Self Care Journal Prompts For Imbolc / February’s Eve (Podcast Episode 111)

I like to do these three self care journal prompts every year around the first of February.

The February 1st wheel of the year checkpoint is known to witches and pagans as Imbolc or February’s Eve.

Being the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, it’s an opportunity for a very welcome pause after the midwinter celebrations, now that all the merrymaking festivities and gathering of gifts is behind us.

It’s time for us to really enjoy the peace and quiet that winter is really for. In popular culture it’s common for people to be encouraged to work hard and play hard for the entire month of December leading up to your New Year’s Day, and then to suddenly quit everything cold turkey on January 1 and throw ourselves into our New Year’s resolutions. Alternatively, February’s Eve invites us to ease our way into our intentions for the new year in a more natural way.

February’ Eve is a perfect time to clear away the holiday decorations, do some early spring cleaning, and take some time for self care before the excitement of true spring actually kicks in.

I invite you to take a moment now to reflect on your current relationship with the February’s Eve season. What are your most potent memories, most prominent traditions and my most notable connotations about this time of year?

February’s Eve season is Aquarius season, and being an Aquarius, this time of year is the rebirth season for me. This time of year, I find myself making big decisions, having major epiphanies, and experiencing major shifts that go on to reshape my entire year.

For example, it was around February’s Eve in 2016 that it really hit me it that it was time to officially end a toxic codependent relationship and face my fear of being 100% responsible for myself. It was also this season in 2017 when I made up my mind to go on a healing journey of my spiritual and financial life, which led to my money mindset journey and birth of the mentorship side of my business. And again it was in the weeks surrounding February’s Eve in 2019 when I made peace with my decision to leave another co-dependent relationship – And I started really seeing the possibility created there to truly heal my experience of romantic partnership overall.

It was also this time of year when I got into the action phase of many other reinvention pursuits in the past – Like when I was in school experiencing the results of resolutions I’d set over winter break. Or even after college was over and I started my spiritual journey, my first big spell that I cast on the New Year’s Eve of 2013 started to come to fruition around February ‘s Eve season of 2014.

I think a lot of people have probably experienced this phenomenon to some extent, simply because this is always the season takes that place immediately after the holiday season. Not only is it the time when we’re still fresh and exploring our resolutions, but we’re also dealing with the aftermath of the festivities.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s ever ended a relationship after watching someone make really bad decisions at Christmas or New Year’s – Or had the last straw with some kind of toxic pattern and finally gotten real about reinvention during Aquarius season.

Where autumn tends to be a time of assessing and purging away the baggage of the previous year to create space for something new, this early part of the new year tends to be a time of gaining more rapid and actionable clarity on what to fill that space with. It’s a time of realizing how far I’ve come in terms of mental and emotional growth – And of giving myself permission to step further into my true expression in some new and exciting way.

I tend to do a lot of journaling at this time – Starting new projects or getting settled into new routines that better support the person I choose to become. Something I’ve learned from past experience this time of year is just to stick extremely close to my intuition as I’m making decisions, knowing I have a natural tendency to get gung ho this season. It’s important to be sure the decisions I’m making are really in line with my highest interest, and that I’m not just being rash, rushed or “drinking the Kool Aid” of some fancy new idea.

Oftentimes, there’s a spark for change this time of season that gets triggered by an agitation. It feels like the last straw – One of those times when you realize you’ve more than officially run out of energy and patience for something. Sometimes it’s a big thing that you’ve tried unsuccessfully to rid yourself of in the past. Other times it’s been actively worked on over the past year or more, but it’s still creating issues for you and you’re ready to see the last of it.

Cleansing

February’s Eve time is the beginning of a fresh new year.

Now’s the time to clear away any energy from the whirlwind of the previous year.

It’s an early start to spring cleaning of our home and our inner self. It’s a time to detox from any overindulging habits and hold space for fresh new potential.

In what ways can you physically cleanse and clean up your space and your lifestyle so they feel clear and healthy and refreshed as the new year begins to take form? In what ways can you detox your mind and spirit so that you can be clear and open to the new intentions you wish to manifest in this new year?

One example is how my body hasn’t changed much, even though I’ve been hitting the carbs and dairy pretty hard this winter. Overall I look and feel good. I know it’s time to to get more intentional with diet and movement, but I don’t at all feel panicked or guilty about it. I know that sense of confidence and self trust is the result of many years of active healing – And knowing that I do these journal prompts this time of year for a reason.

I know that checking in with my physical, mental and emotional health is both needed and naturally timed for this season. Since I know this time of cleansing will eventually come each year, I’m able to allow myself to indulge earlier in the fall and winter. It gives me a sense of trust that there’s a time and place for everything. And as long as I communicate with myself honestly and keep my best interest at heart, everything will be balanced in due course.

The idea isn’t to go overboard with diet and exercise, but just to start making more intentional decisions about the ratios and things I choose to ingest (Ex: making sure I’m eating vegetables every day). It’s about choosing to do some yoga before bed rather than sitting on the couch watching one more episode of Vampire Diaries, for instance.

… And that kind of segues into the second part of the question, which is about mental, emotional and spiritual health. I feel like I’ve made major strides lately in my overall stability. And at the same time, I’m also observing that I’m feeling very anxious at points almost every day, and I’ve had to really stay committed to taking care of my mental health.

This season, I’m choosing to just release anxiety around the issues that have been stressing me out, and give myself permission to be free of it on an emotional level. And that’s a good resolution for all areas of life in 2021.

Ritual bath for Imbolc or February's Eve

Self Care

For many of us, the holiday season can be a very busy time.

Now that all the excitement has died down and the New Year is settling into place, it’s time for us to give ourselves a much needed break from all the action – Giving ourselves the energy and clarity we need to go forth and be our best selves this year.

We owe it to ourselves to give ourselves some much deserved downtime before jumping into the busy-ness of the next chapter. This is a great time to spend a little time alone, create a sacred space in your home, and promote a sense of calm, peace and tranquility within our minds. It’s a perfect time to renew our self care, meditation, or journaling practice.

How will I honor, appreciate and pamper my body and material life this February’s Eve season? And how will I give my mind and spirit the tender loving care that they deserve?

Self care ritual for Imbolc or February's Eve

I’m still in a continuing exploration of hearth and home energy, as has been the case for at least since the spring of last year. At that time, I think I’d started with a resolution to get the most out of my patio that year. I began dabbling in the realm of gardening again.

From there, I accepted my partner’s suggestion to redecorate the apartment. And during that process, it occurred to me that it made very little sense to have a well decorated home if it was often in a state of disarray due to things being disorganized or not having a proper place. So in the fall and early winter, I began an organizing journey which inevitably also led to a deep cleaning mission.

At the current stage, I feel like I’ve successfully given everything a full once (or even twice) over, and, in some ways, completely up-leveled pretty much every part of my home. And now, we’re about to be swinging back around to that spring season. I’m excited that the second year of up-leveling my domestic environment will continue. Likely, the next round will include adding bigger investments to my home and replacing bigger things that just aren’t quite fitting in with the up-levels that have already taken place.

At this point in my life, I’m just very ready to start fresh with as many things as possible. I want to be able to select what I actually want rather than just settling. I say all of this not to be ungrateful for all of the little things that have helped serve basic needs in the past when I was really just struggling to survive – But to honestly face my feelings about what is presently manifest in my life, and to acknowledge the kinds of mindsets and choices that got me here so that I can choose with more wisdom and intention going forward.

My intention for how to nurture me and my material life this season is to continue my journey of organizing, improving my home environment, and trusting that just by honoring my desire for home improvement and giving myself permission to desire more, the opportunities to upgrade will naturally continue to present themselves.

While I obviously I intend to have some physical items replaced ASAP, I also believe that, in a bigger perspective, what I’m simultaneously doing is feeding the flame of desire for a truly ideal home – Something far beyond the context of even an apartment. While I’m extremely grateful for this space (and that I’m able to have my immediate wants and needs met here in a much better capacity than any of my previous domestic situations) I’m also well aware that it still is just a stepping stone. It will only be able to hold my expanding energy for so long.

As of this moment, I have no idea of how or when I’ll be able to get my “dream house” – A place where I have full permission to put down roots and live freely. But what I’m offering myself this season is full permission to believe it will happen as long as I keep it close to my heart… Rather than pushing it away or distancing myself from it out of fear that it can’t happen.

I’m caring for my mind and spirit by giving myself consistent permission to be myself, to desire what I desire, and to unapologetically receive. I’m releasing the belief that I’m not worthy of having my dreams come true, and that the only way to get anything done is to force it to happen on my own. I’m choosing to believe that just by the virtue of being myself, I’m following my right path.

The Quickening

“The quickening” refers to a time in the womb after conception when a fetus is gradually begining to become noticeable.

It’s growing quickly, but it’s still nowhere near ready to emerge.

This concept can also be likened to the time when a root has broken through into the soil, but before the seedling has emerged from the seed pod – Or even the time spent inside an egg or a cocoon.

If we think of the reemergence of the sun at the Winter Solstice to be the “conception” of the new year, February’s Eve becomes the beginning of the “quickening” phase before the fullness of “pregnancy.” Similarly, this is our time to reflect upon our resolutions and intentions, and to receive inspiration on how to begin implementing them into our lives.

If our resolution was to eat healthier, now’s the time to clean out the fridge and enjoy that first health-conscious grocery shopping trip. Or if our goal is to get back into exercising after having taken a break, then this is the time to start gently stretching our muscles again. Big dreams sometimes start with baby steps. February is the time to begin making those healthy changes one step at a time.

What are your biggest dreams for this new year to come, dreaming big, but releasing any attachment to overly specific details or outcomes? What baby steps can you begin working into your daily life that will evoke your desired feelings?

Overall my biggest desire is simply to be empowered, fulfilled, and connected to love. The exact details are far less relevant. I want to have permission to simply be consistently in a place of peace, inspiration, love and creative flow as often and as fully as possible.

To dig deeper into what that might “look like,” being empowered means feeling like I have the freedom to be at peace. I know from experience that I felt very dis-empowered at times when I felt a lack of any my desired feelings…

A lack of fulfillment; a lack of connection; a lack of love; a lack of permission; a lack of simplicity; a lack of consistency; a lack of peace; a lack of creative flow.

These are things that plagued me acutely at times in my past. And that experience made it crystal clear what my core values were. And now I’m prioritizing them. I’m also willing to be courageous and put into words a more “specific” projection of what that can look like. For my current state of consciousness, that can look like:

Having my income better reflects my value.
Having full sovereignty around time, money and abundance.
Feeling safe to exist in the world – Both out in the world and at home.
Having permission to truly be my full self.
Being physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy.
Being able to afford anything that I desire.
Having fulfilling relationships and social experiences.
Getting to explore and experience more culture.
Having a lush garden both indoors and out.
Having the freedom and privacy to be at peace with nature and home.
Getting to dance and learning to try using fan veils.
Moving to a more ideal home.
Good hair days every day.
Getting to have fun with my loved ones.
Having all the parts of my life and business flow harmoniously.
Further expanding my home aesthetic and efficiency.
Getting new tattoos.
Having a thriving YouTube channel.
Better recycling and composting options.
More high quality photography.
Ample support systems in all that I do.

* Looking back at this in 2022, SO many of these desires have manifested!

I really hope this inspired you and gave you some ideas on how you can use the seasonal energy of this time of year to move through anything that might be happening in your life right now.

So, what themes come up for you this time of year? I seem to notice certain themes come up in my life every year around certain seasons, and I would love to know what those things are for you! I invite you to leave a comment.

Those were just a few of the journal prompts that are available in my year and a day guided journaling adventure!

Are you planning to journal on the topics from this post? If so, I would love to invite you to join me for a seasonal journaling adventure this season! Here are two different ways:

You can download the printable PDF files of the grimoire pages you saw in the video from the Writing Witch Shop. Your download will include all of the February’s Eve information discussed in this video as well as additional journal prompts and space to write about your relationship with the season.

You also get access to four different printing options – Color and black and white (the black and white version is great for saving on ink and getting to decorate the pages yourself) and full page binder sheets and a smaller folded book template for junk journaling.

You get to print these out as many times as you want for your own personal use, so if you want to do binder pages in color this year for an instant option, you can… And then next year, if you decide you want to get more crafty with your grimoire, you can print the junk journal template versions.

Doing these same journal prompts each year in different journals or as binder refills has helped me and my Writing Witch members to up-level our capacity to experience fulfillment each year, and I want you to get to experience this magick too!

Are you also looking to connect with myself and other magickal mavens as you embody your most fulfilled version of yourself this season?

If so, I’d love to invite you to join our Late Winter Seasonal Living Challenge!

Every Wednesday for the five weeks around Imbolc, I’ll be posting a prompt to help you maximize your fulfillment by harnessing the themes of the sabbat.

Patrons who post a response to every discussion prompt will be entered to win a package of paper craft goodies from my shop!

All you need to do to participate is be aware that…

The challenge begins on the third Wednesday in January when the first post goes live. There will be one challenge post per week for five weeks leading up to the final post which will come out in mid-February.

Challenge prompts will always be posted on Wednesdays around 11AM EST.

A winner will be selected randomly one week after the 5th and final prompt is posted.

If you’re not already an eligible patron, I invite you to sign up now! I’m so excited to get to know you better as we share our experiences with the seasons! I hope to see you there!

February’s Eve blessings!