In pagan traditions, Imbolc is the “not quite there, keep going strong!” holiday. At least, that’s how it seems to me. 🙂 It’s celebrated in the first few days of February, when winter is still here — but spring is coming. Historically, it was associated with the Celtic goddess Brigid and things like midwifery, seed preparation, and candles or fire. Nowadays, it has quietly morphed into ideas like Groundhog Day (“how much longer will winter last?”), Valentine’s Day (seeds of love!), and spring cleaning.
I draw on a lot of pagan traditions for my fairy tale world Beyond, as a way to flesh out the different cultures. But I have to admit, I also enjoy learning about ancient holidays for my own sake. There’s something very grounding about a holiday tied to what’s going on in the natural world (winter, the coming of spring, time to prep the garden, etc). Maybe because I live in a different climate now from the one I grew up in, I find I pay a lot of attention to the seasons and how they change. (Not to mention I’m now in charge of a big, previously-neglected, restart-it-from-scratch garden!)
But in my writing world, too, I definitely feel this idea of “not there yet.” A lot of people say that getting started is the hardest part of any project, and that gets reflected in writing advice, too. “Just write your ideas down, and editing/formatting/publishing them later will come naturally!” And while it’s true that you can only work on your current task and cross those other bridges when you come to them, I’m at the point in my own journey where starting new projects is not the problem. 🙂 And finishing the first draft isn’t my problem, either. Getting that first draft done is like being in the middle of a project, I think. You’re not “done:” you still have lots of revising and planning to do if you want to publish. You’re just one big step further along the way.
To me, the hardest part of the project is the final stretch — the part after the writing and revising: the formatting, perhaps some querying, publishing, and (*shudder of horror from all introverted authors*) the marketing. That’s where I’m at right now with my experiment in self-publishing, Gallery of Myth. And it feels a lot like Imbolc: the last little bit of winter, of hard work and icy, slippery, unfamiliar terrain, before the new growth and flowers are apparent. It’s not hard because I don’t like it, or because it’s unnatural. It’s hard because I’ve been working on this project for a long time and I know all its weaknesses, and I’m tired; and “tired” means more susceptible to doubt.
But Imbolc is the reminder to keep those doubts at bay. There will be an end. The project will be done.
If you want to read a nice rendition of one of the myths behind Imbolc, check out this blog post from Tamed Wild. And in the meantime, happy February, and keep going! We’re almost there. 🙂
