Bring out yer candles, it's Imbolc!

Imbolc (2 February) is a Neopagan holiday that celebrates the coming of spring. While we might not be able to see it yet, nature is slowly starting to come back to life after the long hiatus of winter.

This very much depends on where in the world you are, of course. In Sweden, the ground will probably still be fairly frozen, at least if you're in the northern half. South - meh, your mileage may vary. In Britain, we've got little green things starting to poke out of the soil already. Worth bearing in mind that Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern Paganism - or rather the founder of Wicca specifically, was British.

If you're a Pagan in the southern hemisphere, I suppose you've got Lammas or Lughnasadh instead now, while we have to wait until August. Speaking of southern hemisphere - Australians, my thoughts are with you. First, the floods, now a ginormous cyclone headed straight for Queensland. Look after yourselves and stay safe!

Like I said when posting about Yule, I'm rather rusty when it comes to the ins and outs of the holiday celebrations. Maybe I should re-visit some of those books I've got on the subject, as I do rather like the Pagan holidays. :) Imbolc is the feast of the Celtic goddess Brigid, and she is connected with poets and poetry, so today is a good day to write one. I don't really do poetry. Don't write it, don't read it, don't really like it. Aside from this sort of thing:

Oh freddled gruntbuggly, thy micturations are to me
As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee.
Groop I implore thee, my foonting turlingdromes.
And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles,
Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my blurglecruncheon
See if I don't!
(Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Vogon Constructor Fleet a.k.a. Douglas Adams, from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

Another thing about Imbolc - candlemass - is to light candles. Plenty of them. Just make sure you have them under supervision, because unsupervised fire means things can go really wrong. :( I like to use candles, regardless of what date it is, because it gives a nice and cozy feel to any occasion. Some candles, a good book and a nice cuppa tea or hot chocolate, and you're sorted. The sun is returning to the northern hemisphere, spring is coming ... for every day that passes, we're getting more and more daylight, and I can't wait until we turn the clocks forward to British Summer Time again!