Cottage in the woods - March 2005

why bother

The old Celtic calender was full of symbolism reflected in the land around us. Those who lived closer to the Earth than many of us do now,celebrated and honoured the changing seasons and their respective Festivals. The 'Goddess' was a symbol for Mother Nature or earth, while the 'God' figure was a symbol for the Sun and it's power to give life to the earth. Do not mistake these symbols for anything associated with Devil worship, but see them as they really are : A compasionate and accurate observation and reverance for the changing seasons.`

IMBOLC

is the first Celtic fire festival of the year. It is celebrated on Febuary 2nd and is the Festival of the returning spring.

Symbolically,Imbolc is the return of the Goddess ( or Mother nature) to the outside world. After a long rest in the inner realms since Halloween (Samhain) ,when there was no visable growth and the growth energy had returned to underneath the earth, now she emerges as a young girl with the first shoots of spring tentitevly appearing from the cold soil. This is the Goddess (or nature) in her Maiden aspect.

The 'Goddess' or Mother earth ,is somtimes called the triple Goddess,which describes her three aspects of Maiden,Mother and Crone....as the three phases of a womans life. This can also be seen in the three phases of the moon,which is traditionally seen as female : New moon,full moon and waneing moon.
The old beliefs and symbols are just a reflection of Nature and the recognition that our own lives go in the same cycle as those of the seasons. Therefore we often refer to young people as being in the 'springtime of youth' and elderly people being in the 'Autumn years' of their life. The idea of reincarnation is also reflected in the knowledge that a new spring always follows the death of winter.

So, at Imbolc,Nature is represented by the young maiden. The light is beginning to grow, the first signs of spring are appearing as green spires of daffodill shoots or the delicate shudder of the snowdrop. The bird song changes and our acceptance of winter is giving way to an urge to move forward into a new phase.

Springtime is like the energy of youth, we have a desire to break free from the restrains of winter, we 'spring clean' our houses with an instinctive urge to sweep away the reminants of the old year and make way for a fresh start. Ideas are germinating,it is a time for inspiration, and looking ahead to warmer,brighter days,anything can seem possible.

I haven't uploaded any pictures for a while....one reason being that I've been too busy out actually TAKING pictures, with all the fantastic weather we have had over February and early March. (not that you'd think it now after 4 days of rain !)

I have been working hard to get images ready and printed out for the start of the Tourist season....I have a new website,new images and a new buisness name too. I don't know where the winter has gone! Next week it's back to work for the season.....and hopfully those of you on Mull will be able to see the first of my work in the shops :-)

Here are a few of my favourits shots from this winter. Hope you enjoy them wherever you are ....

Duart castle with a snow laden Ben Nevis to the left on a glorious sunny afternoon last month:



The 'Isle of Mull' ferry sailing past Duart on the Sound of Mull towards Oban



A frozen solid Lochdon back in January:



Moonlight on snowfall....my interpretation of a wintery snow scene in Glenmore:



'A brief moment of sunshine' looking down Loch Linnhe:




and finally....sunset over a frozen Lochdon the week before Christmas:

Spring Equinox


Spring Equinox falls on or around the 21st March and is the time when day and night are of equal length all over the world. In the northern hemisphere, this day heralds the begining of the light dominating the darkness. From this day untill summer solstice, the year is truely into the waxing half of the year .
Spring Equinox is also called Eostar, which cames from the ancient Teutonic Goddess Oestre, the Goddess of light, fertility and spring. This is the root of our modern word Oestrogen, the hormone that stimulates ovulation and is associated with womens fertility. Eostar is represented by the symbol of the egg, representing fertility in nature. It also represents the plans and dreams that we have 'hatched' on the inner levels during winter and since Imbolc, that may now be put into practice. Another symbol strongly associated with this festival is the White Hare, representing the Goddess ( or mother nature) in the physical realm. Through the centuries the symbol of the hare has resulted in the modern day Easter bunny. The easter egg, too, has it's beginnings in the celtic festival of Eostar, and it is still a tradition today to paint hard boiled eggs and roll them down hills.

There is a special feeling about Spring equinox (or Easter), it is one of freshness and purity, of new growth and of new beginnings. At Imbolc the changes and the light were delicate and hidden within, but at Eostar, we see changes in the outer world....the birds are singing loudly, flowers are blooming, animals are mating and becomming fertile, lambs are being born. The first warm days arrive with the fresh scent of growing foliage.This time of year is akin to the energy of the teenager....boisterous, independent, wanting to break free from the bondage and control of winter and discover a new world full of possibilities. A need to strike out on their own and make things happen......change the world with their idealism. Spring is the time to put our plans and our new ideas into action.....to push forward into the growing energy of the year.




" Do you see the white hare, standing still for a moment?

There are footsteps there......

Underneath the earth, the lady is rising.....

feel the lady rising.....

see the lady rise.

And the Lord of the wood, is waiting....."


Decorate your table or Altar for Eostar with bright yellow daffodills, catkins, pussy willow and forsithia. You can burn yellow and green candles and decorate your own eggs with bright colours. Bring some of the outside springtime energy indoors. If you like, you can take your eggs outside and bury them in the earth or throw them into the water, symbolically releasing your energy into the outside world.