Welcome February's energy in with open arms. February is a time of cleansing & renewal. Known as a transitional time throughout ancient cultures, February was a time of great celebration of purification & fertility.
Given its name from the Latin word meaning to purify, ancient romans spent a great deal of time during the month in prayer, cleansing themselves & their homes. February was the last month of the year, according to their calendar. They took pride in rituals & offerings to their gods & goddesses of luck, fortune, fate & fertility. Magicians, seers & oracles were honored. Respect was given to the unseen & divination was practiced. Egyptians honored their mother goddess Nut by feasting.
In Hinduism, celebrations are held honoring Shiva & his children. In buddhism, the death of the Buddha is celebrated & his attained enlightenment is honored. Many celebrations & festivals took place worldwide, in all cultures & still do, to honor the gifts & blessings that February bring.
Imbolc is the fire festival to celebrate the halfway point between the winter solstice & the vernal equinox. Honoring the celtic goddess of fertility, violets were woven & worn as crowns to connect the heaven & earth through their crown chakras.
It is common practice to "sweep the grounds" all throughout the month of February, pre-spring cleaning your home, removing unwanted items & clothing. Extra care & effort is also taken to emotionally declutter. A time to connect with the heavens & earth & renew one's self.
