Today is February 1st, also known as Imbolc to those who celebrate. Coming from the word “imbolg,” meaning, “in the belly,” it centers around growth, opportunities, and change.

Today isn’t about birth, like in Beltane, but about the active growth and change in order to harvest the fruits of your labor.

I’m dedicating today to sowing the seeds of new friendships, trying a new focaccia recipe (I just cannot seem to get it to bubbly correctly!), brewing up new candle ideas, and checking out new books from my local public library. Each of these sows the seeds of new growth in life, which I can only hope will bear fruit in the form of changed habits and achieved goals.

I’m a firm believer in the idea that resolutions do not need to have a date attached- why not start a “New Year’s Resolution” in March, or June, or February? January is a tough month to get started on new goals anyways- most people are coming back from travel, unpacking their bags, and getting back into the swing of things for school and work. It’s a wild, busy month, making it tricky to balance significant life changes. It’s also in the depths of winter, which is traditionally a time for bulking down, hibernation, and taking care of oneself.

So, February it is. Imbolc could not be a better symbol-bearer for this season. Halfway between winter and spring, Imbolc is the holiday to reorient yourself to your goals, and start to shed your winter coat, shake off the dusting of snow, and burst from the ground like so many snowdrops.

Here is what my Imbolc day looks like, as a beginning to a pattern of change that I hope will bring change and good tidings into my life this year:

1. Wake up slowly with the sunshine
2. Stretch naturally, follow a ten minute yoga routine on YouTube
3. Make and drink matcha, a healthy and low dose of caffeine in comparison to traditional coffee
4. Make and eat breakfast (Okay, this one I cheated on- I just heated up some leftover lemony butter beans and added some zhoug to it to make it spicy. Super tasty!)
5. Start the focaccia dough. I’m using a new recipe with Italian 00 flour, hoping for better results. My dough gets bubbly at first, but when it gets to the part where you get your fingers in the dough to add the dimples, it all deflates!
6. Go on a walk, enjoy the sunshine
7. Meet up with a new friend (sowing the seeds!) for coffee and book browsing at our local library
8. Pick up a new book (with a new library card!) to read this month
9. Come back for lunch, prepare dinner: marinated lamb (perfect for Imbolc), which the leftovers can be eaten as gyros tomorrow night (yum!)
10. Meet up with friends at our local game store for a continuation of our Dungeons and Dragons game
11. Come back, eat dinner, relax, meditate, read my new book, and sleep.

I’ve been cutting out alcohol as well, little by little. It helps with sleep, which really improves my day. Continue your Dry-January if you started- your body will thank you for it!

What does your Imbolc look like? It could be a mood board night, setting intentions for the year, making long-term plans with friends, re-evaluating finances, etc. Now is the time, especially if you did not get the chance to in January.

Thanks for reading!