WTF is Groundhog Day?

Originally published: 2/3/2016 on Weebly blog


Groundhog Day marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. We are, slowly and delicately, emerging from the belly of winter. The groundhog is symbolic of the very first life energies beginning to manifest and emerge from the womb of creation which we celebrated at the winter solstice. The new earth is now slowly emerging.

In that emerging, the weather shifts wildly, as we are seeing with today's huge snow in Minneapolis. The old lady winter and the maiden of spring struggle against one another for dominion of the landscape.

This "new emerging earth" is external, and also internal. There is, indeed, a new earth emerging in you, and from you, dear drummer on the taught skin of life. How to manage this, how to work with it?

The Celtic goddess of healing, inspiration and birth, Brigid, comes into our work at this time of year, if we ask. She is associated with many powers, but here is what she is suggesting for you:

 There are three kinds of fire humans kindle: the cooking fire, the friendly fire and the holy fire. These are connected with the three cauldrons of the body: the belly cauldron (life force/power, body health, daily life and business), the heart cauldron (relationship/connection/emotions) and the cauldron of the head (spiritual power/vision/ intellectual power and the practice that feeds them all).

Take some quiet time between now and this weekend (the new moon) to ask Spirit to come and kindle one or more of these fires in you. Enter into a deep yearning-- that's what makes you Celtic! Shed tears of yearning if you want to- they feed the spirits and lubricate your intentions.

BUT: Every fire we kindle has a moment of resistance, where the fire may or may not light. Place attention on your resistance to actually having this fire be kindled. What patterns, habits and beliefs in you make it certain that the fire won't take (as, perhaps you have seen again and again in your life)? What resistance have you laid into the kindling? Did you choose wet wood? Did you lay the fire in a hurry, not allow enough space for it to breathe? Did you start with too big of sticks, not small enough kindling?  Did you forget your match? Did you forget to praise the spirit of the fire and make offerings to it? Did you do any of this because in actuality, you really do not want the fire - you'd rather complain about the cold and dark?

Ah, crap, all of that is me!

Ask Spirit to help make you aware of your resistance - that winter that will not let go, that does not wish to become spring -  and help remove it. Listen to what you have to do - what practice, what discipline must you do, and what commitment must you make in order to make sure that fire grows? What fuel must you place on that small fire in order to build it so that the land will be warmed, the crops will grow, and the animals will eat and get fat?

Jaime

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