Slow Living Guide for Imbolc & Ostara
Welcome to Part Two of the Mabon House Guide to Slow Living: Imbolc & Ostara. You can read Part 1 - Samhain & Yule here.
Imbolc & Slow Living
Imbolc marks the midpoint of winter. The days are steadily growing longer and the sun is getting stronger. In ancient cultures Imbolc was a time to celebrate Brigid, Celtic Goddess of crafts, learning and healing. Early Celtic celebrations included lighting fires to warm the frozen land, hanging a four cornered Brigid’s Cross above doorways to bless and protect a home, and practicing weather divination as a way to predict the future. Similar to the idea of Groundhog’s Day, ancient Celts would listen for a lark to sing on Imbolc. If they heard the bird, it meant that the God had returned to the Goddess and spring would be early.
With lengthening days and more sunlight, Imbolc offers a time for clarity. You have rested through the early part of winter following Samhain and spent time with friends and family during Yule. Now is the time to plan and start moving toward your goals and cultivate a lifestyle that fulfills you. Take time to refine and reconnect to your daily practices, whether that is journaling, movement, meditation or other activities that nurture your spirit. This is a time to explore what you need to do and learn in order to fulfill your passion and purpose. Follow along on Pinterest for more Wheel of the Year Inspiration
Ostara and Slow Living
Ostara is the celebration of the Spring Equinox. Day and night are equal in length and from this point forward the days are longer and the air warmer. Like animals coming out of hibernation and the trees stirring with sap and buds, our natural inclination is to do more. This is a good time to take advantage of the warming temperatures and soak up the spring air after a long winter. Take note of how nature is changing. What is blooming? What is growing in your corner of the world?
After the rest period of winter it can feel good to move and be busy once more. And while Ostara is a time for more action and more activity, there can also be pressure to do.all.the.things when spring arrives. There's a rush to clean up the yard, spring clean the house, get your summer wardrobe ready, go on a vacation, etc… Spring cleaning, decluttering, and digging in the dirt are all great Ostara slow living activities, but ultimately slow living during Ostara (and the rest of the year) is about following your unique cadence, your natural rhythm.
10 ways to Live Slowly & a Free Checklist
You do not have to cross off a giant to-do list or produce Pinterest-worthy flower beds to enjoy the beginning of springtime. The season of Ostara is a good time to choose some projects that will bring you joy, not stress. Perhaps start a container garden on your front porch, rather than a giant ground garden that will take you all summer to maintain. Or apply a fresh coat of paint for your favorite spaces in the home, rather than a full remodel. Or prepare a special Ostara meal with fresh springtime ingredients, rather than hosting a large gathering.
Going inward, Ostara is a good time to set some intentions for yourself. Just as you take action around your home, what actions should you be thinking about in other areas of your life? What kind of actions will help uplift you? Bring you more joy? Help move you in the direction you want to go? This could be a continuation of what you started during Imbolc or something new in your life.
Looking for some Ostara Inspiration (I mean, who isn’t?) Be sure to check out the free Mabon House Ostara Course.
A New Year & Winter Garden Musings
Happy 2022! Thank you to everyone who took the time to reach out and say a kind word after my last newsletter. Your messages were so welcome and appreciated - I actually ugly-cried from joy and relief that so many of you understood and even echoed my thoughts. And it made me feel so good about my decision to keep going with Mabon House.
I’ve been on vacation from my day job, and I’m not going to lie - it has been wonderful. I’ve taken naps, puttered about my house, listened to some fantastic books on Audible and ate a lot of good food with my family. On New Year's Eve (day) I spent some time walking about my gardens, enjoying the sunshine, crisp air and fresh snow.
I am often grumbly about winter because I am the head snow-remover, roof raker and fire starter at our house, now that most of my kids have flown the coop. My youngest is still at home, but it seems like whenever it snows, he is always at his dad’s house and I am the one left shoveling. But I remind myself to be grateful that I have a home to take care of and a body that allows me to do all the things that need to be done. The older I get the more grateful I am for the simple things in life.
Walking about in the woods and gardens is also a good reminder to stop hating on winter so much. There is much beauty to be found all year long, if only we slow down and look.
Seven Thrift Ideas for Your Wheel of Year Celebration
The Wheel of the Year sabbats are opportunities to pause and celebrate the changing of the seasons, both within and around you. When you are just starting out, it can feel like you have to buy all.the.things in order to celebrate each sabbat properly.
The Wheel of the Year sabbats are opportunities to pause and celebrate the changing of the seasons, both within and around you. When you are just starting out, it can feel like you have to buy all.the.things in order to celebrate each sabbat properly. You may need certain items like candles or vessels, or fabric in a specific color that corresponds with that sabbat. Or maybe you are throwing a dinner party and need additional place settings and serving dishes. Thrift stores, charity shops and even yard sales are all great places to stock up on items for your Wheel of the Year celebrations.
Anyone who’s been following along on my Instagram knows that I love thrift store finds. Most of my home decor is thrifted or second hand finds. I love thrifting because it's affordable and more sustainable than buying new. I can often find higher quality items than what is available in local box stores.
Here are seven things that you can usually find for pennies on the dollar at your local thrift store:
Candles
I often find nice quality candles, new in the original packaging at my local thrift store. Candles are useful for altars, centerpieces or add a specialness to an ordinary day. Imbolc especially embodies candles as part of its celebration.
Dishes
A beautiful table doesn’t have to cost a lot of money (looking at you Pottery Barn). I love (and I mean LOVE) picking up vintage dishes whenever I’m thrifting. I am especially partial to Blue Willow china because it’s easy to find and adds an instant charm to any meal. Plus it reminds me of Jessica Fletcher’s kitchen from Murder She Wrote.
Along with place settings, I have scored most of my nice serving dishes from my local thrift store, including mixing bowls, various size platters, small serving vessels and pitchers.
Table Linens
Along the same lines of thrifted dishes, thrifted table linens are an easy and inexpensive way to dress up your dinner table. Along with vintage tablecloths and napkins, I often pick up handmade doilies and dresser scarves to use throughout my house or on my altar, if I am setting one up.
Picture Frames
I love adding framed printable art and quotes to my seasonal decor. It’s usually free or very low cost and easy to swap out as the seasons change. To make my thrifted frames look more cohesive, I’ll often give a mismatched collection a coat of spray paint. And whenever I find an oversized frame (bigger than 8x10) I’ll grab it, because they are harder to find and surprisingly pricy to buy new.
Baskets
Woven baskets offer beauty and function for your entire house. I use them for holding bread on the dinner table, to store magazines or craft projects and corral clutter in my office. In the autumn, to celebrate Mabon, I like filling small baskets with dried flower bouquets from the garden and placing a larger basket of fresh red apples on our kitchen counter.
Faux Greenery
Not everyone has ready access or a budget for fresh flowers and greenery, especially in the winter months. Thrift stores are an excellent place for scoring gently used fake plants, picks and flowers. I use faux greenery to add a little color and texture to places in my house where real plants won’t make it, such as my kitchen which gets little direct sunlight. For my Wheel of the Year celebrations, I will add faux greenery for sabbat decorations.
Now, some might argue that using fake greens goes against the very essence of a nature based spiritual path. I argue that it is the intent that you have when using any item, real or fake. Plus I feel it's a bit elitist to assume that everyone can pick up a fresh bouquet of flowers for their Wheel of the Year celebration. I say do what you can, where you are, with what you have.
Clothes
Easily half of my wardrobe is thrifted. If you are looking for a special outfit for your Wheel of the Year celebration, thrift stores and consignment shops are a great place to look. ThredUp is another resource, if you don’t live near any good quality second hand clothing stores. I wrote a whole post on how to shop online for thrifted clothes. Buying second hand clothes is one of the best ways to avoid fast fashion and reduce the environmental footprint of your wardrobe.
As you plan for your next Wheel of the Year celebration, I hope that these tips have helped inspire you. Be sure to visit the Member’s Library for Free Wheel of the Year Printables, calendars, art and more!