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Aquarius New Moon, February 2, 2011
Candlemas/ Imbolc
Sacred Fire by Cathy Pagano
I am the whirlwind . Bright harsh breath of Life.
I am the slowly swelling waters. dark embracing depths of Life.
I am the fire at the center. Warmth of Life unfolding.
I am the moist, dark loam. Richness of Life becoming.
This week we celebrate not only the New Moon in Aquarius on February 3rd, but also Chinese New Year on February 4th -" the Year of the Rabbit. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented, and ambitious, virtuous, reserved, and refined. It's easy to admire and trust Rabbit people. And to top it off, they are often financially lucky. So even if you're not a Rabbit, this year try to emulate them and allow their refined talent and great luck into your life.
We've also arrived at another turn of the Wheel of the Year, the midway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. The Celts called it Imbolc, the Christians Candlemas, and the Irish celebrate it as St. Brighid's Day.
This holy day is a fire festival, and a celebration of the lengthening days and the earliest signs of spring. Celebrations center around hearth fires, special foods, divination, and storytelling. Imbolc is also traditionally a time of weather prognostication and the old Irish tradition of watching to see if serpents came from their winter dens is a precursor to our modern Groundhog Day.
Fire and purification are attributes of St. Brigit, who was the Gaelic goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft. As both goddess and saint she is also associated with holy wells, sacred flames, and healing. The lighting of candles and fires represents the return of warmth and the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months. So light a candle to symbolize the light you want to bring into the world this year, listen inside for the Silence where all things are birthed, and let Spirit bring you a vision of what archetypal energy you are ready to embody this year.
Just as we look for the returning light, we also look for inspiration and vision for this turn of our life's journey. Each year at this time, we can dedicate ourselves to a larger vision, for we are here not only to serve ourselves, but also to serve Life. Since Imbolc is sacred to poets, it is a good time to invoke the Muses and clear and bless our own "inner' springs of creativity so we can open to the voice of the Creative Imagination.
(St. Brighid's Day is especially sacred to Bards/storytellers. Tune into my new BlogTalk Radio show "The Bard's Grove" starting Friday night February 5th, where my co-host Rick and I will tell ancient archetypal stories to spark the Imagination and inspire you throughout the year.)
Once again, the Cosmic Story is aligning with the Wheel of the Year, with this Aquarius New Moon occurring on Imbolc, just as the full Moon lunar eclipse occurred on Winter Solstice. Imbolc, as a cross-quarter holiday, occurs at or near the 15* of the fixed sign Aquarius. The 15th degree of any power sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) is a power gate -" the fixed nature of the signs concentrate the energy into the 15th degree, opening a vortex for manifestation. This new Moon stands one degree away, energizing the gateway even more than usual.
The New Moon
Aquarius New Moon 2011 by Cathy Pagano
The New Moon occurs at 14* Aquarius on Wednesday February 2, 2011 at 9:31pm EST/6:31pm PST and Thursday February 3rd at 2:31am GMT.
