior’s Sigil – Against Fracking
These symbols presented here are few among many, many, many others
that you can work with. Be creative and consider what personal symbols
or those from the ancient mystery traditions might be most appropriate
to your purposes and path.
Shifting Mindsets: Embracing the Snow
This special section is for those who want to work snow magic, but have a problem with the snow
:).
I am a great lover of winter and the snow, and I find it to be an
incredibly magical time of year. The icicles and shimmery ice on the
trees, the gentle snowflakes falling to the ground, the rich carpet of
whiteness across the land. The more that comes, the happier that I get
in these cold and wintery months! However, so many people do not share
that sentiment. Yet, if you are are going to do magical workings with
the snow, like anything else, you need to come into it with the right
mindset.
Small Spiral in Snow
For some, winter can be a very hard time due to seasonal affective
disorders, managing the snowy weather and work schedules, food
insecurity, or other issues. I laid out this fully in my post on
cultural challenges
surrounding our relationship with snow–if you haven’t read it, its well
worth a read. If you do have serious issues with the snow–I suggest
you seek out the root of your discomfort. Is it that you don’t like
driving and have to go to work when its snowing? That may be an
underlying issue with rigid work rules and inflexibility or economic
insecurity. Is it that you don’t like getting stuck in your house with
limited food during a storm? Perhaps that’s an issue of food insecurity.
Perhaps its the chilling cold–few modern clothes are designed to be
sufficiently warm (wool socks have changed my life). Perhaps, your
discomfort isn’t your own, but rather the collective’s continual
complaining and demonizing the winter. We have a copious amount of
negative media coverage surrounding natural weather phenomena like snow
(a visit to weather.com’s page will demonstrate this in spades–I get
stressed just looking at their homepage). If you are on social media,
there’s no shortage of it there either.
The problem with all of this negativity wrapped up in snow is that it
blinds us to the beauty and magic of this time of year. And, just as
importantly, if you are going to attempt to do the snow workings and
sacred activities laid out here–its important to make sure you are
putting the right energy into it: loving energy, peacefullness, and
goodwill! As within, so without!
Energetic Patterns and Time
This snowy ritual I have shared can be used for an number of
different purposes, and can deeply weave patterns of energy into the
landscape–both inner and outer. After doing spirals on my frozen pond
for a number of years, I had a druid friend visit me for the first time a
few summers ago and he said, “wow, your pond has some spiraling energy
going on!” And I just smiled and said, “Yes, it certainly does.” Even
after the snow has melted, the energy that I raised in that space
becomes part of the energetic underpinnings of the land for years to
come. It can be further reinforced with other kind of sacred space,
plant, or stone work! The sky is the limit…or perhaps, the snowfall
:).
Another shot of the Vesica Piscis
https://druidgarden.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/an-imbolc-blessing-energizing-snowy-spaces-using-sacred-geometry-and-symbolism/
Filed under: Bardic Arts,
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Winter — Dana @ 6:55 pm
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