Latest / OCCULTINARIUM / Occultinarium - EP 2 - Imbolc
Transcript
- Lynn: Welcome to tonight's episode of the Occultinarium. We are the voices of the and today's hosts are. Luigi: Luigi Amelie: Amelie Lynn: and Lynn. we are going to talk about Imbolc ⁓ we are in -not exactly in the date of Imbolc- but we are in the spirit and the phase or era of Imbolc right now and we were just wanting to share our thoughts and ideas ⁓ and we celebrate it and maybe get But before we get into that, we have our lovely tradition of pulling a tarot card in secret. today the honor goes to Amelie and we will only reveal the card at the end of the episode. So stay tuned. Amelie: I shall shuffle these and maybe should do it in silence but maybe I'll just just go for it. Lynn: shuffle. Now we get the lovely ASMR. Amelie: I had a jumper because that's what I do. I like my jumpers. ⁓ yes, will be very interesting. ⁓ I do a mad moment here because I think if that's just... Luigi: As usual. Lynn: Mm-hmm. All right, you got it. Yes, because for the listeners who are not actually watching, but just listening to the episodes, we all are wearing hats today. So it's a chosen hat today. And Amelie is wearing a wonderful mad hatter her top hat. She just put her tarot card with the backside to the front so we don't see it. So Exciting, exciting. Amelie: Exactly, it's a... You can see it, but you cannot see it. But maybe there is some energy that will flow and you will... As long as I don't move my hair too much, you know? Lynn: We cannot see it. and reveal it. ⁓ that's ⁓ Otherwise, just have to ⁓ discuss it a little bit prematurely. ⁓ That's All right. Imbolc! Luigi, you are a most pagan of all the pagans here, as we just Luigi: building anticipation. Amelie: Yes, it's like a little bit of a peak. Yeah. Lynn: the least chaotic maybe because I'm also considering myself a pagan but as a chaos witch I draw from like many different pantheons as well. But you are, I feel a bit more pure in that sense. ⁓ Amelie: Like a Celtic pagan, it's like all these different umbrella names, right? Luigi: I haven't been given the word pure in a very long so it feels like so refreshing ⁓ purity, what was that like? Lynn: ⁓ You're welcome. ⁓ All right. So what is it for you? Luigi: Thank you. Amelie: Yeah. Luigi: But yeah, yeah, I think thank you for assigning me the purity, but I guess I suppose I also tend to dab in and out different traditions, at least in terms of exploration, but I do have a strong draw or attraction rather to the Celtic framework, tradition, history, background and so forth, and Pantheon even. So yeah, I think I'll talk Imbolc and I'm gonna refer to it with the, I believe the Gaelic or Celtic, Irish Celtic pronunciation, which has like a and soft that almost sounds like a G, but obviously, you I'm Italian by origin, so if any ⁓ Irish person out wants to come after my pronunciation, please do so with a lot of compassion and empathy. ⁓ But yeah, Imbolc, gonna talk about it, what it means to me. Lynn: You Luigi: in the way that I've learned it, in the way that I experience it. But from a general point of view, I suppose, in the Celtic tradition, it's the beginning of spring. It's the season of spring, even. It's the return of the light, which technically started with the winter solstice, but it becomes more evident in the time of Imbolc The temperatures are supposedly... warming up slightly but also an interesting fact for those of us that know it or don't know it, the word itself roughly to in the belly and refers, that's also a reference to the time of the year where the hues start get impregnated and they have their babies, the baby lambs, they reproduce a lot milk, so milk is very much both an element and a symbol Imbolc And the dedicated to it, at least in our tradition as well. In traditions, I suppose, ⁓ is goddess, to me, known as Brigantu but often referred to obviously as Brigid or Brigid or Brigid. Yeah, so there's a lot of that about hope rising, hope rekindled, suppose, because we're just coming out of the season of darkness and the season of death, and things are slowly awakening. We tend to view it as the eternal goddess is slowly waking up from her slumber. Candles are always involved in magic, in witchcraft, particularly for Imbolc and even in most of the winter traditions and sabbaths and seasons. But here we have the purpose of the white candles, representing the energy of Brigantu representing the energy of the maiden. and waking up and bringing hope to us again that the days will get longer, know, world, Mother Nature, she will come back alive again and gift us with all her blessings ⁓ rewards. ⁓ Yeah. Lynn: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's like, yeah, also with the candles, I'm just thinking, you know, I mean, if you're thinking like back in time, winter, you know, we didn't have or like, especially like for us who live a bit more in the north, ⁓ is no light, right? And like electricity, like how would you produce light? Of course, like with fire and with candles. So I like this whole this darkness period that we're having, like in in our days, you know, OK, we just switched on the head, like ⁓ the top lights it's bright. But, know, like just a few hundred years ago, would just be candles everywhere to actually lighten up the day and to get some of this feeling of being alive back. Right. So it makes sense that this dark period would have a lot of candle traditions. we also have that in the North, actually, we're calling it Candlemas ⁓ It's North, yes, the Candlemas Yeah. So it's also like, yeah. And obviously then what became Christmas also is also like with all the ⁓ lights on the and, you know, Luigi: Yes, yes. Lynn: So it's very this dark period and lighting it up. ⁓ Amelie: Yeah, and it's also, I guess the days are becoming a little bit longer during that period as well, which is ⁓ also something important. I mean, I guess, ⁓ guess ⁓ in the Scandinavia is a little bit ⁓ severe up north when it comes to that. But still, you can really feel it here as well that the days are becoming a little bit longer than the nights, which feels a little bit Lynn: Mm. Amelie: better. thing I was also thinking about, ⁓ think we're a little bit Norse-Gaelic, ⁓ was thinking about the rune as well, Ingwaz which feels ⁓ much like energy of this. Lynn: Yeah. Mm. Luigi: Yes. ⁓ Do want to tell us about the symbolism of the rune? Lynn: Yeah Amelie: I'm so bad at like by the book but it's... yeah that's true ⁓ but I'm like going by things that I ⁓ kind of myself and sometimes I miss things out but it's basically like seed so... ⁓ Lynn: You shouldn't be by the book anyway. Luigi: Hahaha Lynn: you Amelie: It's, the rune is like diamond shaped. Is that, would that would be kind of correct thing to say? And exactly. It's not like this, but like this. Which basically is ⁓ like a seed. So it's not something that is growing on outside where you can see it. It's just something that is kind of like. Lynn: Yes. but almost like this, yeah. Amelie: a word for it that I forgot. There's something that is just like... Yeah, it's just a of... There is a word. I always forget words. ⁓ Damn ⁓ But basically of like taking its form like a pregnant woman basically. When you have, you know, the and it grows inside the belly but you don't really see it on the outside. ⁓ It's like the of transformation but ⁓ the actual birth. So almost like the new moon as well, that kind of like new moon energy. ⁓ Yeah. Lynn: Yeah. Luigi: Mm. Lynn: Yeah, I think that's also a really important point of like this of like the invoke spirit that some people I feel miss or especially like in our modern time when know when a lot of people celebrate like the New Year at like the 1st of January and everything is so like there's so much happening and it's just so ⁓ everybody's using energy while the Imbolc period you're not really supposed to spend that energy yet It's like if you're looking at nature nature is just starting to prepare. The buds are starting, the things like underground things are starting to grow, but it's not coming out yet. It's like nature collecting, beginning to collect all that energy bit by bit by bit to then actually sprout and explode into this big life for Beltane later. So now it's still like this preparation, still like this. Luigi: Mm. Mm. Lynn: Yeah, still kind of holding back this growth period. Yeah. So I feel us or I feel like it's very ⁓ a very good time to prepare what we actually want to grow in the next Yeah, that's how we often ⁓ in my tradition, often think about it. Luigi: Mm-hmm. Amelie: feels a little bit as well like when you're about to perform and go on a stage but you're like behind the curtains and it's like it's a preparation of like almost like a mental preparation of just like gathering like that energy to you know and then yeah the Luigi: Yeah. Lynn: Mm-hmm. Right, yeah. Mm. Mm. Luigi: waiting in the wings. Lynn: Yeah. ⁓ Amelie: Obviously there is some nerves but there's also that anticipation and that excitement but kind of curving it a little bit so you can kind of out and be you kind of prepared in that behind the... ⁓ Yeah, know, ta-da! Yeah. ⁓ Lynn: Mm. into life yeah yeah Luigi: Can I share with you ⁓ a vision that I usually have Imbolc? So it's something that sometimes I ⁓ use my meditation, but the way that I conceptualize it, and I say conceptualize it purely because there's snow involved, and in London, the UK, it hasn't really been snowing for a really long time, or there hasn't been, ⁓ thankfully to extent, permanent snow, know, the snow that sticks, it ⁓ becomes like a centimeters high and whatnot. So I have to use a bit of imagination, because I actually haven't seen snow eons. But I say that because, ⁓ like said, I imagine ⁓ the goddess fast asleep ⁓ in some of coffin, or is a bit more of a fancy word, suppose, ⁓ made of that looks almost like crystal or diamond. she's a bit like Snow White, I suppose. ⁓ And she's ⁓ in her slumber, content. Lynn: ⁓ my gosh. ⁓ Amelie: Yeah. Lynn: Mm. Yeah. Amelie: I love that. Luigi: dreaming possibly. Lynn: ⁓ yeah. I'm thinking more of like a bear in its hive, you know, like the bear just saying in the winter. Yeah, hibernation. Yeah. Luigi: Yeah, I'm a nation. Yeah, yeah. And then what I envision sometimes is that some kind of winter-related animal, or not necessarily winter-related animal, but because the color white for me, it's so associated or corresponding to Imbolc in the season, so it would be like a white fox or a swan, even though swans are not supposed to be floating around in the... But in my imagination, it's a swan coming in or a white fox or a white bear. Lynn: Mm. Mm. Luigi: and they carry with them a candle, again a white candle, and they put it on the top of the sarcophagus, awakening the goddess that holds the candle. Sometimes the candle becomes a crown that she starts wearing, so it's a crown formed of many candles, and then she starts stepping into the woods, and every single step that she takes melts the snow, and the snow turns into water that flows back into the rivers, that flows back towards the lakes. Lynn: Mm. Bye. ⁓ yeah. Luigi: that flows back towards the oceans slowly leaving space for the ground, the soil to breathe and say, do you smell that? is that life? Is the world waiting for me? Yeah, ⁓ that's kind of like the psychological mind trip that I have in my meditations with Imbolc from time to time. Lynn: Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's lovely. You know what it just reminded me of? think it's an animation that was in the Disney Fantasia, the new one, the 2000 one. I think there's like this, yeah, there's this animation. Yeah, I think so. Yeah, we're also like, there's this creature and just she's waking up and everything. Yeah, and becomes spring again. Yeah, yeah. Luigi: ⁓ yeah! The firebird sequence. The sprite. Yeah, with the elk that breathes and the droplet creates the spring or summer sprite. Yeah, I was utterly in love with that sequence when I was a child. It's such a shame that it wasn't a big box office success, but great film altogether. Lynn: Yeah, right. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it was great. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Amelie: Yeah, I was thinking about that too, because when I lived in Sweden there was always snow and it's so beautiful to see, you know, the flowers through the snow during this time and to have like that contrast of like snow and flowers ⁓ of starting to grow is really beautiful and that's something like, yeah, ⁓ you said, Luigi, ⁓ we don't have that in the UK. ⁓ Lynn: Mm. Amelie: But we might have snow next week just putting it out there. Any way up north I'm not really sure. Maybe just for like few hours or so but still. Luigi: fu- ⁓ Lynn: You Yeah, and I was just taking a long walk yesterday, like for a few hours with my dog through the snow and was actually we're like sinking in like we're in Norway. So we're actually like sinking. I was like going through the woods. So there was no path sometimes. And I was just like knee deep and I was like, OK, this is a little it's a little tougher. We're going. This was fun. No, it was beautiful with the sun filtering through the trees and just white everywhere. And it's just like, oh, it was lovely. So. Amelie: You Luigi: Or at least you got some sun. Lynn: Yeah, we got some sun yesterday, today. No, not so much. But it is. Yeah. Amelie: That's also such an amazing when you have the snow and the sun. Lynn: beautiful yeah yeah and you really feel like the energy like you get I mean us in Norway it's like the first first days you actually get the Sun back you know people just stand with their heads like you know it's just like these a few minutes just in the Sun because you really feel that difference it's so yeah so it's just like I'm of a hill now ⁓ there's Sun Luigi: reflecting on it. Amelie: Yes, yes, and the- Yes. Lynn: Okay, let's just stand here for a while. Okay, okay, let's go. Luigi: Let's soak in the rays. Amelie: It's so important. Yeah, it's so important to feel because you can really feel that energy from the sun after not having it for so long. This is when you actually feel like the which I think a lot of people don't think they like sun. You get a sun tan, but ⁓ just like, I don't know, ⁓ feeling when it's cold outside and you get sun. I love it. Lynn: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. and mentioned, Lucia, you mentioned Brigid, right? ⁓ And I just also thinking that that she was ⁓ later attributed with a Saint, Saint Brigid, Which is made into a Saint for the Christians. ⁓ same, same entity. ⁓ Amelie: Yeah. Luigi: Yeah. Yeah, I don't know, because obviously I distance myself quite a lot from the Christian of mine as an Italian raised in a Catholic country, as you can imagine. ⁓ So I don't know too much of what the saint stands for or represents. I know that she's probably involved again with the Candlemas Christian tradition, ⁓ and actually in some ⁓ neo-pagan or communities, another way refer to him all. Lynn: Mmm. Luigi: especially when people feel anxious about the pronunciation, they will refer to it as Candlemas simply. fact, when we celebrated this year ⁓ my circles, which many different covens and and groupings, most of them to it as Candlemas. They even welcomed us ⁓ on the saying, welcome our Candlemas. So yeah, I guess there's room and flexibility for whatever people are comfortable with. Lynn: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Luigi: But yeah, so I wouldn't be able to necessarily discuss at length ⁓ similarities between the saint ⁓ and the original Celtic deity, but I can definitely tap into the Celtic deity, know, of the Dagda, as they But there is also tradition that, or at least a myth that I found out from, ⁓ I forgot the author. ⁓ I will have pick it up. ⁓ But basically, the ⁓ involves ⁓ divine goddess Danu, who is the mother of the children of Danu, ⁓ her waters, potentially one of her tears, Bile, grey oak, was born, ⁓ not born, grew, grew from her tear, from her love, from her ⁓ infinite of dreams and magic, ⁓ and that oak tree fell obviously a... what's it called? ⁓ Lynn: Mm-hmm. the sea, the sea near from the oaks. Yes. Luigi: Yeah, acorn, thank you, because I was gonna say wrong, it's not chestnut. ⁓ The acorn fell and ⁓ from acorn, one half came the Dagda and half came out the Brigantu ⁓ Again, ⁓ kind of ⁓ mirroring, reflecting traditions the one into two principles, the masculine and the feminine. ⁓ But yeah, most of the times, ⁓ Brigantu always be referred to as a of the Dagda. Amelie: Acorn. ⁓ Lynn: Yes. Hmm Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Luigi: but always known as the Exalted One and always known as patron of Smith's arts poetry and healing. Lynn: So in the Celtic tradition everything was created from a tree basically. Is that right? Is the tree the origin? Luigi: Yeah, well, there's a lot of common roots, I suppose, that a huge value ⁓ the love of trees, on the love towards trees, ⁓ particularly from the Druid faith and practice and tradition. ⁓ But the oak is very much significant, always has been. And ⁓ I also even the word Druid, the etymology of it, comes from word oak. Lynn: Mm. Luigi: or from the world of the oak tree as well. ⁓ So yeah, there's always been... ⁓ go on! Lynn: Right, right. Yeah. And then you have the whole. Yeah, we know, just saying that there was also the you have the whole own system of writing as well that or the system the Celtic runes in a sense that also all trees. Yeah, but it's just like, ⁓ just ⁓ interesting. mean, this is a completely there's going to be a completely different episode where we can just talk about myths and origin ⁓ origin. So it's just like mentioning that it's so interesting, like how, you know, in the Celts, OK, there's a tree and then we hear in the north, you know. Amelie: Yeah. Lynn: It's a cow. not a cow. know, we have the fire and we have the ice. And with the fire and the ice, you know, that creates life. But we have the cow that licks the first being out of the ice. ⁓ cow. Yeah, was just reading like here, like in the Norse tradition for this. Amelie: Yeah, the cow. Lynn: phase of the year, you have like Candlemas like we mentioned, or it can also be Disting And ⁓ or Disir is like name for the female gods, ⁓ or like a basically of female gods. And so also just this parallel that ⁓ it's also very like a feminine period. And we also call it like month or the month now February basically is also traditionally called the Goa month, where Goa is also a female goddess, which is not too much. I don't think very much is known about her. I don't know too much about her, called Goa month. And then you have this whole celebration about feminine powers the femininity and that birth that you mentioned as well. Yeah, it's quite a... Amelie: I guess it makes sense because it's the female is kind of like the one that carries the child for nine months which would represent that stage of time which makes like complete sense a way of thinking about like the year so it is like I thinking about like is that that that Lynn: Yeah. Amelie: darkness, but I'm not trying to say it in like a It's not like evil darkness, but it's like this darkness or not but it's like that darkness where things come from. ⁓ It's dark but it's not that kind of magic. ⁓ Am I making ⁓ But it's like, ⁓ specific female magic, you know, within... Lynn: No. No, but I mean it is. Luigi: Yeah. Amelie: within the body. I'm thinking about also how people would perceive it a long long time ago because they were so connected with nature obviously and everything was symbolic of that happen in life and that's one of the things and it just makes complete sense. Lynn: Yeah. Yeah. mean, darkness in the dark winter periods. mean, it's really it. really where you just have to survive. ⁓ if you don't have enough food, if you don't have the means, then you're not going to make it. So it's really, yeah, darkness is not it's something very harsh. You have to try and get through somehow. And then. ⁓ Amelie: Yeah, as like you said, yeah, like you said, it's also preserving the energy and not going too fast to and push yourself to do stuff like we do nowadays. It's about like preserving and it's okay to have a nap here and there. It's okay to maybe feel tired, but also listening to your body when you feel like you need to slow down. I think that's so important. Lynn: Mm. No. Alright. Luigi: think that's the whole seasonal cycle and rhythm and equilibrium, it? Because the resources are available... Okay, we live in modern times, so it's a bit of a different conversation, but from an historical perspective, the resources would be available in the seasons of life and sun and summer, isn't it? Whether it's about crops, whether it's about the hunting seasons as well. Although technically that maybe happens more into the autumn. Lynn: Mm. Luigi: part of the year. Yeah, but it's all about like you invest energy, you you spend energy during those quarters of the year because that's when the resources are available and that's when they should be harvested and collected and that's because then in the following quarters, the dark quarters, that's where you're not supposed to... you're supposed to be like the bear, you're supposed to be hibernate, not to... Lynn: Yeah, October. Yeah. ⁓ Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Yeah. Luigi: extent of air but again it's it's a beautiful equilibrium I could use one yeah Lynn: Yeah, but it's time of recluse. Recluse and just sharing stories. And then again, spring comes along and then you're starting to get that energy back. But it's also not the time where you go and spend energy because you're not at the full point of it yet. You cannot harvest a fruit while the seed is still growing. There is no fruit yet. And yet we're behaving like, know, are behaving like it. Amelie: It would be nice though. Yeah. Yeah. Luigi: And I guess it gives you the opportunity, because I'm trying to think again about the word equilibrium, so what's not available in one quarter will be available in a different quarter. ⁓ suppose for people like, when I say people like us, I mean people that are, ⁓ get a kick out of ⁓ reflecting, pondering, ⁓ meditating and so forth. And maybe ⁓ we were alive back in those times, we may have had less time for it during the... Lynn: Mm. Luigi: seasons of life but we would have made up for it in the seasons of death. We would have had, okay this is now your opportunity, pick up those books, although not everybody had access to books I guess, but you know that's your opportunity to dedicate all of this time to the things that the three of us that I say would have loved to get involved with. Lynn: Mm. Yeah, yeah. But that's what the storytellers really are. Like, that's what the storytellers come out and really shine. That's in the winter months, you know, it's just everybody collects in front of the fire and then few designated good storytellers of the tribe or whatnot, right? They would tell the stories instead of, know, in lieu of a good book. ⁓ Yeah. Luigi: Hahaha! Lynn: have something this book of mine about the Goa month, if you want me to read out from it. Yeah, so that's from the Nordic Animist here. We Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen, a Dane put It's really good. ⁓ I recommend. And it's a project where trying kind of ⁓ bring the old ⁓ calendar back to life. Amelie: ⁓ yeah, yeah, please. Luigi: Please do. Lynn: So it's very historically based and he's going through all the rituals and things that we know historically have been upheld in Scandinavia or in the North throughout the year and the year cycle. So it's very cool. But here it for Goa month, is like February. And it says that ⁓ a general tendency to personify this month with benign female figures like Goa or like with Brigid like we had. And other names are Goa, Goakvina or Madame Gøja or names that hint at the approaching gentleness of the February weather ⁓ such Blidel meaning gentle. Goa has some relation to those gentle goddesses of fertility associated with spring. Her arrival in the year marks the definitive end of the period of the dark, dangerous, monstrous spirit of the Wild Hunt. One story Goa is found in a strange tale in Orkneyngar saga. The tale posits mythic of fire, water and wind. Wind father's Frost, who father's Thorri, the Icelandic personification of the previous month. Goa was the daughter of Thorri and there's a myth about how the sacrifices of Goa month were instituted because pleaded to the gods for help at a point when Goa, his daughter disappeared. are also other traditions that see them as man and wife So it appears that Goa was a feminine figure and this was reflected in rituals focused on women. Like in Iceland, ⁓ mothers would invite female neighbours to a women's feast that would mark the opening of Goa month. And this direct link between the benign power of Goa and women in the community was a general theme, like weather omens were associated with specific women and women would don clothing to invoke the coming of warmer days. And in central Norway, milk would be offered to Goa on the three first nights after new moon of Goa with the prayer, dear Goa, give me both butter and bread. Or in ⁓ actual, ser du mælken min Gjø give mig styrke og føde! So yeah, yeah that's good. Luigi: Beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. Amelie: I understood that actually, that's pretty cool. I mean, Norwegian is not too far away from Swedish but there are just some words that are just not. Luigi: Hahaha Lynn: No, no, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Amelie: Yeah, I really like the fact that it's quite similar to like the Celtic one. This whole thing with milk in the grain as well, I think was a thing. grain is because that was something that they could keep over winter that didn't, you know, you could make ⁓ and you can make food like that. So these kind of things were just so important. Lynn: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm. Luigi: But based on what we discussed so far, I find it so beautiful, and I think it will come up in more that we'll have in the future, but I find it so beautiful how to... Everything is very unique, everything is very ⁓ beautifully on its own, but yet not necessarily borrows, but it connects, intersects. Like even when we were talking about the rune Ingwaz and ⁓ the seed ⁓ like this of... ⁓ bring you all the sense of beginning and awakening from the slumber and so forth. ⁓ Lynn: ⁓ yeah, you say everything, everything connects. know this, everything's connected. But also a lot of things are borrowed. We know this as well, historically how really also tales from like all the way from India made it to Greece and then from Greece it made it to the North, like Scandinavia, like a very similar myths or the same myth basically then just ⁓ in different light. So, I mean, we know, we know But yeah, speaking of runes, rune that also be associated with this time of Imbolc would be Kaun or Kenaz the flame. looks like a K. ⁓ Is it favorite? Yeah, because this is like the... I mean, there's a lot associated with that rune, of course, but ⁓ one association can that kind of torchlight or the soft light that... Luigi: My favorite, my favorite. Lynn: leads you, that can lead you, like not this storm fire know like you can have later with for example Sowilo but like more of like this feminine gentle or like fire that you have in winter and in that's yeah and that's one the ⁓ associations yeah an intersection there. Luigi: one more intersection. Amelie: Yeah, I really like that because that's kind of like a more directed fire in order to melt ⁓ ice as well, it's like connection as well ⁓ also the warmth that the seed needs to kind of find its way up because ⁓ it see, it has to go with Lynn: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. ⁓ Mm-hmm. Amelie: basically intuition or feeling or whatever a scene would do. It goes towards, you know, towards the light, I guess. But if you can't see, you have to go towards something and that would be like the heat that is directed towards it. Lynn: Yeah. Mmm. Mmm. Luigi: Yeah. And speaking of Kenaz, fact, at least for me, the why it's my favorite is because it's the first rune that I ever drew when I started to get involved with runes. you know, I'm a bit like a duck, you know, and the first thing that comes through, I imprint I'm gonna follow you until the end of the line, ⁓ until the of the line, until the end of time. ⁓ But it's interesting, again, to reflect on how ⁓ rich... ⁓ Lynn: ⁓ right, yeah. Ha ha! you Luigi: you know, the element of fire is in terms of symbolism and meaning, isn't it? And connecting it back to Brigantu like that fire that connects through her healing powers, because fire will be restorative, and if you think about it, it may hurt as hell, but if you were to experience a deep scar, you may wanna... Oh, what's the verb for it? You you saw it, not saw it, but you saw it back through the flame. Lynn: Mm. Mm. Mmm. Mmm. Yes, yes, you sew, yeah, you sew. yeah, hmm. ⁓ Luigi: Yeah, like it will create a very painful scar, etc. But it's got like that and regenerative power. ⁓ that's the healing aspect of the fire of Brigantu. And you go obviously the fire that can mend and ⁓ mold, you know, the iron and the metal. So that's the Smith aspect. And the creative as in act to create something. Lynn: Mmm. Luigi: aspect of the goddess, or in this case of Brigantu and her fire. then you've got the fire that inspires, so the source of inspiration which is again one of the powers of, ⁓ at least one of the faces of Brigantu with her fire. ⁓ that was just to say like the rich amount meaning that the element of fire holds ⁓ in ⁓ It's Lynn: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And we all like the fire, don't we? mean, with our tarot traditions and backgrounds. We're all, yes, wands. We're the fire people. Luigi: Yeah Amelie: Yes. ⁓ Yes. I thought it was interesting as well when I drew the card on the 1st of February because I normally draw a monthly one was actually Ace of Wands, Ace of Fire which I thought was really very fitting. Lynn: Mm-hmm. Luigi: Yeah, I probably- Lynn: Right, you know which one I got for today, like my daily personal card? See whether I can show this. Okay, show here. And I show with a better camera as Luigi: ⁓ no, which one? Lynn: well, just so that ⁓ it's better visible. It's the king of one. Luigi: no way. ⁓ Amelie: Ooh, yes. Lynn: Yeah, yes, of course. Yes, of course. Yeah, fine. Let's go. So, Amelie: of ⁓ Luigi: there's definitely something stirring. I guess it would make sense to, in way, it would make sense to have the Ace of Wands and King of Wands showing up, in this for you both, ⁓ in a that is opposite the Leo sphere, isn't it? As we're still in Aquarius. Lynn: Yeah. Amelie: Yeah, yes that's very true. But you know, needed ⁓ Aquarius can't just like go blowing everything out. We need that fire, right? Lynn: Hmm. Luigi: Yeah, yeah, and I think that's the beautiful relationship most of the times of the zodiac, like ⁓ experiencing and you're living in the moment in which you are, so in this case Aquarius with all of its eccentric, revolutionary and free-spirited energy, ⁓ yet you reflect or you ponder or you borrow or you call upon, you invoke ⁓ advice and the support of the opposing corner of the sky, in this case of Leo giving you that. Lynn: Hmm. Hmm. Luigi: Confidence to stand tall and stand proud in the face of winter I suppose I find that really beautiful. Yeah the balance Lynn: Hmm. Amelie: Yeah, here we go with a balance. This is the this is the balance again. Yeah. Lynn: you Yeah, Are ready to wrap up with the card? Luigi: Yeah? ⁓ should we, before we wrap up with the card, should we say either how we, kind of activities we do for Imbolc or what kind of activities could we recommend for Imbolc, so that people maybe we can have a go at them, if they choose to. Lynn: Yeah. How are you? Of course. Yeah, what's your go-to, Luigi? Luigi: So I am terrible at it, but obviously I would love to get better at candle making, so I think when it comes to remakes, making candles is one of the most beautiful things that you can do. But I try to keep it simple, purely because life can get too chaotic to do an overly complicated structured ritual, I I not limit but I embrace ⁓ the... the ritual that involves purely lighting a white candle for the entire night of Imbolc, this is my personal eccentric way of doing it, ⁓ a glass of milk ⁓ to the candle ⁓ drinking that milk in the morning when I wake up, and to me that's... what's word? ⁓ That's... yes, drinking up or swallowing or drinking of the so that she can flow within me. Lynn: Yeah, that wouldn't work with me like the cat would have it if I'm mourning. Nope. like Brigid or, know, took it through the and just through ⁓ The cat, yes. I mean, they're divine, you know, can agree on that. So it's like, yes, ⁓ vibing. Yeah, super Luigi: Hahaha Amelie: There'll be nothing left! Yes. Luigi: The cat obtains divine powers. Amelie: they'll be even stronger. Luigi: Super Saiyan mode. Amelie: you Lynn: That's right. Luigi: What about you girls? Amelie: I it really depends as well ⁓ you live. thinking about, when I was in Sweden, was really like I had this little of woods that I used to go to and I really just like to have a and see the half melted snow and what was poking and just specifically when it was sunny. Just like Lynn was saying, you know, when you're outside in the snow and you can feel the sun on your skin, I think it's a really nice time to kind of like, specifically when people live with other people or you have a family or something to have a nice walk in nature by yourself and just like, it's very like... meditative and seeing ⁓ after being in winter and just feeling like miserable and cold all the time, just feeling of knowing like is getting and having that is almost like it. I ⁓ would wrong say you have hope because there's, it has nothing to do with that, but it's like ⁓ you just wake and you just feel happier and ⁓ Lynn: I it does, kind of, yeah. Yeah. Amelie: And you know, and it also ignites obviously like a more creative side of you. Maybe, you know, you want to like go home and be like, ⁓ I'm going to clean up my favorite room and like maybe shuffle some furniture around or like create something new to like order to like start maybe next month like or just something to. Yeah, I think. Yeah, just. I don't know, like this like clean out thing. It's very, it's very nice. It's of spring clean, but I guess it's like early to do so, but it's like just having like what, like what do like set maybe a goal or so for the, you know, maybe upcoming month or two, like where you want to start, just ⁓ of setting your tools up a little bit. So you feel this excitement like, Lynn: Spring cleaning maybe, you know, spring cleaning. Mm-hmm. Amelie: getting to work soon or I think that's important. that these kind of things don't really matter where you are in the world, you know, weather. But obviously this always works better when you have four seasons. like us, we have rain. you know, this spring clean kind of thing works really well, I think. ⁓ do And I always like to do things like this ⁓ in light. Lynn: Yeah. Amelie: ⁓ meditative way, meditative, like a ritual for it. So you do things with intention and not just like, ⁓ I hate cleaning, it's gross, but like, you know, just do it with intention. think that those ⁓ things are very important. Lynn: Yeah. Yeah, I think that's important for everything. Just if you can make it, if you can put intention what you're doing. I mean, we only live once, right? So why waste away? Yeah, but yeah, I mean, we're so notorious, like with our spring cleaning, like it's really around the time when the light comes back here. It's just very practical because the light comes back and starts hitting the window and you actually see it's dirty from winter, which you would just... Amelie: Yeah. Yeah. Lynn: You just completely ignored it because for one it's dark so you don't see it, you know, but also, you know, the light doesn't come through. you double don't see it. And then suddenly, you know, you get exactly the angles where the sun is so low that like all the little like dust and the little dirt from the outside of the window is just like, I can see through it properly. It's like, yeah, okay, time to clean. Yeah, no, I don't know. Amelie: You Yeah, and I remember when you say that I remember Sweden as well because they put a lot of dirt on the snow on the roads for it not to be slippery. You do that with salt as well but when it gets very very cold salt doesn't really do anything so they just put pebbles and once that snow melts there's just pebbles and dirt everywhere. Lynn: Mm. everywhere yes and it gets so dusty when there's no more snow it's so yeah yeah Amelie: Yeah, yeah, and I get stuck underneath your shoes and then you get home and you have to like pick them out. It's just so annoying. It's everywhere. Yeah. Lynn: It's everywhere in my hallway. It's everywhere. I don't even walk through anything that I think is like pebbly or snow. And then I take off my shoes in front of the door and then just pebbles fall off my shoes. And I'm like, oh, my God. It's everywhere. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. All at its time. I enjoy it. It's snowing right now, guys. It's like super heavy flakes, actually. Luigi: Hahaha Amelie: Yeah, it's like, get rid of this, see the roads again. Luigi: Wow. Lynn: So there we go. It's still winter over here. Yeah, I can snap a picture afterwards. It's just very beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. Luigi: No idea what that looks like. Amelie: ⁓ I missed that. I miss that. Like I really I really miss snow but I find snow hits very different when it's in London or in the UK in general I guess because in Sweden the air is very dry and I'm sure that is in Norway as well. The air is quite dry, it gets very cold so the snow stays on, it gets very nice and fluffy. Whilst here it's very humid here so even if there's snow around it's quite Lynn: Mm. Mm. Mm. Yeah. Amelie: dense so I mean it's great if you want to like chuck some at each other because you can make them in no time but it's just not nice and fluffy and I really miss when you're walking on it it has this ⁓ this sound of and that's that's really nice and it doesn't Lynn: Mm. Yeah, ⁓ gosh. Yeah, no, I wouldn't want to miss the snow for anything. Amelie: Yeah, I miss it. I mean, we do get snow every once in a while. That is like complete chaos, but it hasn't happened for a long time now. Luigi: Yeah, I can be without snow. I appreciate snow and I am grateful for what the snow brings. ⁓ a practical perspective, I am mighty grateful that I don't have to go through that on commute to work. Amelie: But you know what, I'm sure it's in Norway as well, not a big deal ⁓ they're just so used to it. ⁓ like in the morning, like I never used to miss school because of snow. It's just in the UK, they're just so unprepared for this for some reason. ⁓ Lynn: you Hmm. Yeah, yeah, it's true. They're just unprepared the first days when the snow starts falling and it's always like every year it's like, oh no, there's snow, what shall we do? All the trains don't work and the buses can't go anywhere and it's like, takes a little while and then it's the rhythm is in. It's a good system. Like we always have the, I don't know what they call it, but the snowmobile mobiles they go through like in the at 4 a.m. or something, they clear the roads and then they go with the pebbles or the salt and whatnot and then it's clear. most roads for most people to be able to ⁓ go to work or they want to go. So ⁓ Amelie: Yeah, that's how I remember it as well. It's great. It's just UK. They're just unprepared. Lynn: We're trying to rest and you're going from Imbolc to snow and how it is to live in the UK. Off topic, that's it. That's us, we're chaotic. Alrighty, well, that's, for me, like for Imbolc, mean, an advocate for just taking things very slow in those slow months. So for me, I would just ⁓ recommend into creative processes, like into... Luigi: Hahaha Amelie: Yeah. Off topic again. Luigi: We come full circle Lynn: into the creative processes where you're maybe writing, painting, know, things like that, preparing for bigger projects. Like if you're having, if you have bigger projects in mind, start thinking about what you want to do, but don't necessarily go fully in yet because you just, the energy, preserve the energy still until you can really go out. But prepare, you know, just sprinkle a little bit of, know, Luigi: Absolutely. Lynn: creativity here and there. That's what I'm doing. Amelie: Set up a good foundation for the future self. Lynn: foundation. Yeah. Yes, and then go crazy and beltane. Yeah. All right. OK. I am so curious, though. Like, what was what was the card, Amelie? What is the card? Luigi: very sound. Amelie: Yeah, yeah. What do you think? Luigi: Can you imagine if it's the Ace of Wands or the King of Wands? ⁓ Lynn: I would be, if it's a wands or something, it Wands would be so good. Amelie: It's actually even better to be honest because it's the Queen of Wands. Lynn: Okay, okay. Yeah, of course. my gosh. ⁓ was so, I was so gonna mention earlier when were talking about Brigid and fire, I was actually, it was on my tongue. was gonna say, yeah, do you think she's like the Queen of Wands? ⁓ And I say it. ⁓ Luigi: YESSSS Amelie: Yes! Yeah. And Then you mentioned the King of Wands as well and I was like well I got the queen right here. This is so, it was just so perfect. It couldn't have been like any better I think. Lynn: Yes. that's wonderful. Perfect. Now, it could have been any better. No, no, Talking about fire women, we go, there we go. Luigi: Yeah. Amelie: Yes, and we've been talking a lot about fire in general and the feminine aspect and also like this... Yeah, no, this is like super perfect. Lynn: Yeah, we have. Surprise! Luigi: No, yeah, it felt like she's been a fourth guest on the podcast this whole time, just sitting with us. Lynn: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Amelie: Yes, ⁓ a fourth voice here. Lynn: Yeah, I love it. Amelie: Are there any specific aspects you feel Luigi that would be interesting to mention about Queen of Wands? Because you're really good with like the connections to things. Luigi: From a- Well, I think you mentioned it already, like, in a way she embodies perfectly everything that we talked about in Emult, you know, the Divine Feminine with a strong association to the element of fire. Obviously, the three of us and Adriana as well, like, we know her significance to me and my personal Sacred Guardian as well. But yeah, I think she embodies also the season soon to come in a way, you know, she embodies that. late stage I suppose. But she's got like the aspects of ⁓ rebirth, ⁓ and ⁓ That's certain. ⁓ And not entirely sure, is that... it's a pinecone that she has on her wand, on her scepter. No, an acorn. Amelie: Yes, I was thinking I was thinking about that as well. Even if it's ⁓ a pinecone for sure, but I'm thinking, thinking about like the seed we were talking about as well. And the other acorn as well. It's like that kind of symbology in general, and she's holding it. And Luigi: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Amelie: I really like as well about that is the Queen is because she's like seated. It's filled with fire, but it's still in a way. So like exactly what we were talking about that like stillness, but still ⁓ having, know, it's like the fire and the kind goal ⁓ or like strength, that real strength. Luigi: Yeah, to sit in your power. Amelie: but nots. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And it's not like, directed, like we said before, there is a goal with it, ⁓ direction, and all over the place, which ⁓ is ⁓ perfect. Luigi: Yeah, definitely one of my favorite cards in the deck. Lynn: Yeah, agree. my favorite queen. I mean, and then I say sometimes. And then the queen of cups is also my favorite queen, but it's mostly the queen of ⁓ Luigi: Yeah, no, I think if I have to play favorites, Queen of Wands over all the queens. Lynn: Yeah, yeah, no, I mean, it's to me, she's just a she's the witch of the tarot for me. So she's very close to the heart in that sense. And with all her, yeah, that ⁓ and that ⁓ mysticism or the mystic, mystic coolness of her. And ⁓ yeah, creativity and well, the ones are all about magic, I feel. So she's just like the the top, the top of the magic chain. Amelie: Yeah. And there's always a cat with her, so I really like that. Lynn: the terror. Yes, absolutely. Amelie: I have to say that I do also like the Queen of Swords, but you know, that's a completely different... But actually, you know, we were talking about Aquarius and Leo there, so maybe... Lynn: a different person. Mm. Mm. Mm. Luigi: Yeah, yeah. mean, they are mirrors of each other ⁓ a certain point of view. Lynn: Mm. mean I dislike none of the queens really. ⁓ The King of Wands that I drew is from the Verdance deck ⁓ by Stephanie Law and he's also very connected with the oak tree in her mythology so he is ⁓ holding up an oak tree. Amelie: Yeah, that's very true. Lynn: can try and show it again with the other camera which you're not gonna see but afterwards you will see. ⁓ Luigi: makes sense a way because ⁓ with the oak symbolism connected to the... ⁓ in the Celtic in the pagan tradition the oak king ⁓ connected to the solstice so ⁓ is a strong connection to the oak ⁓ and Lynn: Yeah. Yeah. Mm. Luigi: ⁓ its and symbolism literally circled around ⁓ the power of the sun so I'm not Lynn: I lifted off the deck randomly and ⁓ Knight of Wands popped out. Luigi: surprised Lynn: was like meh. ⁓ Because I was thinking, why are we talking about Oaks? Because also the King of It is mostly with Oaks here normally. But then I like, maybe, maybe if I'm lucky, I'll the king of king of pentacles here if I just left up no no it was the knight of wands but that's alright ⁓ Luigi: Which is also very special to you. I try to go for it. Amelie: On the king of... sorry, the king of wands, was there the animals there? Was that tigers or was that foxes? The tigers, yeah. Lynn: Yes, there's a tiger, there's a tiger, there's a tiger, a fox, a doe and other wood creatures like squirrel and rabbits, but the tiger's in the middle. Yeah. Amelie: I thought about the tiger and the queen of wands there, it's the same animal obviously. Lynn: Mm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Luigi: Maybe a leopard in the in the tough version Amelie: Yeah, it's a leopard. Yeah, it is. It Lynn: Isn't it a cheetah? Isn't it a cheetah? I thought it was a cheetah with this small small spots. I think it's a cheetah. Yeah, I think it's a cheetah. Amelie: There's spots, yeah. ⁓ have to read it, I have to read about it. I have this, I have this, like three volume books about this and I wanted to read about one card every week. It just hasn't happened yet, but. ⁓ Lynn: Yeah, so like I love all cats, you know, so I love all cats I have a special thing to to leopards or leopards So I I think I remember that I wanted it to be a leopard and it was not and it was a cheetah like a cheetah Which is also really cool because they're very fast and I like them But I think in my mind I remember I was like, ⁓ it should be a leopard, but it's not I think that's my thought Luigi: Ha Amelie: Hmm. Luigi: Yeah, I mean, a way, if it was to be a leopard, that would be very... What's the word that I'm looking for? That would match a lot of the correspondence and symbolism with her connection to the... Not just to the goddess, but also to Venus in particular. For reasons that can't mention here, but we might need a separate episode for, because being ⁓ one of Lynn: ⁓ yeah. ⁓ god, now I'm very, I'm gonna note this down. Okay, so Venus and Leopard. I will talk about it in a different episode. Let's go. Luigi: Yeah. So that's why I'm saying, like, it can be definitely a cheetah, but if he was to be a leopard, there would be a stronger there. But it might be one with a cheetah as well. Lynn: Hmm. Amelie: I had a Google, I had a quick Google because I just I had to like quench that I just had to it says it's a she she has hand on the leopard so it's a leopard yeah Lynn: Thirst. Yes. Go. Luigi: Couldn't let it go. Lynn: ⁓ wow. I like this. I like it. OK. Amelie: Yeah. Luigi: and we'll discuss the connection to that. Lynn: I will go back to my sources and see. But yes, yes, yes, would love it. Amelie: I'm gonna have a look in the book as well but ⁓ according to Google it's a leopard. ⁓ Luigi: Yeah. But to be fair, to be fair, there's always a bit of room for, ⁓ confusion, a room for who knows, you know? Because ⁓ we looking at the Queen of Disks just yesterday with a couple of people, ⁓ and were all talking about what I it's the goat, and what is supposed to be the goat, but it kind of looks like a ram a little bit, so they were like, but that looks like a ram, so there was this massive discussion, is he a goat, is he a ram? Lynn: Mm. Hmm. Hmm. Luigi: And I ended up saying, look, I am not a zoologist. I'm just telling you, it makes much more sense if it's a goat. It can be a ram, and there can be connection if it's a ram, but traditionally speaking, the formula works much better with a goat. And I think there's the same thing here. It can be a cheetah, there's no reason why it couldn't be a cheetah the formula. Again, it might work slightly more ⁓ synchronicity with the leopard. ⁓ Amelie: You Lynn: Yeah. Amelie: Yeah. Lynn: If we just asked the artists, know, like the artists all had their intentions with it. But then again, it's like the beholder of the art who does their own thing with it. ⁓ Luigi: Yes, I was just gonna mention as well that while you're drawing these powerful masculine energetic cards I was like, oh I wonder if I would draw one I just drew the Ace of cup Lynn: you with your ace of cups. It just clings to you though. You're not vibing with us today Luigi. ⁓ Amelie: You Luigi: Well I guess I I never- As much as I want to, I never vibe with the fire as much as I want to. just call this water energy towards me. Lynn: Nah, it's fine because you know like on the bottom of my deck like when I have the King of Wands on top right and I have actually the King of Cups on the bottom so you know it's like I'm like you know No, no, no, it's okay right Awesome. That was I think wraps up our episode about Imbolc guys. Thank you very much for coming for joining and Luigi: ⁓ there you go I'm not alone Yeah. Thank you for sharing. Lynn: Thank you for sharing and see you again in the next episode. Amelie: See you soon. Luigi: Bye.