Imbolc: A Groundhog Awakes!

by Andy

editorial

Snow (or endless rain, in the case of the Pacific Northwest) blankets the land. People gather in warm houses and wait for the sun to return. The question of when the sun will actually come back is of great interest. On Imbolc, people turn to oracles to figure out the answer. Traditionally, if it was sunny out on Imbolc, the people believed that the winter would last for another 6 weeks. If it was cloudy, the spring would start early. It is from this belief that we get Groundhog Day. If the day is sunny then everything will throw sharp shadows. The groundhog will see his or her shadow and hide in his or her burrow, and winter will drag on. On a cloudy day, there are hardly any shadows since the light is so diffuse. No shadows, no groundhog scared by his or her shadow, spring comes early.

"Why a groundhog?", you might ask. Well, what is 6 weeks after Imbolc? Eostar! Like the bunny from which we get the Eostar/Easter bunny, the groundhog is a symbol of the goddess Eostara. If the groundhog stays out, Eostara stays out. Since She is the spring, spring comes early. If the groundhog and Eostara go away so does any hope of early spring.

Imbolc is also known as Brigid, the sacred time of the goddess Brigid, and Candlemas, the sacred day of St. Brigid who was the christianized from of the goddess. Candlemas was and still is celebrated with lots of candles and, often, candle-making. Candles provide light and heat and fire. A sacred candle is basically an altar that is devoted to fire. Fire represents the sun (and Brigid and St. Brigid are both fire types) and the sun is what the people want so candles it is.

This issue of Widdershins is dedicated to fire. Fire lights our way through the dark winter and now is the time to celebrate it. And celebrate it you must. Fire is a capricious element. If it is not treated properly, it will not treat you properly. That is why so many trickster gods are associated with fire. Take Loki for instance. He was the only one of the Norse gods with more than half a brain. ("Thor take Hammer. Thor smash!") He was the one who made all the cool Norse stuff and He was the one taught the secrets of the gods to men. On the other hand, He was a psycho who destroyed the world while riding in a boat made from the toenails of dead people. That is how fire is. It is the good, warming, useful hearthfire AND it is the fire that burns your house down killing your wife and children. Respect the fire...

This issue of Widdershins is the start of a series based on the elements. The themes of the next 3 issues will be, of course, water, air, and earth, not necessarily in that order. Submissions (to the address in the Raven's Call) are always welcome. Each issue also has a secondary theme of the holiday in question.

May You Burn More Brightly!

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