Have you felt it?
A subtle shift in the days as the hours of daylight increase. The appearance of new life with the sprouting of snowdrops suddenly shooting up everywhere out of previously frozen ground. The warmth in the sunshine that encourages us to spend the day in the garden and get our hands into the soil and plant seeds, feeling the joy and connection to the earth and the promise of growth and renewal ahead.
Imbolc is celebrated at this time, around the 1st and 2nd of February, and marks the transition of seasons from winter's quiet and hibernation to all that spring promises.
The word Imbolc comes from the Old Irish "Imbolg", meaning "in the belly", and the celebration of Imbolc symbolises the growing life contained within the womb of mother Earth.
On the farm this is an important time for us as Imbolc aligns with us checking our ewes this month to determine what the lambing season ahead may be like. Each ewe will be scanned and Sarah will be keeping her fingers firmly crossed that all the care and attention she has given them over the winter will have resulted in strong and healthy mothers, who in turn can provide the best start in life for their lambs come April.
This farming life keeps us very much connected to the rhythms of nature and the seasons' cycles.
Away from the farm, I shall enjoy the gentle signs of re-birth around us with the sprouting of buds, the flash of colour from an early crocus and those special moments when you can close your eyes and enjoy the feeling of the sun's warmth once more.