Shamanic Journeying The Wheel of The Year/ Imbolc
For us nature-based souls, the seasonal sabbats are great times when magickal & spiritual people from all different traditions and walks of life can come together in ritual, ceremony, and celebration to reach across both space and time, uniting us all in the turning of the wheel.
For some of us, who celebrate with others, these seasonal celebrations are nothing short of having a good time, and who doesn’t love a good time… especially when the sabbat involves uplifting music, dancing, and sharing food with those in attendance. With all the fun and festivities being had in celebrating we sometimes forget that our sheer enjoyment and pleasure is raising energy for the turning of the wheel and even taking us into an altered state of consciousness and being.
Our celebration is RITUAL and is much needed to turn the Wheel from our side of the veil, just as Spirit turns it from their side of the veil. We are partners with the Wheel and when we raise energy and celebrate, we are making the next turn and keeping the cycle, the balance, and harmony… since our rituals & ceremonies here within the Middle World create energy & change that ripple throughout all the worlds.
But what about those who practice solitary or who are looking for more depth when it comes to the sabbats. Well, those of us who are called to a path of more spiritual vocation can transcend the traditional celebrations by working in a more shamanic context during the turns of the wheel. Instead of just celebrating and enjoying music, dance, and food leisurely, we can instead use these as powerful shamanic ritual tools to induce an altered state to then direct our energies to the other worlds to ensure the turning of the wheel as well. When we journey at these great times within the wheel, we can access gateways of awareness and healing. As the energies align, these peak times provide us with a new way of understanding ourselves and the world… For when we heal & understand, we help the world and provide more energy for the Wheel to turn.
Each turn in the wheel can provide a theme or focus for personal journeys within our current position along our path. Through Journeying The Wheel of The Year, we not only observe and honor the changes of the seasons and cycles but also directly participate in them. Such journeys are an excellent way of finding new allies, deepening relationships with the ones already known, and may also provide personal revelations that may have been elusive in previous journeys.
This approach also helps with connecting with those seasons and turns that may be more difficult to work with because of weather conditions, location, or even with a disassociation with that sabbat. In shamanic living, life is about balance and relating to our present world & the whole Wheel with all its seasons. Each is necessary and a part of life. Each is a part of the elements and the cycles of life on this side of the veil. When we journey the Wheel of The Year, we can find that the spirits of the seasons are great allies. Each manifests as a personality, with wisdom and advice to share and work to do to bring balance.
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Most of us know that Imbolc is a festival of lights, in a sense it’s when many nature-based people seek to awaken the slumbering Goddess to rise for the coming Spring. Imbolc is a time to stimulate ourselves and our inner fire by embracing cleansing, renewal, and rebirth. Shamanically, we can literally journey “into the belly” of the Underworld to visit the slumbering Goddess for self-nurturing & healing, or the Land of Fire to establish boundaries and for purification and transformation.
The Journeying of The Wheel can have countless focuses based on the needs of the practitioner. So, I will conclude this post with some themes/focuses you can incorporate into your own Imbolc ritual.
⭐ Side Note – As I am one not to tell anyone what one may or may not do…please approach anything and everything with respect for when we journey, we are visitors in their realm. Prior research before attempting anything is recommended. Everything shared is shared with the intent of sharing information.
Cleansing Journey with Brighid for Imbolc -https://youtu.be/RmV3xv2IW6I
The Dragon as an Ally - https://www.travellersjoy.ca/.../04/the-dragon-as-an-ally/
Journeying the Wheel of the Year/Imbolc – Journey or Meditate on Imbolc and allow the journey to take you where you need to go for your own spiritual insight and transformation.
Meeting the Spirit of Imbolc - Journey to the Underworld to meet the seasonal spirit of Imbolc and see where it takes you. Ask one of your guides for help. Follow your intuition and guidance. If this is a season, you don’t normally enjoy, seek to understand why, and how to make inner peace with the Imbolc. The seasonal spirit will guide you. Then ask for a ritual that will deepen your experience with the season.
