Imbolc: The Coming of Spring (Despite All Appearances to the Contrary)

February 2nd is celebrated (or maybe "observed" is a better term) hereabouts as Groundhog Day, where the shadow of a recently hibernating rodent determines whether or not Winter will last 6 more weeks. On the Catholic "Saint calendar" it's St. Bridget's Day (although there's another Bridget, from Sweden, honored on July 23rd) and in Celtic paganism a Bridget (or Brigid or Bride) also comes in. Brigid is the Celtic goddess of, among other things, fire. She is honored at the midpoint between the Winter solstice and the Spring equinox, on or around February 2nd.

Our modern division of the year into four seasons, each beginning at an equinox or solstice, is determined entirely by cultural convention and are not universal. The Romans had 3 seasons; cultures in the extreme north of Europe had two: Summer & Winter; tropical areas have seasons based on the annual rains; the agricultural societies of Europe had four seasons based more or less on planting & harvest, hunting & hibernation and weather changes; I prefer this last.

In my preferred model, the year begins on November 1st, and would be considered the beginning of Winter, with the solstice on December 21st being the midpoint, or "Midwinter" (which it is often called). Spring would begin on February 2nd, with it's height, or midpoint on the Vernal equinox, March 21st. Summer is ushered in on May Day, with Midsummer (a familiar term to many) on the Summer solstice, June 21st. Autumn, or the harvest season is rung in with the first of August, with the Autumnal equinox on September 21st marking its fullness. The year, in this system ends on October 31st.

In some years this makes more sense than others, with all the snow on the ground, it hardly seems like Spring, but in other years this is when you start to see things start to come alive again. In most years, December 21st seems awfully late to be starting Winter when snow has been on the ground for weeks and it's been cold and gloomy for over a month, and Summer sure feels like it's done with as August starts.

So, with the advent of Spring (as I see it), it's a time for hope (for warmer times), planning (as the planting season, both literally and figuratively gets closer) and goal setting. The snow may still be on the ground, but it's fast losing ground to warmer days.