Celebrating Candlemas Day
February 2 is one of the extraordinary move-quarter days which make up the wheel of the 12 months. It falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and in lots of traditions is considered the start of spring.
Awakening the ground
In Western Europe, this become the time for preparing the fields for the first planting. Even in Seattle, you can start turning over and enriching the soil in anticipation of the primary sowing in March. Pamela Berger has written a e-book, The Goodess Obscured: Transformation of the Grain Protectress from Goddess to Saint, approximately the rituals celebrated at the moment of year, whilst the ground is first awoke and the seed placed within the stomach of the earth. This is a great second in a community which depends in the world for sustenance. The fields had been purified and offerings have been made to the goddess.
This medieval Anglo-Saxon plowing allure, recorded by way of Berger, was stated through the farmer while reducing the primary furrow.
Whole be thou Earth
mom of fellows.
Within the lap of God,
Be thous as-growing.
Be packed with fodder
For fare-need of guys.
The farmer then took a loaf of bread, kneaded it with milk and holy water and laid it beneath the primary furrow, announcing:
Acre complete fed,
bring about fodder for men!
Blossoming brightly,
Blessed end up;
And the God who wrought the ground,
provide us the items of growing,
That the corn, all the corn,
may additionally come unto our need.
The guarantees of the return of the mild and the renewal of lifestyles which had been made on the wintry weather solstice at the moment are becoming take place. It's the dawn of the year. It's the time while a girl who's pregnant starts showing. It's time to creep out of the hibernation of winter, carefully, like the ground Hog who supposedly emerges on this day to test his shadow. It's the time of germination. This is a traditional time for brand spanking new beginnings. Covens of witches normally initiate new members presently.
St. Brigid, the Grain Goddess
In ireland, this holy day is known as Imbolc and begins at sunset on February 1 continuing thru sundown February second. There are numerous one of a kind derivations offered for the call Imbolc: from Ol-melc (ewe's milk) because the ewes are lactating right now, from Im-bolg (across the stomach) in honor of the swelling belly of the earth goddess, and from folcaim (I wash) due to the rites of purification which passed off presently. All of those explanations capture the themes of this competition.
February 1st is the banquet day of St. Brigid, who started out her existence as a pagan goddess and ended up a Christian saint. She become a hearth and fertility goddess. In her temple at Kildare, vestal virgins tended an everlasting fire. On her dinner party day, her statue become washed in the sea (purification) and then carried in a cart via the fields surrounded by using candles.
The legends about the goddess, Brigid, step by step have become associated with (the rather spurious) Saint Brigid who founded the primary convent in eire (where else?) at Kildare.
To rejoice St. Brigid's day, humans positioned out a loaf of bread on the windowsill for the Saint and an ear of corn for her white cow, services for the grain goddess just like the loaf buried in the first furrow. A small quantity of unique seeds are combined with the ones to be sown. Wheat stalks are woven into X-formed crosses to serve as charms to shield home from fireplace and lightning.
Inside the HIghlands, ladies get dressed the corn doll or closing sheaf (from Lammas or the autumn equinox) in a bridal gown and put her in a basket, that's referred to as the Bride's mattress. A wand, candle or different phallic item is laid across her and Bride is invited to return, for her bed is prepared.
Purification
The Catholic Church, because it become wont to do, discovered an opportunity to superimpose a Christian holiday on this pagan pageant. Jewish ladies went via a purification ceremony forty days after the birth of a male baby (eighty days after the delivery of a woman toddler). So within the 6th century (consistent with J.C. Cooper within the Aquarian Dictionary of gala's,February 2 (which falls 39 days after Christmas) turned into declared the dinner party of the Purification of Mary. The topic of purification remained a link among the two holy days.
Like many outstanding infants, Jesus is diagnosed as a future hero from the time of his infancy. This sort of recognitions takes place in Luke 2:21 whilst he's being offered in the temple (at the time of Mary's purification ) and a holy guy, Simeon, acknowledges him as the Christ, calling him “a light for revelation.”
this is the ostensible reason given for the custom of bringing candles to church to be blessed by the priest on February second. They're then take home in which they serve as talismans and protections from all forms of screw ups. This practice is the starting place for the name Candle-mass. In Hungary, in keeping with Dorothy Spicer within the e-book of festivals, February 2nd is known as Blessing of the Candle of the satisfied woman (Gyertyazsenteio Boidog Asszony). In Poland, it is known as mom of God Who Saves Us From Thunder (Swieto Matki Boskiej Gromnicznej).
Absolutely, this competition has always been related to fire. In ancient Armenia (writes Spicer), this became the date of the pagan spring festival in honor of Mihr, the God of hearth. In the beginning, fires have been built in his honor in open places and a lantern turned into lit which burned inside the temple at some point of the year. Whilst Armenia have become Christian, the fires had been built in church courtyards as a substitute. Humans danced about the flames, jumped over them and carried home embers to kindle their very own fires from the sacred flames.
Given that Lent can from time to time start as early as February 4th, a few Candlemas customs have become related to Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) and the beginning of Lent, that's a time of purification.
Saint Brigid
Celebrating Candlemas
Candles and xmas vegetables
the primary element of your redecorating scheme for Candlemas is reasonably apparent: candles. You could acquire all of the candles in your home in one room and light them from one vital candle. Or place a candle in each window (but watch them cautiously).
Candlemas is one of the traditional times for taking down Christmas decorations (twelfth night, on January 6th, is the opposite). In case you are very cautious (due to the fact they're tinder dry), you may burn them. Or, better yet, go back them to the earth mother by using the use of them for compost or mulch.
Certain ingredients are traditional for Candlemas, including crepes, pancakes and cakes, all grain-based totally foods. Pancakes and crepes are taken into consideration symbols of the solar due to their round shape and golden coloration.
When you have a fire, smooth out your hearth after which mild a brand new hearth. Take a seat around the fireplace and replicate in your hopes for the coming 12 months. What do you hope to accomplish? What are you obsessed on? What seeds do you want to plant? Talk these thoughts with others or write them down in a magazine however lead them to concrete in some way in order that on Lammas (August 2nd, the competition of the primary harvest), you can look lower back to peer what development you’ve made.
Brigid is the goddess of innovative suggestion as well as reproductive fertility. This is a good time for sharing creative paintings, or, if you don't consider yourself as mainly innovative, an concept that labored or a plan that materialized. Thank the Goddess for her concept, perhaps by dedicating a future work to her.
Making Pledges and Commitments
in view that Candlemas is a time of latest beginnings, this is a great day to ritually have fun all matters new. Plan a rite to name a brand new child, officially welcome a new person right into a own family or plight your troth to the one you love. Make a dedication to a purpose (like a new Years decision): this will be an in particular powerful aspect to do in a group.
In San Francisco, the Reclaiming Collective sponsors a huge public ritual called Brigid, which specializes in political commitment. After acknowledging despair over the occasions of the beyond 12 months, the contributors mirror at the source of their personal power and then make a pledge in the front of the network approximately the work they intend to do throughout the coming year. For the duration of this ritual, the flames in a cauldron constitute Brigid's Sacred Flame, the fireplace of idea and ardour, whilst a punch bowl filled with waters collected from all around the international represents Brigid's Holy nicely, the source of healing and purification.
If you plan your personal rite, use those two effective symbols: hearth and water. For instance, wash your hands and bathe your face in salt water, that's especially properly for purification. Mild a candle as you're making your pledge. Contain the 0.33 image of the vacation — seeds — via planting a seed or bulb in a pot to symbolize your dedication, or via blessing a bowl or packet of seeds that you will plant later.
Purification and Renewal
have you ever given some thing up for Lent? If not, you might consider it. You don’t must be Catholic to advantage non secular advantages from the voluntary give up of some thing you cherish. You could surrender something frivolous or some thing critical, however it need to be some thing you will notice. Folk understanding says it takes six weeks (or approximately the 40 days of Lent) to establish a brand new addiction, so that you might also end up with a lifestyle change.
The kids in our community have eagerly embraced the concept of giving up some thing for Lent. We recognise one little lady who gave up tv for Lent and another who gave up catsup, her favored meals. Inside the final years, i have given up alcohol and espresso for Lent. Forty days is sufficient time to observe the distinction in the manner you feel without a favorite substance or distraction.
Given that Candlemas is often considered the start of spring, you could perform another ritual act of purification: spring cleansing. This would be an awesome time to do a radical house cleansing, sweeping the flooring with salt water, banishing the gloom of iciness and developing a sparkling, brilliant new setting for spring.
