One Imbolc, former pagan blogger Teo Bishop wrote about creating community poetry for use in liturgy based on the starting line, "I keep vigil to the fire in my heart." As someone who frequently experiences spontaneous poetry in the sacred spot in the woods behind my house, an experience I refer to as theapoetics, I was instantly captivated by this idea. Imbolc has a natural connection to the cycles of pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding and the fire in my own heart burns brightly for these pivotal life experiences. So, I went down to the woods, opened my mouth and this is what emerged…


    I keep vigilb2ap3_thumbnail_brigidaltar.jpg
    to the fire
    in my heart.

    I keep vigil
    to the women
    of the world

    women’s voices
    women’s stories
    women’s lives

    I keep vigil for the birthing women of the planet
    whether she gives birth
    at 5 weeks, 12 weeks,
    15 weeks, 20 weeks
    or 42 weeks

    I keep vigil for the women
    who pull their sweet, warm, slippery babies
    up to grateful hearts and breasts following birth
    and I keep vigil for the women
    who let tiny bodies slip through their own
    never to take a breath of life.

    I keep vigil to the midwives
    and the women who serve each other

    I keep vigil for the mothers who laugh
    and the mothers who cry
    the mothers who sing
    and the mothers who moan
    the mothers who need
    and the mother who give
    the mothers who triumph
    and the mothers who “fail”

    I keep vigil for the mothers
    who try again

    I keep vigil
    for the mothers of the world
    I keep vigil
    for the women of the world

    I keep vigil
    to the fire
    in my heart.

What comes to your mind when you think about keeping vigil? This Imbolc, what fire in your heart are you tending? What burns brightly in your spirit? To what are you keeping vigil?

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I feel a special connection to Imbolc and this time during the Wheel of the Year since it is also the anniversary of Brigid's Grove, my sculpture and goddess jewelry company. In celebration, a new handout on "how to draw a calamoondala" will go out to e-newsletter subscribers in early February (free Womanrunes e-kit and newsletter sign-up is available on our site).

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