The Coming and Going of Imbolc

I've been following the Celtic holidays and have generally been remembering when they are. This year, however, I saw The Groundhog on TV and realized that I had missed Imbolc completely. The coming of another baby in our lives has consumed me, and something like Imbolc just seems a little insignificant in light of our country's financial troubles and the little one growing inside me.

But I do like the idea of Imbolc; I like that there is another holiday that blends Christian and Pagan traditions/beliefs. I like that Brigid/Bridget is both a Christian saint and a Pagan goddess of sorts. I learned here that: "Originally, her festival on February 1 was known as Imbolc or Oimelc, two names which refer to the lactation of the ewes, the flow of milk that heralds the return of the life-giving forces of spring."

I think often of the return of life-giving forces as I long for spring and detest this never-ending winter. I look forward to the arrival of our little one this summer.