Candlemas

Today is the celebration of Candlemas. It's the day that we are equally between winter and spring. I like the idea of the seasons of life being a wheel - and that makes today a special, cross-quarter day.

I didn't know a lot about Candlemas until I started doing some reading and research. Like most holidays it began in the pagan tradition before the Catholic church superimposed their own meanings on top of a celebration that already existed. I think I like the old observances better!

HISTORY::

In Western Europe this was the time to begin preparing the soil for planting, and this day marked the beginning of Spring. Because their lives were sustained by grain, the celebration was marked by taking wheat flour, mixing it with yeast, holy water and milk and making a loaf of bread. This loaf was then taken outside and laid in the first row of the farmer's new field as a blessing and prayer for the coming year's harvest.

In Ireland, today is called Imbolc and it celebrates the feast of Brigid. She was the pagan goddess of fire and fertility. On her feast day her statue was washed in the sea - for purification; and then carried through the fields surrounded by candles. The legends about the goddess Brigid were slowly replaced by the Catholic church with Saint Brigid who founded the first convent at Kildare in Ireland.

As if saddling Candlemas with Saint Brigid weren't enough, the Catholic church took it upon itself to also declare today the Feast of the Purification of Mary. The theme of purification is the only thread that seems to link these two occasions.

CELEBRATION IDEAS::

Because Candlemas has it's roots in preparation for the coming harvest, grain-based foods are good ways to celebrate. Pancakes and crepes are traditional. These two, with their round shapes and golden color are also symbolic of the sun and coming spring.

Gather all your candles onto one table. Add elements from nature. Reflect on your hopes and dreams. What "seeds" do you wish to plant in your life? Make these dreams and goals something concrete - write them in a journal or talk about them with someone so that on Lammas (the festival of the first harvest on August 2) you can look back and see what progress you've made.

Take a walk. Look for the beginnings of the spring.

Nature has always been an important part of my spiritual practice. I am in awe of the power of the seasons and the beauty of the world. I think I will make a little candle altar tonight and we can have a little quiet time.