Goddesses in the Dust: Groundhog Day or Candlemas?

An archaeologist unearths the divine feminine, one archetype at a time...

February 2nd has traditionally been known as Groundhog Day - the day we see if winter will continue for 6 more weeks or if spring is around the corner, ludicrously determined by whether a rodent sees his shadow or not. But February 2nd is also known as Imbolc, the Celtic holiday of Candlemas, which also celebrates the first signs of spring.

Known as Brigid's Day, this represents the Triple Goddess, who is changing from the Crone to the Maiden. At the time when it seems winter might never end, this is when the earth shifts and warms, getting ready for the first shoots of spring to begin pushing out under the frost. So even though spring still seems far away, Brigid as the Triple Goddess reminds us that the rumblings beneath the soil and the germination of plants are occurring now, beneath our feet.