Spring….can you sense it? Can you feel the end of day stretching, reaching, pulling itself back towards the sun, minute by minute? We’ve gained 25 minutes of light since the winter solstice on the 21st December and it’s started to catch my eye.
In just 2 and a half weeks spring will officially be with us. The 1st of February, known as Imbolc or Imbolg in the Celtic and Pagan calendar, literally means ‘In the belly’ and signals the start of lambing season. Historically celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, it marks the first seasonal change of the year and shines a light on everything that is pregnant and brewing with potential. The earth is waking up.
As temperatures lift it signals the sap, sugars stored in the roots of trees during winter, to rise. Flowing to the tips of every branch providing life giving energy to buds and leaves poised and waiting to grow.
This cross quarter festival is 1 of 4 dates which mark the beginning of the seasons throughout our year including Beltane or May day on the 1st May welcoming in summer, Lammas on the 1st August (which is the 1st of 3 harvest festivals ) celebrating autumn and Samhain which falls on the 1st November signalling the approach of winter.
Whilst equinox and solstice account for the peak and mid points of our seasons it is these lesser talked about dates, that fall on the first of the month, which signal each seasons new beginning. A time to celebrate and take note of our changing environment. A day to walk, to breathe and take everything in.
As we cannot gather to walk or feast this time around I will be posting a series of blogs on what to look out for in our hedgerows as well as the shops. Things that are in season now or coming into season soon and what to do with them.