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 ME
ST. 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/