belly of mother
incubates the potential
for what is to come
The Belly of the Mother
Today is Imbolc, one of the cross-quarter days in the cycle of the year. It marks the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
It is said that around this time is when the sap begins to thaw in the Maple trees. The earth begins to thaw from the deep winter freeze. Water once again begins to flow.
The word “Imbolc” means “in the belly of the mother.” At this turn of the wheel, Mother Earth is pregnant with the new life of spring.
When I learned the meaning of the word Imbolc I marveled at the synchronicity with another event that is happening today.
The Pregnant Month
Today is also the start of the Hebrew month of Adar I, an extra month added to the calendar in a leap year, which occurs 7 times in a 19-year cycle; approximately every 2–3 years. The additional lunar month is how we keep the Jewish holidays in their proper seasons.
The Hebrew term for leap year is shana me’uberet. which literally means “a pregnant year.” Adar I is the pregnant month. It is an in-between time, a time of transition and incubation.
This extra month allows us to attune to the changes in our environment and thaw our hearts from the deep freeze of winter and create space for the joy that will arrive in spring.
Both Imbolc and the first of the month in the Jewish calendar are observed as Sabbaths.
On this day, we pause to attune to nature. We feel the rumblings of what is stirring beneath the surface, within the earth and within ourselves.
Spring is coming. What we are incubating now will soon be ready to birth.
Journaling prompts for this sacred pause:
- What projects are you incubating that will soon be ready to come to life?
- What do you wish to cultivate and grow?
- How will you tend to it and make it sustainable?
A Haiku Poem for Imbolc and Adar I
beneath the surface
still waters begin to flow
the wheel is turning
as Maple’s sap thaws
feel the tingling of movement
the first signs of spring
deep in the belly
new life is incubating
prepping to emerge
let your heart thaw out
shed your protective layers
fill yourself with joy
[…] the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The word Imbolc means “belly,” signifying the womb of creation. In ancient times, it was a time to reaffirm life and start thinking about what to plant in the […]