As September is fast approaching I can't help but feel like this year hopped on a train hurtling towards the festivities of Winter, before I have had the time to shake my umbrella from the torrential downpours of April.

It was last week when I saw the first blackberries and noticed that the conkers are easily visable on the Oak trees at the bottom of the garden. I must of been hibernating, like an old bear, grumbling my way through the sticky nights of Summer i seem to have missed. 

As the Sun is now declining in strength and the natural world around us starts to prepare for the long sleep of Winter, i feel the sudden urgency to stock pile my cupboards, organise myself for the darker months...obviously more candles, because who doesnt like to curl up with a book or a good movie by candlelight, drinking hot brews while the wind and rain rages on outside.

Magic during the Autumn Tide lends itself to the harvesting of the literal and metaphorical fruits of our labours, and while I am sure I have been busy during the year, there is a wild flurry of excitment in my bones, spurring me on to get out in the Sun and forage, bottle and hang, spoon stir and cauldron bubble..

So on that note, this ole crone has no time to waste. There is a mess to be made! 

It is finally February Eve and I am thankful that January has it's coat on about to leave.  

Tonight is a magickal night ~ Brigid's Eve, Imbolc Eve a glorious Celtic fire festival is here, as well as the Chinese Lunar New Year ~ the year of the Water Tiger and the New Moon.  I mean, I think we all get the hint that NOW is the time for New beginnings and get rid of the old and stale! Promise and Positivity is in abundance. Even the cold winds of January seem to be blowing extra hard to get the winds of change to slap our " I've been hibernating through winter skin" 

February brings in Imbolc ~ Now the fixed date of this is Feb 1st/2nd but some calculate it astronomically to fall at the midway point between the Winter Solstice & the Vernal Equinox which is usually in the first week of February. 

Imbolc, one of four cross-quarter days and one of the four lunar fire festivals, screams Spring Cleaning, Purification & keeping your eyes peeled for stirrings of Spring at you. 

I will be honest with you, I do not always participate too much in this festival or Sabbat, it is not one that usually resonates with me ~ although i am very grateful to be able to put on the heating, rather than huddle around the hearth and be relying on my candles only for focus points and ambience, rather than to be lighting my way around my rather dark and gothic abode.  That being said, I cannot wait to get my grabby little hands on February and put the energy of the month to creativity and no planning.  There I said it, I have spoken these words out loud. (my Virgo nature is looking on in absolute horror. haha!)

My challenge this month for myself is to fly by the seat of my extremely thought out pants and do something i usually wouldn't. Spontaneously.  Do you have any Challenges or goals you are trying to achieve? Did anyone set any New Years resolutions? Anyone else think January has 99 days? 

However you are spending the next few days I hope they are filled with Magick 

Blessings from the Covenstead

Rowan