Wander 3: the Between Place

This month of February brings competing longings. A part of me yearns to stay with the quietude of Winter, wanting to stay deeply introverted, to rest. Another piece wishes to come out from under Winter’s blanket and welcome Spring, without rushing, without bursting, just mindfully watching for quiet signs of life’s cycle returning to fullness. I have to say this February, I feel mostly the desire to stay under Winter’s protective blanket. I guess I have seen my shadow. I am not sick of the dry twig bouquets in my window, the freshness of the cold, the snow on the rocks and the mountain. Let the mountains—the water gatherers here—dance with the snowy clouds a little longer.

I grew up knowing February 2nd as Groundhog Day, but in 2020 became aware of this day as the beginning of the traditional Gaelic celebration of Imbolc, the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Lunar Imbolc on Feb 11th is a New Moon place: one that honors what has been and blesses what is to come. Asks us to be right here, in the tensely quiet place between of the seasons where we are held perfectly in an even tug of rope between Winter and Spring. So as much as I want to stay under Winter’s Blanket, the force of Spring will gather momentum and holding onto Winter will become exhausting, and it will be kinder to surrender and create a hearth to welcome Spring.

My wander invitation for this tension point is to engage it in a practice called mandorla. This practice was originally introduced to me by Peter Scanlan and is way to embody competing energies, the energy of seeming opposites.

On the land, or in your home, or perhaps on a piece of paper, create two circles that overlap somewhat—like a Venn diagram. The circles should be large enough for your to move your body in—or your pen. In this case, I suggest one be the energy of Winter—Stillness and Heaviness…of all that you are nursing and protecting and putting to rest. In the other, the energy of Spring—of the promise of new growth, the promise of generosity, the aliveness that comes with Spring. There is a place where the two circles overlap. Move your body, gather objects, or draw in Winter’s circle. Do this till you feel called to move to Spring. Then return to Winter. Back to Spring. Let your body guide you when it is time to move. When you feel complete sit in the overlapping center or rest your palms on the overlap in the paper. Allow yourself to feel the energy of the two polarities to settle, to rest in you.