sweet february…

I’ve noticed that some folks don’t like February much — it’s winter, after all, which can be very cold and full of, perhaps, inconvenient weather, especially for those not inspired by outdoor winter sports and activities.  I can see how winter might seem dreary and endless when you’re right in the middle of it, past all the holiday cheer and twinkle, with many more weeks of chilly winds and icy sidewalks ahead. Despite these less pleasant aspects of the season, however, I am discovering that I really love February.

First there’s Brigid’s Day, or Imbolc, which is one of my favorite Earth Celebrations. It falls on February 1st or 2nd, which is mid-winter, the halfway point between the shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice, and the Spring Equinox, when the length of day and night are equal. So, on Imbolc, February has only just begun, and already the days are starting to lengthen, as the wheel of the year turns determinedly onward toward spring. There is a “quickening” happening, an enlivening that I can sense, as the first subtle scents of spring start to move on the wind…the smell of melting snow, damp earth… this is the time when the sap begins to rise in the trees (this month’s full moon is called, in some traditions, the Sap Moon), and some of the first seeds sleeping deep down in the soil begin to awaken. Oh, there are still plenty of days to spend playing in the snow, and plenty of evenings to spend cozying up inside, hot tea in hand, knitting or reading in lap, gazing into the flames of mid-winter’s hearth…

I love this mix of energies: the still, quiet depth of winter, with it’s beckoning toward slowing down, turning one’s gaze inward, and focusing some attention on sifting through musings, ideas, visions and plans; and that quickening, the anticipatory hum of the very beginnings of movement toward the active manifestation of those winter dreams.

And, the chocolate! February is the only month, I believe, with a holiday dedicated to the expression of love in the form of handmade cards, extra hugs and kisses, cupcakes, and chocolate.

Ah, sweet February. Until next year…