Tracker of Plants

I grew up in Pennsylvania less than two hours from the hometown of world-famous divinatory groundhog Punxsutawney Phil. Yet I did not know until today the true origins of Groundhog’s Day. Each year Groundhog’s Day falls near the pagan holiday of Imbolc. This is traditionally a time of weather divination with the precursors to groundhogs (an American mammal) being serpents, badgers, and possibly sacred bears.

Imbolc is what is known as a cross-quarter holiday on the Celtic calendar falling approximately halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Most of us feel that by the first official day of winter, winter has already begun, and wouldn’t it make since that the longest day of the year fall in the middle of summer, not the beginning? Cross-quarter holidays (actual celebration dates differ by tradition) offer a more intuitive alternative to our contemporary seasons:

• Imbolc (February 1st) Groundhog’s Day
• Spring Equinox (March 20th or 21th) Easter
• Beltane (May 1st) May Day
• Summer Solstice, (June 20th or 21st)
• Lughnasadh (August 1st)
• Fall Equinox (September 22nd or 23rd)
• Samhain (November 1st) Halloween
• Winter Solstice (December 21st or 22nd) Christmas

According to a newsletter I received from Red Moon Herbs,”The word Imbolc comes from the Celtic peoples and derives from a word meaning “in the belly” which refers to the pregnancy of ewes of ewe’s milk. Sheep are bred once the weather turns cold for lambing sometime around Imbolc…With Imbolc we have awareness of the return of spring, which to our ancestors meant relief from cold and the dwindling resources of food and fuel. With the end of winter in sight, this is a time to celebrate using candles and ritual fires to symbolize the return of the sun, warmth, and light.”

Lest you think such things are no longer relevant, with perfect timing this baby goat was just born at the TrackersNW homestead: