Today into tomorrow is known as many things: Imbolc, St. Brigid’s Day, the Feast of Brigid to name a few. In the northern hemisphere, it marks the time between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and is a time when there are glimmers of warmer times to come. Right now it is 2 degrees Fahrenheit where I live, so temperature-wise, spring might be hard to sense, but there is a noticeable lightening of the sky and certain bird songs remind me that we are part of a cycle, always.

The ancient Goddess Brigid is associated with poetry, smithing, fertility, keening, and protection. There are many more aspects of her and this would be a lovely time to read up on her. Just looking at those associations, I notice that they are all to do with creation/creativity, keeping that which is grown and cherished safe, and grief. A full cycle embodied in one goddess.

For this month’s Summoning Creativity post, I thought it might be fun to play with words as a way of interacting with the Goddess Brigid’s poetry aspect. Expression of self through words carries significant energy- we take what is in our minds, hearts, bodies and put it through the fires of wordsmithing to communicate with other minds, hearts, and bodies.

One need not write a poem to engage with this energy, but certainly you can! Below I’ll list some ideas to take on today and for this month to work with the power of words. We know all too well that words can work to elevate and express love, can serve as acts of resistance, can illustrate passions, can take us to places in our imaginations that were, prior to reading them, unknown. Words can also be used to attack, harm, humiliate, and isolate others. We must always be responsible for choosing our words.

As we head into the time when winter releases its grip and spring pushes to emerge into new life and new growth, let’s play with words and see what happens.

Some ideas:
~ Write down one word a day that is of interest to you and put it in a location where you will see it and be reminded to think of it. Look up the definition and the etymology of the word and see what comes to mind. If a word doesn’t come to mind, flip through a dictionary or book you have around and open to a page. Wherever your eyes naturally find themselves on the page, choose a word.
~ Write a letter to someone- the paper kind! And mail it!
~ Write a poem.
~ Read a poem.
~ Write a word and think about what color it is. Play with that. Maybe paint around it, draw the word, or weave it!
~ Perhaps there’s an email that could be sent to a state politician that implores them to consider a different point of view? Or that supports them in continuing the fight that they are in?
~ Listen to an author read something they wrote or they love.
~ Consider how you would like to use your words to communicate with people in the coming months. Is there anything that you’d like to express that has been hard to put in to words? Call on Brigid’s smithing and fire energies and apply them to working with expression.
~ Look to the sky whenever you are feeling overwhelmed and/or the creative spark is tired or feels far away and breathe. Say one word (or more) that describes what you see. Does it elevate you? or sadden you? Let your eyes find something to rest on that is neutral and simply describe what you see with no judgement. Just be. See what happens…

Enjoy the process of playing with the power of words! See how they feel as you say them, write them, hear them. And look for those signs of spring!

Until next time,

~ bradie