Imbolc is one of the cross-quarter days, falling on 1-2 February, half way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The Celtic-origin word means 'in the belly' or 'in the womb'. It is the time of pregnant ewes, new lambs, beginning on new life, the start of spring. But beyond this, the time has gathered a mixture of symbols and meanings around it. In the Celtic tradition it is the day of Brigid, the pagan goddess, and she got assimilated by Christianity into St Bridget (1st Feb), whose day it also is. It is also known as Candlemas, a time of purification - why? Because it is 40 days after December 25th, 40 days being the time when Leviticus tells us that a Jewish woman who has given birth to a baby boy must be 'purified'. And so in the Christian tradition it is also celebrated as the day when Jesus as a baby is presented at the temple in Jerusalem.
So we can see that it's a time of complex resonances. And this year, 2021; just here, in the English Midlands? A time of soggy, dull, grey winter; cold and dank. A few early spring flowers struggling to break through. Mid-Covid-lockdown (again), but with the roll-out of vaccinations to older people proceeding apace, offering some shreds of hope.
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