Image by Claudia Tremblay

As we honour the goddess Brighid and her transition from Crone back to Maiden at Imbolc* (see footer), consider taking some time to meditate or reflect on the women in your life . . .  your friendships with women — the Maidens, the Women, the Crones — and how your friendships have changed throughout the years.

For me, this came home when I read — and loved! —this definition of spirituality:

“the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.”

It would seem to me that friendship is spiritual, rooted in our concern and love for the soul and spirit of those in our own circles.

Soul Questions

Consider the dynamics of your friendships. Create your own questions or ponder on some of these:

• Do I have friends — or relatives — of all ages?
• What do my friends learn — or expect — from me? And vice versa?
• What activities do we share?
• What do I learn from my friends about life, about love, about self-care. . . about joy, creativity, strength?
• What do they learn from me?
• How do I support my friends. . .  and vice versa?
• What do I expect in or from friendship(s) for them to be successful?
•  When is it time to end a friendship?
  • That too can be a spiritual process. The friendship may no longer serve us (or vice versa). Perhaps it’s part of our “old story” and no longer in alignment with who we are in our “new story”. We can gently and lovingly let it go, and thank the person and the friendship for the gift and the lesson (or shadow lesson!) it has given us.
• How do I hold space for friendship in my life?
• How do I honour, nurture and celebrate my friendships?

The Triple Goddess Within

And just as Brighid transforms from Crone to Maiden, so do we. We pass through each of the stages of the Triple Goddess throughout our journey in life; those seeds are within us when we are born.

Not only do we carry the ancestral DNA (and some say the memories) of all the women — and men — who came before us, we carry the full potential and expression of the Maiden-Woman-Crone. Just as the potential and blueprint for the mighty fully grown and majestic oak is within the tiny acorn, so are The Maiden, The Woman and The Crone already nurturing within you at birth. . . . and you can call on their wisdom and energy at any time.

And in your friendships — and in our life — each of those phases come into play. At times we are The Maidens together, full of energy and joy and adventure and play. We are The Woman when we step into creativity and nurturing, and holding sacred space for each other. We are The Crone when we share our wisdom with others, or gently open up others to their own wisdom, to self-healing.

Celebrate the Triple Goddess within you

and within your friends.

Le grá,
(with love, in Irish Gaelic)

Della

Note re Imbolc timing *
I celebrate this special day of the Celtic Wheel of the Year on the “astronomical” date of February 3, 2017, the precise midpoint between Yule (Winter Solstice) and the Spring Equinox (this year!). Many also celebrate on the traditional fixed date of February 1st or 2nd.