Propinquity & Imbolc Wishes

In the days when the Ancients had a more intimate relationship with the Earth, this time of year marked the beginning of Spring. The Celts called this day Imbolc, Gaelic for “in the belly.”

After an arduous Winter, people needed hope that Spring would come and life would continue. They looked around for signs of renewal, including the emergence of animals from their hibernation, a precursor to our own Groundhog’s Day. They celebrated the first signs of rebirth; and even if Winter still persisted a while longer, they knew that the days were getting longer, the light was returning and life would follow.

Many of us have had a rough Winter: physically, emotionally, mentally. Now is the time to have hope that change is coming; renewal is not far away. The snows will melt, the cold will pass, the greenery will return. Even if we love the cool embrace of Winter–the quiet time of solitude and introspection, the stillness and peace–the new season brings potential.

I hope that this Spring presents you with possibilities, for whatever it is that you have unwillingly lost or continue to seek in your life.

Published by Valya

Valya Dudycz Lupescu has been making magic with food and words for more than 20 years, incorporating folklore from her Ukrainian heritage with practices that honor the Earth. She’s a writer, content developer, instructor, and mother of three teenagers. Valya is the author of MOTHER CHRISTMAS, THE SILENCE OF TREES, and the founding editor of CONCLAVE: A Journal of Character. Along with Stephen H. Segal, she is the co-author of FORKING GOOD: An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of The Good Place and GEEK PARENTING: What Joffrey, Jor-El, Maleficent, and the McFlys Teach Us about Raising a Family (Quirk Books), and co-founder of the Wyrd Words storytelling laboratory. Valya earned her MFA in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her poetry and prose have been published in anthologies and magazines that include, The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Kenyon Review, Culture, Gargoyle Magazine, Gone Lawn, Strange Horizons, Mythic Delirium. You can find her on Twitter @valya and on Mastodon.social @valya

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