Spiritual Dance Blog

As our planet makes its annual journey around the sun, we experience fluctuations in the amount of light we receive, which in turn impacts our weather patterns. The change in weather patterns results in what we call “seasons”. And these seasons correspond to the death and rebirth cycle of our natural world. Engaging in seasonal activities helps us anchor ourselves to the Earth. The seasons can also offer us wisdom on a spiritual level. Establishing a conscious connection to this cycle is a powerful grounding practice that helps us to flow with our natural surroundings. 

Imbolc is an important moment in the pagan Wheel of the Year that invites us to awaken to solar energy. The sun is now regaining momentum towards the brighter half of the year and inviting us to partner with him as we expand and grow toward the light. This is the perfect moment to sow the seeds of your intentions and begin something new.

The first week of August marks a turning point in the wheel of the year where we celebrate the first grain harvest of the growing season. Lughnasadh, or Lammas, is a cross-quarter holiday sitting squarely between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. It is the first of 3 Pagan harvest festivals giving us an opportunity to CELEBRATE OUR PROGRESS and taste the first fruits of our labor, honoring the abundance we've created.

This year’s Spring Equinox will occur on Monday, March 20th, 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day, the sun rests directly above the Equator and we experience equal parts of dark and light in our skies. From here, our days will continue to get longer and longer until we reach the Summer Solstice on June 21st.

The 21st of December marks the Winter Solstice for the northern hemisphere. This is the day when the sun stands still (which is the meaning of the word solstice) at the lowest point in the sky and begins to ascend again - hence the use of phrases such as “rebirth of the sun” or “return of the light”. We’ve reached a turning point and from here, our days will begin to get longer and longer until we reach the peak of the sun’s height at the Summer Solstice in June.