29? You have a lot Of Explaining to Do February

Everyone knows that every four years we add one day to February to keep our calendar days consistent.

We do.
Really.
I checked.
I Googled it.

Via Wikipedia, “February 29, also known as Leap Day is a date added to most years that are divisible by 4. A leap day is added in various solar calendars (calendars based on the Earth's rotation around the Sun), including the Gregorian calendar standard in most of the world.
In the Gregorian calendar, years that are divisible by 100, but not by 400, do not contain a leap day. Thus, 1700, 1800, and 1900 did not contain a leap day; neither will 2100, 2200, and 2300. Conversely, 1600, 2000 did and 2400 will. Years containing a leap day are called leap years. February 29 is the 60th day of the Gregorian calendar in such a year.

A leap day is observed because a complete revolution around the Sun takes approximately 6 hours longer than 365 days (8,760 hours). A leap day compensates for this lag, realigning the calendar with the Earth's position in the Solar System; otherwise, seasons would occur earlier than intended in the calendar year. Originally, the Julian calendar added a leap day every four years, but this turned out to add too many days, making the equinoxes and solstices shift gradually to earlier dates. As the shifting became noticeable (by the late 16th century the vernal equinox had drifted to March 11) the Gregorian calendar was introduced both to shift it back by omitting several days, and to reduce the number of leap years via the "century rule" to keep the equinoxes more or less fixed.”

See! I told you. Science is awesome.

But what of this magical extra day? What are we to do with ourselves?

Well, in 1892 the city of St. Petersburg, Florida was incorporated. In 1916, South Carolina raised the age for factory, mill, and mine workers from 12 to 14, same day that actress and singer Dinah Shore was born. In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Academy Award for her portrayal of Mammy in Gone with the Wind. In 1980, hockey player Gordie Howe scored his 800th goal. In 2012, singer Davy Jones from the Monkees passed away.

I know… “Hey lady, you’re a freakin witch so what is your point?”

I was getting to that.

Two things.

The first warrants of the Salem witch trials were issued on February 29, 1692. The trials continued until early 1693 and resulted in the execution of 20 people and the death of seven others in jail. So there is that. Please do not attempt to execute me.

But the other thing… Now here is something.

An old Irish tale.

Remember St. Brigid? I mentioned her at Imbolc. Well, legend has it she struck a deal with St. Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland so that on this day, Leap Day, it would be permissible to for women to propose marriage to men. Also known as Bachelor’s Day, women could initiate dances and propose marriage on this day. In some parts of the UK it is permissible for the whole Leap Year. And men who refused this proposal were obliged to buy the women an expensive gift, a silk dress or a fur coat perhaps. Although now it might be Coach Purse or a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. In some other areas of the UK if a man refused the proposal he had to buy the lady gloves. This would be to hide the shame of not being married. There were even laws governing this in the Middle Ages. It was believed to balance the traditional roles of men and women, the way Leap Day balances the calendar.

So go on ladies, get down on one knee and nab that dreamboat.

Or at least get something nice for yourself out of it.

Although in Greece it is considered unlucky to marry during a leap year, especially on a leap day. So propose and start planning that wedding for next year.

Snow People Make The Best Friends

Another full moon is upon us. Time passes way too quickly.

This full moon is called the Snow Moon or the Quickening Moon. The full moon that occurs in February is traditionally called the Snow Moon because that is the height of the winter snow season. It is also a time when we are all sick of being cooped up inside and are looking forward to Spring.

I spent my full moon with one of my closest friends. She brought her daughter and we had a fabulous tea party and chatted and laughed. For dinner we made fondue and stuffed ourselves with all kinds of goodies. Then at night we bundled up and sat around the fire in the back yard and enjoyed the night. Our girls ran around and toasted marshmallows and everyone was happy.

I don’t think you can beat that.

Love Bites

Happy Valentine’s Day!

There are a number of saints called Valentine that are honored on this day. Most likely candidate is a St. Valentine of Rome. He was said to have died mid-February A.D. 270. He was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden from marriage.

Or for ministering to Christians who were persecuted under the Roman Empire.

Or both.

Or two different people.

Even more likely…

St. Valentine’s Day was given as a way to Christianize the Middle Ages Pagan fertility festivals held all over Europe as the winter ended. Those festivals such as the Roman festival of Lupercalia.

So there is that.

Lupercalia was a very ancient pastoral festival, observed on February 13 through 15, to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. Lupercalia subsumed Februa, an earlier-origin spring cleansing ritual held on the same date, which gives the month of February (Februarius) its name.

In Roman mythology, Lupercus is a god sometimes identified as the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan. Lupercus is the god of shepherds. His festival, celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of his temple on February 15, was called the Lupercalia. His priests wore goatskins.

Historians mention an image of a god whom the Greeks call Pan and the Romans Lupercus, nude save for the girdle of goatskin, which stood in the Lupercal, the cave where Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf. There, in mid-February a goat and a dog were sacrificed, and salt mealcakes prepared by the Vestal Virgins were burnt.

The Lupercalia festival was partly in honor of Lupa, the she-wolf who suckled the infant orphans, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, explaining the name of the festival, Lupercalia, or "Wolf Festival."

And Now A Little History…

Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of a period called Lent. Not being a Christian or a Catholic, I was unaware of what the fuss was all about. However, in the course of my fabulous job, I spend time with a Catholic priest so I took some time to get to know it this year.

Lent is celebrated by Roman Catholics as well as some Protestant faiths. (Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians) It is a time of fasting and penance beginning Ash Wednesday and ending Resurrection Sunday, or Easter.

Jesus was Jewish. People of the Jewish faith regularly have periods of fasting and penance proceeding a holy time. So it must have seemed fitting that those following Jesus do the same.

It all starts on Ash Wednesday. Ashes from palm branches blessed on Palm Sunday of the previous year are used in a blessing given. Something along the lines of “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” (Bible Verse- Genesis 3:19) In English speaking countries they make the mark of the cross on one’s forehead. In other places the ashes are simply sprinkled over the head. And thus begins 40 days and 40 nights of Lent.

Wait… I know you just counted. There are 46 days between now and Easter. Apparently Sunday’s do not count.

Anyway, back to Lent.

Generally, during the period of Lent people do a lot of fasting and prayer. Luxuries are given up. Many give up meat or animal products. It helps them to be closer to Jesus as they prepare to celebrate his resurrection as their Savior.

Why 40 days? Well, it seems that 40 days and 40 nights is kind of a trend. No section in the Bible that I can find does it give instructions for Lent. However, it does say that for 40 days and 40 nights heavy rain poured down on the earth after Noah built the Ark. (Bible Verse- Genesis 7:12) Then it says that Moses went up into the fire on Mt. Sinai unharmed. And there he stayed for 40 days and 40 nights and he spoke to the Lord. (Bible Verse- Exodus 24:18) The number 40 is even significant in the fact that the Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years. (Bible Verse- Deuteronomy 8:2)

But mostly, Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert where he was tempted by the Devil. And unlike Eve (Bible Verse- Genesis 3:6), he resisted. (Bible Verse- Matthew 4:2)

So why does a witch care one bit about Lent?

Lent… shortened from an Old English word meaning “Spring Season”. It leads right up to Easter, a Pagan celebration of fertility.

In solidarity with my friend the Catholic priest, and as a way to myself become closer to my own unique spirituality, I have given up eating out at lunch time for Lent. Not only will this help heal my body, (Fast food is not great for you.) but will help me save money for my family. It will also give me more time to get things done as I won’t have to go anywhere. My husband has given up pizza for basically the same reasons. And as my friend the Muslim Imam says, God cares only for your intent.

It’s better than sacrificing a goat. And less messy.

“Every human is descended from a Pagan ancestor because the whole world was Pagan at one time.”

Just a thought....

An Evening Prayer

Thank you all for coming out tonight. I finally had a night off that we could be together.

Tonight we discussed our own unique interpretations of God and what they mean to us. We also explored the way others find their own paths. I appreciated everyone’s involvement.

We asked for blessing to come upon us. We covered our table in purple cloth to bring serenity. We honored a small piece of the Earth, tonight in the form of a rock from Yosemite along with lavender to calm and strengthen our souls. We lit a candle of white to bring to purify our home as well as our souls.

Finally, we finished with about 30 minutes of meditation.

It was a pretty successful night. I feel calmer and happier already.

I know it was short and simple, but sometimes that is just enough.

Thank you again.

Until next time…

Spring: Myth or Reality?

Forget everything Game of Thrones taught you...

Spring Is Coming!

Happy Imbolc!!

(Also Happy Groundhog’s Day if that tickles your fancy.)

There are a ton of traditions that surround this fabulous day halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Legends. Tales. I could go on.

But I won’t. I am going to Disneyland. (Hey, there are fairies there. And it’s outdoors. And, true fact, Disneyland is also a botanical garden.)

This is a time of hearth and home. This is a time for spring cleaning. Traditionally, this was the onset of the lambing season. Also, one might look for the blooming of the Blackthorn. Fires and candles will be lit to welcome the return of the sun’s warming power.

Most Gaelic observers (both Pagan and Christian/Catholic) celebrate the day as St. Brigid’s Feast. And while I am part Irish, today I will regale you with the springtime story I have believed most of my life.

It is a belief of the Greek, and of me, that the Goddess Demeter (or Ceres for you Romans), is Mother Earth. She is the Goddess of Harvest, the Goddess of Grain. She is responsible for the fertility of our soil, for the green of the grass and the red of the desert. She is a very powerful Goddess.

She has a daughter called Persephone. She is said to be so beautiful that all the Gods wanted her so Demeter hid her away. Hades, God of the Underworld, wanted her for his wife and took her into the Underworld.

Demeter was distraught and looked for her everywhere. And the Earth plunged into despair. Nothing would grow.

Finally, Hades, plagued by the inhabitants of Earth who were begging for things to grow again, said he would give her back.

But before he did, he tricked Persephone into eating some pomegranate seeds. He knew that once she tasted the fruit of the Underworld she would never be able to leave it forever; she would always have to return.

And so the tale goes:

6 months of each year poor Persephone is bound as Queen of the Underworld. The rest of the time she could return to her mother. And so each fall as Persephone returns to the Underworld, the leaves fall from the trees, plants begin dying out as the Goddess Demeter is left in despair while Her daughter is gone and each spring as She anticipates the return of Persephone the fertility of the Earth returns with her.

Welcome Back Persephone.

Until We Meet Again...