I dedicate this to my brother Richard who passed away this winter.

I find myself a little melancholy as we fully enter the season of re-birth. It seems we skipped a large part of spring that I look forward to every year since I was a young child. The very beginning of newness and discovery-the time when the grass is still brown, the leaves have not begun to fully bud, let alone tulips in bloom. As a child, this is the time that I would set out in my boots and poncho and explore the field next to my house, the property behind our barns and the creek that ran behind them. The winter snows in central New York always had a way to leave strange things behind or uncovered. I remember specifically walking the field, thinking aloud and talking to whoever would listen about my discoveries. As much as I loved to muck the field, the sight of the initial stages of leaf buds and the tops of flower bulb greens poking out of the earth, always put joy in my heart. Even as a child, I was in tune to seasonal rites. I suppose we really did not skip this part of the season, it was just fast tracked and like anything else, when you do not appreciate what is in front of you, it will be gone quickly. So my lesson learned, It will not happen again to me by my own oversight.

So, with the seasonal weeks ahead of us in this circular race, many are playing catch up with their spring cleaning. I have to say that I am doing good in this particular area. A few years back, I started to put myself in the spring mind set during the Imbolc holy tides and observances. February for me, marks a transition month; a time to take stock in what you have become during the darker, hermit times and where you want to be as you emerge. The long winter nights as a child seemed like they were never ending. I won’t go into detail now (another blog perhaps)of the utter dismay that I had as a child during these nights. I will say that I have learned to embrace them as the time of great learning and healing that my body and spirit need for survival. I liken this to the animal that has shed it’s former skin or shell. When I emerge my colors are more vibrant, I feel more supple. But alas, with growth and discarding of the old comes the need for cleansing and clearing. My closet runneth over. We all know that the mundane work has to be done and much of it can go hand in hand with your spiritual, magical and mental housekeeping. However, in my life it is just as important and maybe more so to put the many lessons of the winter to creation. To do this, I must have a clear road/path. I know at this time what or who needs to be discarded. This may sound a little harsh, but when you have had a long winter of healing the hurts of your heart, it is time to go forth,  take care of yourself and your own backyard. If you have survived the winter and still do not know the truth of your heart, your path may  have many obstacles that a spring cleaning will not fix. With that said, the first full moon of spring this year falls on Good Friday. Although I am not a practicing Christian of sorts, I do have a Christian background and I recognize the spiritual energy that abounds. Why not tap into that energy and use it for your own needs?(I did this at lent with incredible results)

I will use it. I will clean up the sheds of my winter and give them to my earth spirits to recycle. I will discard those who chose not to be a part of my winter evolution, because as the wheel turns, so does the understanding of my place in this universe. I do not wish them harm, I just wish them away. The blockage that they embody upon my lane does not serve me and my wellness. I thank them for the lessons and return to them that which is theirs-

I do not need it.

I do not want it.

I will not make apologies for this practice. I am very forgiving, loving and loyal. I have a slow fuse, but like most of us, I have a limit. When I make a clearing from my path, it is not an easy choice. It comes from much contemplation. It is hard, deliberate work that must always involve my Ancestors, Spirits and Guides; but when I realize the sweet release of the blockage, I know that I am living in my truth.

This winter has come to a close, and with it the middle road has been cleared for the influx of what the future holds.

I survived the loss of family and the sorrow that is it’s twin. I lived with the hermit for respite and found the remnants of the girl in the poncho. I took her hand and we walked thru the field. Together, we found the winter’s deposit and gathered it to ourselves. We walked to the creek and thanked the spirits. We returned as one to faced the road.

Richard and I... Spring 1970

*My ritual cleansing are my own that I share with those who can listen.*