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Midwinter: The Fiery Promise of Spring
February is upon us and the time to celebrate MidWinter. We are now at the halfway point between the Winter Solstice of late December and the Vernal Equinox that marks the beginning of Spring. The days in the Northern Hemisphere are now noticeably longer and with it our longing for warmer weather has set in! Celebrations at this time honor the themes of hope, renewal and rebirth.
European pagan traditions honor February 2nd as Imbolc. The name Imbolc means "in the belly" or "in the Mother." It is the time we feel the palpable stirrings of the returning green energies. The Earth Goddess is no longer the Winter Goddess/Crone but the Maiden once again, flush with freshness and promise of shoots, leaves and flowers.
In warmer regions of Europe where the grass is already green, the prelude to lambing season is underway. Indeed, an alternate name for this season - Oimelc - means "milk of ewes."
Contemporary Druids think of this time as a time of spiritual rebirth. As winter wanes, we honor that we have "survived the worst." Even though we may still have terrible storms here in the North, we know that our mettle has been already tested and we will survive to see the crocus poke its blooms from the ground. It is a time to look back over the struggles and trials of the past year, take stock of our ourselves and bring our attention to those things inside of ourselves we wish to change or encourage. It is an opportunity to honor the fires Life's forge which temper us and make us stronger.
In fact, fires have a place in the ancient Irish celebrations of the Goddess Brigit which were also held during this time. Brigit was considered a goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry and healing - especially the kinds of healing provided by midwives. Brigit's holiday was chiefly marked by the kindling of sacred fires, since she symbolized the fire of birth and healing, the fire of the forge, and the fire of poetic inspiration. The Christianized celebration of the renamed Saint Brigit also honors the fire. Retitled, Candlemas it is the time when all the candles that would be used during the liturgical year would be blessed.
American traditions of this season are usually confined to the celebration of Groundhog Day which is a day to predict the coming weather. Folk lore tells us that if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be "six more weeks" of bad weather. This custom is quite ancient. An old British rhyme tells us that "If Candlemas Day be bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year." Of course, a bright day means you and the groundhog will see your shadows! This weather lore may stem from the even earlier Gaelic folklore around Imbolc. The Gaelic people believed that Imbolc was also the day that the Cailleach or Winter/Crone Goddess gathered her firewood for the rest of the winter. Legend has it that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. If however, the day is grey with rain or snow, it means the Cailleach is asleep! The belief is that since she won't be gathering any firewood on such a day, the winter must be nearly over.
In the ancient city of Rome, they celebrated Lupercalia from February 13 through February 15. This was an archaic rite connected to fertility. In Roman mythology, Lupercus is the god of shepherds who is identified with the Roman god Faunus, who is the equivalent of the Greek's goat-legged god, Pan. His festival, celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of his temple, was called the Lupercalia. After a huge sacrificial fire and feast, the priests cut thongs from the skins of the sacrificed goats, which were called "Februa." (This word is another name for this festival time and a root of our word "February." ) The Lupercalian priests then dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats - in imitation of Lupercus - and ran round the city using the skin thongs to strike people. Girls and young women would line up to receive lashes from these hairy whips. This was supposed to ensure fertility, prevent sterility in women and ease the pains of childbirth.
Another special day in February has to do with fire in the metaphoric sense as this is also the time of Valentine's Day! A time when the fires of love stir us and the warmth of romance is celebrated. Given this date's close timing to the flocks' and land's fertility, it makes sense to honor both romantic love and lovemaking during the Midwinter! Love brings a warmth to the heart and the promise of lovemaking brings heat to the entire body. Certainly. throughout Nature the "fires of love," the energies of both fertility and of continuance, are in the air.
So, here in February's time of midwinter, we honor the returning Sun, the flaming trials which strengthen our resolve, the returning warmth of the land, the energy of fertility and the heat of love. Whatever aspect of the season you choose to celebrate -- whether with bonfires, candles or hearts and flowers - remember that we're half way to Spring! Happy February!
© 2009 Evelyn C. Rysdyk
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Evelyn C. Rysdyk, author of Modern Shamanic Living is a nationally recognized presenter. Included in the book Traveling Between the Worlds she is among the world’s most influential writers and teachers of shamanism.
Originally trained in core shamanism, she has integrated practices taught to her by elders from North and South America, Central Asia, Nepal and Siberia. She is also a Medicine for the Earth Teacher--teaching ways that transfigured human energy can heal our planet.
With her partner C. Allie Knowlton, MSW, LCSW, DCSW she presents
eco-spiritually focused training programs--which include advanced shamanism and shamanic healing---across the USA and Canada. In addition, as a founding member of True North, a unique, integrated medical center in Falmouth, Maine--she collaborates with physicians, nurses, a psychiatrist, a naturopath and several other complementary healthcare practitioners to provide a new model of health care that includes Spirit.
www.spiritpassages.org
www.spiritliving.org
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