Sometime between January 31st and February 2nd, the feast of Imbolc is celebrated; I go with the earlier date personally, as I recognize February 2nd as Candlemas of the Christian liturgical calendar. Imbolc, one of the old cross-quarter days and a greater sabbat for witches, is also celebrated as the feast day of Brighid, goddess of smiths and poets and harpers still honored today as St. Brigid among the descendants of her pagan worshippers in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
It’s a holiday best celebrated at one’s own hearth, whether that be an actual fireplace, the kitchen stove, the space heater, or a candle on the coffee table. The lengthening hours of sunlight are the reminder of better times to come, and depending on where you live, the snowmelt might be nourishing little crocuses and snowdrops, their soft green shoots just coming visible within the next few weeks. Imbolc is winter’s last gasp, and while there can still be harsh weather ahead, it usually does mark a turning point. If you’ve made it this far, you can make it just a bit longer, awaiting the promise of spring.
The Serpent and the Moon 