My Mindful Moment series are 12 pieces that will directly fund my own therapy this year, I will be releasing a painting on the last day of each month that I've painted mindfully that will directly fund my own therapy and hopefully I can raise awareness of mental health issues, reduce the stigma and create some good conversations and support to others.
As I'm still having therapy I still need to raise funds to pay for this service (especially crucial currently with all that's going on in my life). So I've decided to continue the Mindful moment series but with a new theme! This series will follow closely with the seasons that we experience month to month here in the UK. This includes the full moon each month and its meanings, any wiccan/pagan sabbats from the wheel of the year and the correspondences they have. I hope to guide you through a full year of connecting back to nature and the meanings behind old traditions
This month is based around the theme of February and Imbolc.
Imbolc is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring. Celebrated between January 31st and February 1st it is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The holiday is a festival of the hearth and home, and a celebration of the lengthening days and the early signs of spring. Rituals involve hearthfires, special foods, weather divination, candles, and an outdoor bonfire if the weather permits. I have featured this months full moon, the snow moon.
The old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens on Imbolc may be a forerunner to the North American Groundhog Day. Apparently once the badger or groundhog emerges and if they sees their shadow they goes back into the burrow and winter lasts another 6 weeks.
Imbolc comes from an Irish word that was originally thought to mean 'in the belly' so I thought how lovely it would be to paint some badgers emerging from their cosy home to take a peek. These cubs would be recently been in the belly, as birth occurs from late January to early March, with the majority taking place in the first half of February. Cubs spend approximately the first eight weeks of life underground, emerging in late April or early May - so these tinys are just taking an early peek!
The painting is A5 sized, painted with vegan acrylic and watercolour paints on to sustainable bamboo paper and framed in a black made to measure frame (please note this frame has a slight nick in the side but is sold as seen - I don't think it effects the overall look). It will be sent next day delivery via DPD unless collection can be arranged.