I have been researching the association between Imbolc and Groundhog's Day. I have found some interesting correlations I thought you might like to know.
Imbolc is a pagan fire festival associated with the coming of Spring and weather divination. It is the celebration of renewal and growth. With Spring comes the arrival of new plants and animals. Also, comes the uplifting of spirits and a return to the outdoors as the sun's light is more abundant and produces the needed heat to warm the Earth. Imbolc marks the midpoint in the dark part of the year.
During Imbolc, it has been said that Brigid's snakes would burst from her belly to predict the coming weather. In early times, a hedgehog was the animal of choice in weather divination and here in North America it is the well known groundhog.
I like to think of Imbolc as the perfect time to make life changes. With sweeping out the old and welcoming the new, I like to open my heart to the endless possibilities that lie ahead. I use this time to meditate on the direction my life is headed and choose a path in which to travel. This is the time of year I ready myself for Spring in all its magical glory.
Sources: Suite101
Isn't if fun to see how most holidays/beliefs and things of the sort have the same foundation? If most people took this into consideration, maybe we would be doing better as a society.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, hun!