How did today become Groundhog Day? It seems to have started as an ancient European secular version of the Christian Candlemas, using a furry brown rodent as a weather forecaster. It’s never been much of a barometer in my experience; whether the animal sees the sun or not, somehow it always seems that spring is six weeks away. Which, actually, it is. It is now halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. And whether we know it or not, signs of spring are abundant, mostly unseen.
These are God’s secrets. Tiny, hairless bear cubs curl next to their mother, below ground, in a hidden den. Seeds and bulbs, beneath the icy ground, react to a huge burst of energy as they begin to stretch their way toward the light. The Celts (the Gaelic, not the basketball, variety) honored this day as Imbolg, meaning “ewe’s milk”; pregnant sheep are preparing for their lambs’ birth.
Still, if you go outside today, you will find some evidence. This morning I heard a rooster crow across a frozen field. Does he know that it is the beginning of the natural year, the Chinese Year of the Rooster? Some buds on my lilac are red, already showing signs of opening up. A hungry flock of robins just devoured all the red berries on the viburnum, tanking up, I suppose, before beginning to house hunt for the ideal branch on which to build a nest.
What is God is beginning to grow in you in this natural world’s new year? Like the seeds, the cubs and the lambs, it may not be evident for a while. Recently, I have witnessed and experienced despair and outrage, and at the same time, feel growing within me a sense of renewed purpose and a reliance on hope. Can you too nurture that? Can we, together, manifest strong, springlike energy to bring to birth the loving community and a common cause that has been in God’s heart since our beautiful world began? Will you join me?
Thank you, Polly. I look for the intensification of light.
I love the return of light in February. While it’s still cold, the sun is actually rapidly returning, noticeable almost day to day. That makes it a hopeful month here in the upper midwest. The 2nd half of February is also when I aim to start seedlings indoors for our vegetable garden, which is definitely a very hope-inspiring thing I am eagerly looking forward to!
Thanks cousin Polly for this interesting post – I had no idea that there was more to Groundhog Day than some slightly eccentric activity occurring in central Pennsylvania. I had no idea it was midway between the winter solstice and spring equinox, but it makes a little more sense to me now!
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