Wake up sleepy

I've been quietly busy taking some online course to support my Waldorf teacher training and development as a human and this surprised me this morning as I was studying. A glimpse into the universe through this woman's experience mirrors so many ideas of others that came before her including Rudolf Steiner. Worth sharing, get a tissue.

It's about 18 mins long but worth watching I promise....a wake up to the 'reality' of life.

Weather anyone?

Not if Groundhog Phil is on the nose this year it seems with the prediction of an early Spring around the corner, maybe more of an up and down a few blocks and a train ride away?! With horrendous storms brewing and colder weather snaps all over the US, one can only presume Phil had a snifter before popping out? Even here in sunny California, where truly we cannot complain about any smattering of awful weather that may flounce around for a few days, I've even had to wheel the old radiator out in the evening, gather my bedsocks and nightcap, and wish we had an open fireplace and some actual reason for doing all this!!

Of course I'm going to talk about the weather today of all days because it's always polite and easy to start a conversation this way, but more importantly today is the festival of Candlemas, also known as Imbolc. The ancient Celtic goddess Brigid was honored on this day, and even after she was absorbed into the Church as St. Brigid, celebrations for her changed very little from their Pagan roots.

The name "Imbolc" has it’s name derived from the Gaelic “oimele” which means “ewes milk.” This major Sabbat lies opposite Lammas, and represents the very beginning of spring. This festival is for the Maiden, her renewal and has strong roots with the festivals for the Irish goddess Brigid. The name “Candlemas” is from the adaptations of rites for the Virgin Mary that the European churches held at the same time of year.

I didn't check but I also think it's the exact halfway point in the year between the Winter solstice and the Spring Equinox, making it one of the four cross-quarter days. Special, right?