Easter is a time for us to reconnect with loved ones and family, reflect on the year so far and have some time for renewal.
The title of Easter remains a muted memory of Eostre, a goddess of the dawn who arrived from the east, bringing light and promise of new life, and for many at the spring equinox it will be a religious celebration, for others it will be a chance to have a couple of days off and some time away on holidays.
During this time of year perhaps the common connective factor is that we celebrate the outward signs and evidence of new life, rebirth, and anticipate the growth to come.
It can also be a time of year where we find ourselves depleted of energy, so it is good to undertake some processes and practices of restoration and balance as well as aim and direction.
In that sense, Easter is the first Earth Day that began with a descent into darkness, and led to a return of all the potentials of life in tune with the arrival of spring that can renew all the branches and blossoms of the earth. This deep sense of renewal exists in the depths of the human soul, just as it resides in the depths of the earth itself.
We are wired to heal and self-right, so in this way life is always trying to renew in each of us, despite and because of the inevitable suffering and sorrows we experience.
To heal means to make whole again, even if it is just a moment of wholeness in which we feel connected to the source of life.
This is the inspiration we receive at Imbolc, which is a Celtic word and Gaelic traditional festival, meaning “in the belly of the Mother,” to be inspired to start to rise and animate our being, with the hope to manifest ideas and plans and actions. Its good to make sure we are in alignment with what we want to grow into over the coming seasons and to remember to lean-in to the life around us and calibrate ourselves to the balance of equal light and dark, even as we experience the up and down emotions of early spring surges and the last doldrums of winter weather.
As the saying goes, “each day is a new beginning”, intended to hold some redemptive possibilities as the sun rises from the darkness and the world begins again. Each day holds a moment of eternity waiting for you.
When your eye catches a flower that speaks for all of creation or a face that reflects a true sense of humanity back to us or a gesture of compassion that reveals the caring and courage and loving nature of the human heart.
We invite you all to take a moment and contemplate your journey through those cold months of darkness and explore what now emerges better than ever.
Whatever you may be doing this Easter, we wanted to wish you a very happy and safe day.
By Craig Wanless