The Beginning of Spring
Candlemas” is the Christianized name for the holiday, of
course. The older Pagan names were Imbolc and Oimelc.
Imbolc means, literally, “in the belly” (of the Mother). For in
the womb of Mother Earth, hidden from our mundane sight
but sensed by a keener vision, there are stirrings. The seed that
was planted in her womb at the solstice is quickening and the
new year grows. Oimelc means “milk of ewes”, for it is also
lambing season.
The holiday is also called “Brigit’s Day”, in honor of the
great Irish Goddess Brigit.
At her shrine, the ancient Irish capitol
of Kildare, a group of nineteen priestesses (no men allowed)
kept a perpetual flame burning in her honor. She was considered
a Goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry, and healing
(especially the healing touch of midwifery). This tripartite
symbolism was occasionally expressed by saying that Brigit had
two sisters, also named Brigit. (Incidentally, another form of
the name Brigit is Bride, and it is thus she bestows her special
patronage on any woman about to be married or handfasted,
the woman being called “bride” in her honor.) Cill Dara ("Kildare", the temple of the oak), a pagan sanctuary built from the wood of the tree sacred to the Druids.
TAKE THE JOURNEY WITH MEST. BRIGID'S FIRE
THE HISTORIC BEGINNINGS
MY FIRE QUEST JOURNEY SOURCE OF JAZZ FROM IRELAND
fyi:
Candlemas and Groundhog Day
And if you think of the French Chandeleur (it was on February 2nd), implying the idea of light and candle (chandelle), you find the same idea in Candlemas, the festival of lights and the last day to take down the Christmas decorations
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/candlemas.shtml
but the saying predicting the weather is the same as for Groundhog Day (where they replace the fact of seeing the shadow of a candle by a groundhog seeing its shadow).
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/ground.htm
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/themes/groundhogday.htm
Phil's prediction for 2008
Yesterday, Phil, the official Groundhog in Punxsutawney, saw its shadow and predicted another six weeks of cold weather. See:
http://www.groundhog.org/