Imbolc is the time of year when you start to see hints of hope in the air. That is because while winter has been long, gloomy, and cold, Imbolc is when you begin to feel the touch of springtime in the air. Imbolc starts on the evening of February 1st and ends on the evening of February 2nd. It is the halfway point between Yule and Ostara, the first spring day.
Imbolc means in the belly of the mother, which means that the spring seeds are beginning to brew. You can see it as the days start to get longer, and you are now feeling inspired to move forward with any goals you are setting as you begin to lift out of the slump. When you also think of Imbolc, you will think of the Goddess Brigid, the goddess of life, fertility, and spring. That is because Imbolc has associations with that goddess since she is what it represents.
The winter has been quite gloomy for many people, as you may still feel the effects of much of the chaos and disappointments from last year and much of the pandemic. However, now that the pandemic, for the most part, is under control, there are things to look forward to as you see that warmer weather is on the horizon. Imbolc is when you begin cleaning, getting ready to put your winter clothing and items away, as you start to make space for clothing and items for spring. Of course, if you celebrate Imbolc, you have your rituals to incorporate, but let’s look at how you can connect with goddess Brigid by doing a tarot spread.
The Imbolc tarot spread helps you dig deep into issues you need to release to have some fresh starts. Here is a five-card Imbolc tarot spread from Moon and Cactus. You have card one on the left, card two in the middle, and card three on the right. Card four is above card two, and card five is below card two.
Card one represents what you need to release, as you will know what is no longer serving you. It would be best to let go of it when spring is on the horizon. Card two conveys how you can clean the space, so you welcome anything brand new with open arms. Then card three shows what will awaken as you release what no longer is needed, so you can include anything brand new that will serve you. Card four offers how you can nurture what has awakened as a result of the clearing to make space for the new. Finally, card five is the goddess Brigid’s message you need to hear.
So whether you celebrate Imbolc outdoors in nature or have your ritual indoors, you will want to incorporate this tarot spread unless you prefer one over the one I am using. However, I am doing an Imbolc collective reading right now. So, here is what I get:
Card one represents what you must let go of now: Page of Cups reversed.
Card two shows how you can best clear that area to allow new beginnings to happen: Ten of Cups reversed.
Card three shows what will awaken as you release what no longer serves you: Chariot.
Card four shows how to nurture what has awakened within you: Six of Cups.
Card five is the message from goddess Brigid: Ace of Pentacles.
Now, let’s pick each of these cards apart and see what messages they convey to you, as you will want to note these as this is important for everyone, starting with the first card.
Card One: Page of Cups Reversed
Card one shows you what you need to release that is no longer serving you, as you will want to let go of it before spring arrives. Then, the Page of Cups reversed shows up. The Page of Cups upright represents creative and intuitive messages, ideas, or opportunities. However, when the card is reversed, it means creative blocks, emotional immaturity, hanging onto poor emotional habits, and self-doubt, especially when it comes to you doubting any intuitive messages that you are receiving. You can also think about the shadow sides of water signs, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
Understandably, being stuck in a long gloomy winter can cause you to get into poor habits and to struggle emotionally. However, spring is on the horizon, and you must let that go if you want to bring in the new energies that will serve you. If you need to talk to a therapist or a coach, that is the best thing, as you can learn how to manage your emotions and remove self-doubt. So let’s look at the next card.
Card two represents how you need to clear the space to allow new beginnings to happen, and the Ten of Cups reversed shows up. The upright Ten of Cups is a card that represents happiness and family support, and when the card is reversed, it is a card of unhappiness. Therefore, you want to remove anything that makes you unhappy so you can allow new positive things to enter your life.
Negative situations in your life, such as toxic relationships, toxic habits, which again are tied to card one, and anything else causing unhappiness, need to go. If you cannot get rid of all those things, such as being unable to leave a job you don’t like or a stressful family situation, you will need to look for ways to manage those issues. For example, suppose you don’t like your coworkers because you find them toxic. In that case, minimize contact with them, and you may eventually consider looking for another job if feasible. Let’s look at card three.
Card Three: Chariot
Once you remove what no longer serves you indicated by the first two cards, you will see what will awaken, and the Chariot comes up. The Chariot is determination, motivation, and doing what you can to overcome obstacles. Therefore, it is apparent that you will have all of that within you once you release the junk holding you back.
Therefore, you will find that you can begin having the energy and determination to go after the goals and dreams you did not have during the first part of the winter. At the very least, you will find that you have the motivation to complete chores that you kept putting off earlier in the winter, such as cleaning your closet or organizing your home. Once you find that you have that drive after doing the work to let go of what you need to let go, there is no holding you back. So, let’s look at the fourth card.
Once you know what has awakened within you, you want to know how to nurture that, as card four reveals as the Six of Cups. That card represents innocence and faith, and that is what you need to do. So keep the faith, and don’t let go of it even when life gets challenging, and you run into obstacles.
Another message of this card is that you want to nurture your inner child, which means you will want to add time for play in addition to the work you will do. Therefore, you will want to engage in hobbies that nurture your inner child, whether painting, sculpting, or collecting coins or cards. As you nurture your inner child, you will have an easier time keeping the faith to keep working at bringing what you want to get into your life. Let’s look at the final card.
Card five represents the message from the goddess Brigid, Ace of Pentacles. That card represents manifestation, money, and new opportunities whether they regard business, job-related, or health. Her message to you is that whatever you put your mind and effort into, you can manifest it, and as you do your clearing and removing everything that is no longer serving you, you can manifest whatever it is you want in your life.
However, you have to look back at cards three and four, the Chariot and Six of Cups. You need to be determined to manifest what you want, as it requires you to take the appropriate action you need. And at the same time, you need to nurture that by keeping the faith and finding some joy in that challenging work. Always keep your eye on the prize, and you will find unique opportunities will emerge.
The gist is that you have the power to bring in what you want in your life, but you need to do the work to do it, which includes removing what no longer serves you. Imbolc is about planting the seeds for bringing in the spring energies, which is a fertile time of year, as it is the best time for manifesting what you choose, as the goddess Brigid echos that in the reading. Imbolc reminds you that hope is in the air as the gloomy winter will soon be in the rearview mirror so that you can enjoy the warmer weather and everything else to come.
I am a Canadian mom, writer, astrologer, tarot reader, and evidential medium that enjoys traveling loves to unravel mysteries and is passionate about metaphysics and spirituality. I am also a mental health advocate and owner of several Medium publications, one being Tarot Talk, and you can find me at https://miriamreadstarot.com.
