Blog - Harmony Healing, Reyad Sekh Em, Egyptian Alchemy Healing

Tuesday 1st & Wednesday 2nd February, Celtic & Pagan Festival of Imbolc

Tuesday 1st & Wednesday 2nd February is the Pagan Imbolc Ceremony, which is one of the four Great Celtic Festivals (between the Solstices and the Equinoxes), and which is a Wiccan, Gaelic and Druid Festival of Fertility and Growing Light. Imbolc (pronounced EE-molk) is an old Celtic Word and the celebration can also be known as Candlemas. The Pagan Wheel image was purchased from Shutterstock.

Imbolc is sacred to the Goddess Brigid, Brigit or Bridie, the power of the new moon, the Spring of the year, the flowing sea, corn dollies and the Great Moon Mother - Patroness of Poetry Making and Healing. Brigid is a triple Goddess, so she can be honoured in all her aspects, she is associated with fire, fertility, midwifery and the young.

Imbolc Image by Antonia Skelton The Imbolc Festival marks the passing of Winter and the first signs of Spring, with the emergence of new leaves and early flowers such as the snowdrop and crocus, as well as being the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from those of the Crone to the Maiden.

Imbolc is a Fire Festival and it is traditional, at sunset, to briefly light every light in the house. Or light candles in each toom to celebrate the return of the sun. If it's been snowing, take time to enjoy walking in the snow, draw an image of the sun into the snow and reflect on the sun's warmth.

Traditional foods for Imbolc include anything dairy, including sour cream, as the Festival celebrated the calving season. Spicy and rich foods, such as curry or anything made with peppers, leeks, onion, chives and/or garlic are appropriate to celebrate the sun, together with mulled wine and anything containing raisins which also represent the sun.

So fire and purification were an important part of the Imbolc festival with candles being lit to signify the increasing power of the Sun and the return of warmth over the forthcoming months and Holy wells were visited at Imbolc, and at the other Celtic festivals of Beltane and Lughnasa. All this focus on nurturing warmth and purification plus water to release emotions brings harmony and wellbeing into your life.

t's also a good time to clear clutter and look at what you want to achieve this year and ask Brigid's help in making it happen. There's lots more about the wonders of Imbolc at Gylden Fellowship.

Here's a little water blessing you can do with Brigid, given to me by the wonderful esoteric author Christopher Street in 2012. I highly recommend his book London Leylines; Pathways of Enlightenment

Ideally in a glass container (I use a clean jam jar), collect some water from your local river or pond, if safe to do so, or else rain water or even tap water. Hold it in your hands and radiate love from your heart, via your hands, into the water and say the following Imbolc poem to Brigid: -

A budding blossom, fair I grow

The light of youth is on my brow

Purity of crystal spring,

and gift of morning flower I bring

From death and darkness, frost and cold

a tale of birth and life unfolds

Healing gifts spring from her bag

She who was the Winter Hag

Fruit of the Earth, from Goddess fair

No man-made gift could be compared

to that which flows from nature’s love

and the blessings of the dove

Then, if you feel inspired, you can utter this apology on behalf of mankind, similar to one that was used at an international water healing ceremony I attended on 3rd August 2008:

Water, We Are Sorry.

Water, We Love You.

Water, We Thank You.

Water, We Respect You.

Send the intention that the water in the glass is completely filled with the vibrations of Apology, Love, Gratitude and Respect. As you hold both of your hands against the glass, and visualise that the vibrations of your sincere apology emitting from your heart will be projected into the water and imagine that each water molecule in the glass is healed and sparkling with life like millions of little suns.

Then, when you feel it's appropriate, put the water back where it came from. If it was rain or tap water you can pour it into the earth so that the blessed water filters down into the water table beneath the surface or you can return your blessed water to a local waterway or pond/lake.

Celebration of local customs, such as those at Imbolc, with other members of the Pagan Community was found to be therapeutic; bringing harmony and wellbeing into their lives.

Harmony Healing utilises the philosophies of the Ancient Egyptians, in the form of Reyad Sekh Em (RSE) Egyptian Alchemy Healing, to bring balance and harmony. Reyad Sekh Em (RSE) Level 1 - our next interactive training course series starts with Khemitology on Thursday 17th February and Violet Flame of Amenti on Wednesday 23rd February, followed by Mindful Chakras starting 10th March and Essene Angelology starting 16th March.

Through Harmony Healing, Joanna offers a wider spectrum of events designed to nurture your welbeing. If you are looking for regular spiritually enlightening activities which help to connect you with the lunar cycle, we have our monthly Full Moon Guided Healing Meditations. The next one is Wednesday 16th February at 7.30-9.30pm (UK time = GMT). Participants all receive a deeply healing experience. Cost to participate is £20 by online BACS payment (£1 admin fee added for PayPal) or half price to RSE graduates. There are multi-buy packages for regular attendees. Book at the Harmony Shop.

Other services

Within Surrey, via Harmony In Nature, we facilitate Forest Bathing+ Sessions to help adults reconnect with nature and reap the therapeutic benefits.

Currently, MP3 meditations and distant readings and healings are proving popular and we offer Harmony Healing Vouchers for any value for use on Harmony Healing services and Harmony in Nature vouchers for Forest Bathing vouchers (£35).

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Tuesday 25th January, Burns Night in Scotland

Tuesday 25th January is Burns Night in Scotland.

Burns Night is a revered date in the Scottish calendar and celebrates, on the anniversary of his birthday, the life and works of their national Bard, Robert Burns.

Born a little over 250 years ago; some consider his best known poem as ‘Auld Lang Syne’, though others believe he did not write it himself, but was the first person credited with writing it down for posterity as part of his attempt to preserve Scottish traditional songs.

The evening centres on the entrance of the haggis (a type of sausage made from a sheep's stomach) on a large platter to the sound of ceremonial bagpipes.

When the haggis is on the table, the host reads the "Address to a Haggis". This is an ode that Robert Burns wrote to the Scottish delicacy!

At the end of the reading, the haggis is ceremonially sliced into two pieces and the meal begins.

Amongst other works, Burns also write the famous 'Ode to a Louse':

O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see us!

It wad frae mony a blunder free us,

An' foolish notion:

What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,

An' ev'n devotion!

This is generally translated into modern language as:

And would some Power give us the gift

To see ourselves as others see us!

It would from many a blunder free us,

And foolish notion:

What airs in dress and gait would leave us,

And even devotion!

Image by Harmony Healing

The same date, 25th January, is St Dwynwen’s Day (sometimes known as Dwyn or Donwen) in Wales. St Dwynwen is the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine, being their patron saint of love.

The Scottish, through their reverence of Robbie Burns and the Welsh, through their reverence of St Dwynwen, bring balance and wellbeing into their lives.

Other services

Within Surrey, via Harmony In Nature, we facilitate Forest Bathing+ Sessions to help adults reconnect with nature and reap the therapeutic benefits.