Spring, a season of hope and new beginnings

Happy first day of spring! Today is meant to be the first day of a new season, but I think it's begun already. This winter has been so mild that my daffodils are already flowering:

My irises are also out, but something has eaten them. Grrr!! This pink flower has bloomed too, but I haven't got a clue what it actually is. If anyone knows, please feel free to enlighten me. 

Back in history, this day was the festival of Imbolc, a day to celebrate the turning of the seasons, but also a festival of purification or cleansing, possibly with the aim of warding off any harm that might befall ewes, lambs or milk. It celebrated the lambing season and was also a time to check the animals before they were let out after being cooped up for the winter. 

Spring ~ a season of hope and new beginnings

The Irish goddess Brigit was associated with Imbolc as she was the goddess of the dairy, so was an important deity at a time when the milk of ewes was needed. She was also goddess of ale-brewing, poetry, healing and craftworking, which I suppose is a connection to what I do, and quite relevant to me, my work and this blog.

In a rare occurrence, Brigit, who was a Tuatha De Danann, became Christianised as Saint Bridget, whose festival is also celebrated today and she retained her role of dairy protector. 

So, whether Christian or pagan, today is an important day in the year, though we have sadly lost touch with the natural world and don't celebrate the seasons as we used to. It's a time to look forward to longer days, more light and sunnier weather. I don't mind the rain as it's good for the land, but it can be depressing if it rains constantly, like it has for the last couple of months here. It's not that I don't like winter; I love seeing different seasons, different weathers. The variations in colours and light are beautiful and inspiring. The patterns of bare branches, the frost on grass...

I think the problem with January is that after the lights and colours of Christmas are taken down and put away, it seems extremely dull and dark. 

But, although nature is sleeping at this time, colour and life are there if you look for them, like many other things. There are flowers that bloom in winter ~ I have a winter jasmine ~ and others that have bronze or golden foliage to bring brightness to a cloudy day.

Then there are birds. I took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch over the weekend and saw so many feathered beauties! Among them were two robins with their flash of red on their breasts, a blue tit with yellow breast and blue cap and to top it all, fourteen starlings. That was amazing for me. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of them, but this is a picture of a chaffinch that I took as she landed on a branch:

Nature and wildlife can be so relaxing to watch. I felt better after just an hour watching these birds flitting about. When you consider yourself as part of a whole, you feel much more connected.

I think this spring, a season of hope and new beginnings, I'll have to spend at least an hour now and then just watching nature.

Sources of information :

The Celtic Myths A Guide To The Ancient Gods and Legends by Miranda Aldhouse-Green

Exploring The World Of The Druids by Miranda Aldhouse-Green