It's the Final Countdown... to Imbolc!
Dr. Melissa Bird and I had the most delightful impromptu live chat about our upcoming Imbolc ritual happening February 1st at 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern. We dove deep into the energy of the goddess Brigid - a multifaceted Celtic deity who embodies motherhood, grief, creativity, healing, and fierce protection. I shared about taking priestess vows to Brigid back in 2019 and how powerfully I’m feeling her presence this year.
We explored the symbolism of this cross-quarter day: the quickening energy beneath winter’s blanket, snowdrops emerging in unexpected places, and the promise of spring while we’re still in darkness. This felt especially potent given the collective challenges we’re facing right now - the reminder to shine light on injustice while not getting stuck in suffering, to share our voices boldly, and to mother ourselves through this liminal season.
The oracle cards we pulled were absolutely perfect (they always are!) - “Share Your Voice/Come Out of the Cave” and “Order of Melchizedek” both calling us to rise up, speak our truth, and not give up on our missions. We also talked about February as poetry season, the Butterfly Method immersion I’m offering to bundle participants, and all the juicy details of our Seasonal Shenanigans program.
Watch the video or read the transcript below to catch all the giggles, synchronicities, and sacred medicine we’re bringing to this Imbolc celebration!
It’s the Final Countdown... to Imbolc! Transcript
Note: Transcripts are not 100% accurate.
Dr. Melissa Bird: It says we’re live chat. I see it live. Someone’s here.
Safrianna: Name that song!
Dr. Melissa Bird: I just really love that you titled this the final countdown to
Safrianna: Yes.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Hi Holly. How are you?
Safrianna: Um, I think that’s very funny. Hi. Yes. I mean, you know me, I’ve gotta come up with a goofy name when I’m put on the spot to make a name for a live. Like go. Now you’re doing an impromptu live. What do I name it? The final countdown to Imbolc is what we named it.
Dr. Melissa Bird: I’m here for it
Safrianna: because that where we’re at. Yeah. So
Dr. Melissa Bird: February 1st coming
Safrianna: it is
Dr. Melissa Bird: and it’s
Safrianna: coming. It’s amazing.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Yeah, it’s coming. It’s coming in hot. Um, it really is. Seasonal shenanigans with Melissa and Safrianna are good times.
Um, I’m curious if you wanted to talk a little bit about what you’re most excited about with our magical ritual coming up on February 1st.
Safrianna: So, I haven’t talked very publicly about it. I, I’ve been writing about it more recently, but back in 2019, I took priestess priestess vows to Brigid. And I am really feeling her this year.
Dr. Melissa Bird: You wanna explain to people who she is?
Safrianna: Yes. So Brit, oh my gosh. She’s so many entities. First of all, Brigid of course is known as like a Celtic, Welsh goddess, all through Britain and like so many Eastern European regions. But. She is such a per a, uh, just major goddess force that she actually ended up in Vodun. She has ended up in cultures all across the world, like under different names, so I call her a goddess of a thousand names. But the, the Brigid that I work with is, is that Celtic Brigid, who is a mother who lost a child. That’s something very important to know about her, that not a lot her, and she’s the. The originator of keening in lore. So she’s a deep feeler. She grieves deeply for what is lost.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Mm-hmm.
Safrianna: She is a Smith. She made weapons for war. She’s a poet. She is a a a Bard a. Gifter of magical words, and she’s a healer. She’s associated with both fire and water, and there’s just, I mean, I could give a dissertation on Brigid, but whether you believe in gods or goddesses or just a God or the universe doesn’t matter. Brigid is an archetype that you can work with, and her energy is maternal and fierce. She’s a a fierce mama. Her energy is creative.
Dr. Melissa Bird: I could not find the mute button faster.
Safrianna: I know we’re on a new platform here. I don’t know where the mute button is either. So sorry about it. Um, but she is just this, this potent, multifaceted woman and I have been getting.
Like there’s the story of her mantle, this cloak that she hangs on a sunbeam, and I have been feeling that mantle wrapping around me. You know, this warmth of her coming in. And I know that in our, in our shenanigans rituals, I always lead some kind of guided visualization meditation practice. And she’s gonna be there, she.
She’s like, Hey, knocking it on the door, like, I’m ready. I’m ready to talk. And so I am just so excited to see what the heck comes through with that, because this will be outside of like a group of four people. This is going to be the first time I’m going to be a priestess of Brid working with Brid Energy in a bigger group.
It like, since I took my vows. I’ve been running rituals for 18 years, but this is like, I’m just, and I know that’s a group. This is the perfect group to really step into my, my power and like really own that in a way. I’ve never owned it before, and so that’s really exciting for me too, is just this is a, a continued evolution of who I am and that I get to offer that gift to people that.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Come hang out with us. What I love about her is that she’s also, because of course the Catholic church had to take everything good in the world. She’s a saint, right, of iron workers, which I think is so epic. Like especially at this time when so many of us are drawing either literal swords or metaphysical swords right now.
Like we are really in this. I keep, I keep thinking like. I keep feeling a lot of Joan of arc energy in me. Like, you know, I’m not afraid I was born to do this. And like, just that idea of taking up the sword. And, um, I also love that one of the rituals for this time of year is to lay out ribbon and fabric on the altar.
To her. I find that to be such a beautiful. Idea, like this idea of handing her these things with which we make beautiful garments, like you were mentioning her mantle and, and hanging it on the sunbeam. Like, I just, I just think there’s so much just potent, potent magic at this time of year and I, I’m really excited about, about it.
I’m really, really excited about it, especially because this is the one I was doing, um. Word writing. Um, circle with Kate Ball yesterday and one of the things she talked about is how poetry is, uh, how February is potent. And I was like,
Safrianna: Yes, because it’s Brigid’s holiday. Like Emil kicks off poetry season. How about that?
Dr. Melissa Bird: Oh, we’re gonna kick off February with this gorgeous, glorious, shenanigan joyful ritual. And then we can take the whole month of February to like engage in the potency of poetry. And I’m really excited to see how we mother ourselves through the, through the season until Equinox. There’s something so beautiful about taking this symbolism of the goddess of Brid and mothering each other and mothering ourselves through, particularly through the month of February into March into Equinox.
I think it just sets us up because that’s what we need right now. I talked about this in my Substack. Yesterday like to to mother, the grieving or to father, the grieving and mother, the wounded. I just think we’re just being called to like hold ourselves in this, in this place and mother ourselves and care for ourselves and nurture ourselves.
And I, I feel like that’s the big invitation of the season, you know?
Safrianna: I had to take some notes there because I was like, Ooh, this is coming hot. Yeah. I’m totally making us a poetry circle on the Heartbeat community in the shenanigans section that is happening.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Yes,
Safrianna: and oh my gosh, like. We’re doing, I’m doing a live Butterfly method immersion for all of our bundle participants that join us for, for the whole year in seasonal shenanigans.
We’re gonna write some emo poems I bet. And get the shadows worked out. It’s, it’s coming together. I was like, what are we gonna do? This’s gonna be a little different this time there. It’s, I love it. And another thing coming in with, with Brigid and this holiday that I just. Love symbolically is the Brigid’s cross.
Mm-hmm. Which, if you’ve seen is it’s like folded wheat in on top of its itself, or folded green. I’m not sure hay straw, something traditionally used, but I’ve made them with pipe cleaners before done that. Braiding, folding. And that itself is a reminder of our, our four bodies and then the larger body.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Yes.
Safrianna: Because I really like to imagine each of the four quarters of the Brigid’s cross is one of those elements and one of our bodies. And so there’s just, there’s a lot of great symbol, uh, there’s a lot of great symbolism with all of the holidays, but that’s one of my favorites with, with Olgas, Brit and Brits Cross and the snow drops, right?
Like this is a time of year. We’re, we’re literally about to get a snowstorm here. Uh, I think it’s gonna be like 18 inches or some. Some nonsense. I don’t know. It keeps changing and it keeps going up, so, but what’s happening under that blanket of snow at this time of year is everything underneath is really preparing to reemerge.
It’s in that, that cold still darkness to reemerge and, and Imbolc gives that holiday of really. Seeing that flame and that light return where winter solstice, we know it’s coming, we don’t really see it Amal, we really start to see it, even though it’s still clearly winter.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Mm-hmm.
Safrianna: And, and things are happening in the dark and under the surface.
So yeah, there’s just a lot of, um, really rich soil.
Dr. Melissa Bird: So one of the other epic things that we talked about yesterday was that this is the season of the promise of the coming, of the planting of seeds.
Safrianna: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Melissa Bird: So it’s this really beautiful liminal space where we’re still like the promise of spring is coming. So we’re still in this in between spot where we’re just.
Holding the anticipation of the change of the season. And we did a whole writing about snow drops. Like what is the message of Snow Drop and what does it have to offer you? Which was really great. Um, because I was thinking of my own snow drops that show up in my yard in the ugliest part of my yard, and I’m all what are doing there being so beautiful. Thank you.
Safrianna: Thank you.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Um, but I love that idea of like. We, we talked yesterday about honoring the dream space and really thinking about from February 1st to spring Equinox, this idea of like playing in, how are we honoring the possibility of what’s coming with Spring? Like we don’t have to wield it or do anything to it, or take some sort of specific action.
We just get to just play around with the notion. Of, of possibility and honor this dream space that we’re in right now of really just being within the dream of what’s coming.
Safrianna: And you know, Imbolc is a cross quarter day, so we got the equinoxes and the solstice. Our last cross quarter day was Samhain. So it was like the death and the letting go and, and Imbolc is the dreaming.
It’s, okay, well now what’s next? And then by Beltane we’re giving, we’re giving it the sensuous energy, we’re really planting it deep in the body. Right?
Dr. Melissa Bird: Yeah.
Safrianna: So that’s also like just, I love these liminal holidays for how they help us bridge the gap between the more obvious shifts in season.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Well, and I really love that, like what we’re gonna do with the ritual on February 1st.
Um, one of the things I’ve really been thinking about is the quickening. What is quickening within us? Like how are we feeling? Which really means like the root of it means of the word quickening is to make alive or to give vitality. So to really start to think about. What are, what is quickening within us?
What is that, that movement, that tickle, that, that little, that little thing that lives inside of us that we can feel in our heart and in our soul, that’s just starting to give itself movement. Like what is quickening within us? What is coming alive within us? So that by the time we hit, uh, Sol, so uh, spring Equinox, we.
My hope is that we have this really clear understanding of, of what is becoming alive and vital within us as we move forward.
Safrianna: And that’s in this time of darkness, literally because it’s, we’re still in the winter season, and also literally in the sense of looking out at the collective and seeing the suffering in turmoil that’s happening.
This was coming through so potently for me, especially after the loss of my Facebook account the other day. Yeah. Which is we need to really anchor more into the life we want to co-create. Yes. We need to speak to injustice and we need to do our work, and we need to excavate the shadows. We also really need to welcome in the light.
We also really need to allow this. This quickening of, uh, the butterfly inside. Yes. We are gonna work so much with this butterfly energy in February. Yeah. It’s, we need to allow ourselves to have the wings to fly above the bullshit and be like, you know, I’m gonna help, but I’m also not gonna be in the suffering of it.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Yeah.
Safrianna: And this is a time of remembering our power.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Well, and I think this is, uh, the time of breaking open, right? Like, like things are come, like things are cracking. And so we’re seeing, so, you know, we talk so much about the light, right? But I think what’s happening is that there’s like a spotlight being shown on injustice now, and that’s because things are breaking apart.
Mm-hmm. And I, I really. I just am so excited for this ritual we’re doing on February. Look, I’m really, I love seasonal shenanigans and I love all the things we do. Uh, you know, every six weeks we do another ritual and people can join us for every ritual or one, one or two, like whatever. It’s great. Um, but what I really love about this one that’s coming through as we are facing all this injustice, um, is like this idea of.
The cracking open of what it we’re being shown so clearly, and the light is coming through, and it’s not like some peaceful aura where it’s like, oh, the night is here. No, it’s like the light is shining through. We’re going, holy shit. Is that what’s behind the dark corner? Oh, crap. Right. Like sometimes this clarity.
Is awesome, but sometimes we see exactly what we don’t wanna see and that’s not bad. That’s also clarity. Right. And, um, oh, and Holly just…
Safrianna: I told Holly, I told Holly the story about the cracking in trees earlier. Yeah. That I literally didn’t even know could happen because I’ve never seen a tree get that cold that quick, but
Dr. Melissa Bird: mm-hmm.
Safrianna: Well, yes, this opening is actually really interesting that you brought that up too, because before we went live, I had a, I had a session with, um, Samia Phoenix. She’s an energy worker and a nutritionist. She does a lot of cool things. Um, part of the PASSIONISTAS community and the energy work she was doing on me, she’s like, I just keep receiving this, this, um, message that you’re just, you’re opening, you’re opening, you’re opening.
There it is again. Like, and this is, it’s, it’s the season where the life starts to appear, it’s, it’s there, right? The life is always there, but it’s, we can see it’s starting to appear to open the snow drops, the little shoots that start to come through the green returning to the grass. The leaves really kind of letting go of their last little hangar honors so that they can prepare for what comes next.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Yeah.
Safrianna: So, yeah, and I just logistically, in case you don’t know about Seasonal Shenanigans, it is a. And as Dr. Bird said, one ritual at a time. You can go either way. Some people have kind of signed up for one and then they’re like, you know, I wanna come back for a second. It is a massive savings to get the bundle, but.
A huge savings to get the bundle, especially because if you sign up by the 31st, we’re layering and all these extra goodies, the immersion, the course, and then everybody is gonna have access to the community. You only get access to this shenanigans portion of the community if you’re in the cohort, because it would be impossible for me to invite and disinvite people to the cohort, um, if they’re just in one ritual.
The larger community is available to everyone. Uh, literally everyone, even if they’re not participating in our rituals. So, um, I’m super excited and that is out here and available and people have started joining. So, yay we gotta get you in there, Dr. Bird.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Oh, you want me to sign up?
Safrianna: You kind of need to be in the chat room with the Shenaniganers group, don’t you?
Dr. Melissa Bird: Oh, yeah. I’ll whatever. I have to do things too, damnit? I don’t just appear in there?
Safrianna: You gotta put your email in, you know? Okay. But yeah, we, we’ve been doing this now together. I’ve been hosting Wheel of the Year rituals for literally 18 years now, and I have never had so much fun as I do with my friend Dr. Melissa Bird, PhD, because we crack each other up and we also just bring our own perspective. We have, we sometimes have quite different perspectives and we bring. Different words and glimmers and messages end that different people resonate with at different times. And it’s beautiful because we…
Dr. Melissa Bird: …and then sometimes we pull the exact same tarot cards, completely different decks
Safrianna: That was our first ritual together.
Dr. Melissa Bird: It’s our first ritual. We both pulled the card, autumn, and I was like, it’s not autumn, it’s the middle of the summer. And I was like, that’s a dumb card. I put it back and then I remember, and then you pulled the autumn card and I was like, son of a gun. It was so funny. It was hilarious. It was a good time though. Yeah. So that’s the joy of all of this, I think, is it’s just so who, we need more joy and fun in our rituals. Not so much seriousness like, oh, we’re gonna sit on this stool and we’re gonna oh, and, and go into a deep, serious meditation. And then we’re. We’re on a right. I don’t know why my voice got louder.
Safrianna: I don’t know why your voice is doing this either,
Dr. Melissa Bird: because really we’re just supposed to have a good fucking time when it comes to our spiritual growth.
Safrianna: Yes. And there’s a time and a space for the, the, the more serious stuff. For sure. It can be really nourishing at times.
Dr. Melissa Bird: I dunno, I think I have a lot more connection with spirit when I’m, you know, listening to Metallica as I meditate.
Safrianna: Yeah, it’s whatever is authentic to us. Right? And, and so if you’re a person that maybe has been taking yourself too seriously all the time like I used to, for sure, that can be a huge hindrance. That can be a huge blockage when it comes to actually expressing and exploring and experiencing. So the Seasonal Shenanigans, it’s seasonal.
It’s shenanigans. We’re celebrating the seasons and we’re trying to, to bring some lightness and joy and fun to it and not overcomplicate it. I’ve been saying as I was writing the emails for our participants. That are getting ready to go out as the reminders, like we normally, the supplies you need are a journal and a pen.
If you want a candle for this one, you can bring a candle for this one. But you don’t need bring light. Yeah. Just, you know, be you and, and bring your light. But you can definitely bring a candle for this one. We, we like, it’s called Candle in. Hi Amy. So good to see you.
Dr. Melissa Bird: So I think we should, I already pulled the card. What am I talking about? I’m all go for it. Pull some cards and then I’m like, I already did it. So, um, and I figured since we’re talking about light and breaking and, and like all the, you know, cracks opening and all the things I pulled from the work your light Oracle deck, which is one of my faves.
And then I laughed really hard, especially because I literally just wrote. While I was in that in bulk writing group with Kate Blue yesterday, I literally wrote about breaking out of a dark cave.
Share your voice come out of the cave persecution and expression. Hmm.
Safrianna: I’m feeling personally attacked a little bit right now.
Dr. Melissa Bird: I feel personally attacked myself because we were just talking about what Imbolc means when it comes to these things, and I am like, oh, oh geez. Like how does Spirit do this? Every single time? Hi Elissa. Hi. How I know how. Okay, so. Here is the message for people who are thinking about joining us for this beautiful and amazing ritual.
On February 1st, you’re being called to share your voice, perhaps by speaking up in a relationship or through writing, speaking, singing, or some other form of creative expression. I think you’re getting called out. We, we pulled a troop truth deep within us that longs to be expressed, sculpted for lifetimes.
The voice of your soul is like no other. It carries with it wisdom that can only be gained through soul history and growth. By remembering, tapping into and expressing this unique tone, we not only heal ourselves, we also heal the planet at large. Hmm. Snap into that because yes, that’s exactly the, the big message is that when you share your voice, you unlock something in the universe and call a missing piece of you home.
Speak to those that can hear you.
Safrianna: Sorry. Sorry y’all. If my energy influenced this reading at all, but I think it’s really true for all of us and I tend to represent collective trends.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Uh, yeah. There has never been a better time in history than right now to rise up, speak your truth and share your soul’s voice. If you feel fearful, know that you are not alone and the world needs your unique tone in our order to harmonize.
As we each rise up and share our song, we make it easier for the next person to do the same. For any of you who are joining us, if you have not read My Substack from today, which I totally channeled while I was writing in the word witch circle.
There it is almost word for word. The giggles. Yes, Amy. We have the giggles.
Safrianna: That’s how we are.
Dr. Melissa Bird: We always have the giggles over here.
Safrianna: We do. So are you ready for the, the, the real fun resonance of what I pulled?
Dr. Melissa Bird: I’m not, but let’s bring it. Okay.
Safrianna: We’ve got the Order of Melchizedek.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Oh, I love the order of Melchizedek. Yes. Yep.
Safrianna: Which is about embracing being embraced by light. Uncovering your mission. And don’t give up.
So I was like, I’m looking at my card over here as you’re reading the meaning from your book. And I was just like, okay. It’s, it’s pretty much the same message. That’s what wants to come through this card.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Exactly.
Safrianna: Is, is, is we need to be embraced by the light right now to, to keep doing our thing and rise above and, and the justice and the sharing our voice and shining our lights.
It’s all here. We are being reminded not to give up and I think that that is what is so unique about our medicine together is it is not separate from justice. Mm-hmm. It’s not at all, which is why the mission is here and why that reminder to not give up is here. Because again, we are really like, we acknowledge.
The bullshit, the darkness, the shadows that aren’t the sensual shadows. The sensual shadows are real fun. The bullshit shadows are not fun, and they need to be excavated and brought to the surface, but we also can’t get stuck in them. We need to be able to shine the spotlight and then go play and not be so serious and focused on all of the awful things happening.
Dr. Melissa Bird: So, you know what’s really glorious about us pulling these two cards is that it just hearkens so beautifully with the spirit of Brigid.
Safrianna: It does!
Dr. Melissa Bird: Like her losses leading, even though she is, you know, this patron state of motherhood and all of these other things, like, it just hearkens to the loss that she felt and how as a goddess she reminds us to carry on despite what we’re grieving.
Safrianna: Yeah, it’s gonna be so good. I might have to pull some of my old Brigid devotional poems out to read at our ceremony on. So, yes, the details for that, it is Sunday, February 1st, 4:00 PM Pacific, 7:00 PM Eastern. I’m actually gonna post a link in the chat right now just in case anybody doesn’t have it and needs it.
But, um, we have so much fun with these and they’re, they’re low pressure. I think, you know, I’m starting this, this free community. People can sign up for it. Um. We have the Seasonal Shenanigans portion in there that’s private for that cohort, and then there’s even deeper work I’ll be doing throughout the next, this next year, and inviting people into something that’s way more involved.
Seasonal Shenanigans is nice because it’s bite size. It’s every six and a half weeks. It’s not you have to show up for the weekly class or you know that you’re getting behind on course materials. There’s none of that, and that’s a problem we’ll address in my group when we get there, but that’s not the issue of Seasonal Shenanigans.
This is like you want to make sure you have these really powerful moments of presence to look outside your window, to see what’s happening with Mother Earth, to see what’s happening inside yourself and to come together in a community. Where people are also tuning into the energy. It, it amplifies it so much when we do it collectively.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Oh, it’s good.
Safrianna: It’s so fun.
Dr. Melissa Bird: It’s so juicy good. And it’s not a bazillion dollars, not a bazillion dollars.
Safrianna: T he whole year is $250. That includes because we decided to throw in bonuses, uh, for the people that signed up early. You’re getting the bonus as, uh, uh, a bonus ritual now because we added in winter solstice. It really is this whole calendar year. Now, uh, we’re gonna pull you a individual. Seasonal card pull. It’ll either be me or Dr. Bird that sends you a one-on-one message with your card and your message for the season. That’s a bonus we’ve added in. And then the Butterfly Method course for lifetime and an immersion, which that alone is like if you were buying it from me, would be like $170. So you’re getting two rituals plus a course plus for the price you’re paying.
Dr. Melissa Bird: The tarot card reading! Oh my God. Okay. And if you just wanna join us on February 1st, it’s like 40 bucks.
Safrianna: Yeah. $40 for one ritual. So yes, we’d love to have you join us. I have had people be like, you know, honestly $250 is a lot for me right now. Literally so get you, there is no judgment. Just message me (guide@Safrianna.com). And I set you up a payment plan that you can pay over the course of the A year, the cohort year.
Yeah. So. Do not stress about it if you are like, I really want this. We have, we’re trying to make it both gate kept enough to not just have random strangers on the internet show up who are not the right fit, but also, uh, accessible enough that most of our people can do it. Or they just ask us for a payment plan and it’s easy peasy. Yeah. So…
Dr. Melissa Bird: Well, I have had a beautiful time with you, Miss Safrianna, talking about the final countdown. *We sing.* I love that you titled this chat that. It just brings me such joy. Thank you. I’m so excited. And also, uh, the card pulls.
Safrianna: The card pulls always. Yes. Thanks for coming and hanging out with us and watching us and seeing us giggle.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Good seeing you, sweetheart. I love you. Um, I love you. I don’t have...
Safrianna: Be the light. This is, this is being, this is beaming into you. We are activating that in you.
Whether you are joining us or not, the light is coming through. Friends, believe in yourselves. We believe in you. We love you. We’ll see you back here again soon. Love y’all.
Dr. Melissa Bird: Bye bye.
Safrianna: Yes, light being Holly! Bye.
Originally shared on Safrianna’s Substack.
