Happy Imbolc! Believe it or not, this is the first day of Spring --- on the Celtic calendar. It is also the day of the celebration of the Feast of Brigid.

Goddess of light, inspiration and all skills associated with fire (smithing), she is the benefactress of inner healing and vital energy. She is the mother of all things, mistress of all the elements, Queen with divine powers; trilogy goddess of the spoken word, healing and fire. (www.goddess.com.au)

Brigid was an incredible force in Celtic lore and eventually was adopted as a Christian saint, second only to St. Patrick in Irish history. If you google the name you'll get both stories. She's a fascinating chick, in any case.

I relate strongly to Brigid for several reasons. For one, we share the same day. I was born on this day, lo! those many years ago, and I am celebrating my birthday today. I feel lucky to have this birthday ever since I learned about Imbolc and Brigid.

I also have a profound interest in and dedication to the written/spoken word, to practicing healing arts and to ... fire. I find fire itself to be healing. Who among us is not intrigued by a flame? Every night I come home and light candles about the house. On weekends, they burn almost continuously, even in daylight. I find peace and spiritual sustenance in the presence of a flame on some basic, primal level. How many of you have candles in your home that you have never or rarely lit? Or a fireplace you rarely enjoy?

There doesn't have to be company coming or a power outage to enjoy the soothing properties of flame. Indulge yourself. Fire goes well with music, too. Turn off the tv, light some candles and/or a fire, put on some music you haven't heard in awhile, or simply turn on the radio.

Some folks might hesitate to burn candles because of the expense. I'll let you in on my not-so-secret sources for good quality candles at a price that frees you to burn them nightly:

• Big Lots at Innsbruck Square Mall. I get tealights there in bags of 100 for $4. They also have amazing candle holders and pillar candles at prices so low you couldn't make them as inexpensively. Always burn candles safely (tealights are among the safest), using either glass or metal or ceramic holders. Watch for overflow wax. (Write me for tips on removing candle wax from carpets, fabric and upholstery.)

• The Dollar Store always has an interesting selection of nicely colored and interestingly shaped pillar candles for $1 each. I routinely check any Dollar Store I pass for candles and keep a shelf full in my hall closet.

• (Dare I say it?) Walmart has great monster pillars. The kind with four wicks. They were $5 each the last time I stocked up and they last a really long time, especially if you keep them trimmed as they burn down.

• Grocery stores usually have 7-day candles in the tall jars for around $1 each, and those are nice on wide windowsills. Again, watch for fire hazards. Nothing will harsh your mellow like a housefire.

So that's your homework, freakinasheville. Get yourself some candles, (and some firewood if you have a fireplace or a spot in the yard to burn it) and enjoy a flame. Another day, I'll talk about homemade candles, which are loads of fun to make.

But let's get back to the Imbolc celebration. The first day of Spring! If you check out the history of the legendary Groundhog's Day, it's tied in here too. February 1 is the beginning of the season when warmth begins creeping back across the earth (doesn't matter where, I'll take it!). Of course there will still be cold weather. No doubt we'll have more snows and freezing nights. But what cyclic change ever took place all at once?

Think about the natural cycles of the seasons. The weather has never changed in one smooth wave in either direction, hot or cold. The changes come in spots that become more and more frequent and enduring. Isn't that the way all life's changes occur? Two steps forward, one step back.

We could learn a lot from watching the seasons change, from watching the cycles and movement around us. The lesson is everywhere, from the child learning to walk between falling and eventually just fall while walking --- to the sputtering of volcanoes over decades, centuries, millennia --- to the unpredictable crashing of waves as the tides ebb and flow --- to the not-so-smooth changing of the seasons.

Whatever changes we seek in our lives, we must allow for the natural rhythm --- the soft, hard, soft beats of the drum --- of our progress. Whether we're trying to recover from an illness or addiction, trying to raise a healthy, happy, sane child in a chaotic world, or simply trying to make our own way through the chaos, no journey is ever one smooth line in any one direction.

The real changes, the true cycles, can only be appreciated when we step back and survey the landscape. Go gently, then, and keep your flame burning. And happy Imbolc!

With love,
Sophie

Send your questions, comments and insights to sophie (at) freakinasheville.com