Imbolc
At Imbolc which is celebrated on the 2nd February, we begin to see signs of the end of the darkness as the days get longer and the God grows stronger. We see the first signs that the Goddess has again kept her promise of the return to abundance when the first few snowdrops apear out of the frozen soil,to be followed a few weeks later by the crocuses and then suddenly the daffodils appear carpeting places with bright yellow replacing the drab colors of winter.

It is a time to make a clean start, plan new projects, and to let go things that dont work in your life. Imbolc is a time for preparing foundations and laying plans, rather than a time for building or action.

It is traditional to light every lamp in the house at sunset to mark the rebirth of the sun at this festival of light also known as candlemas.

There is a warning though not to be complacent, just as the Goddess brings us the new life sprouting from the earth, she can extinguish it with a single frost. Perhaps this might be a time to think of the goddess as both giver and taker of life.

Related Christian day - 2nd February, Candlemas.