Candlemas and Imbolc
Maya Lock
At the start of February, the farm team celebrated Imbolc by observing Candlemas. Imbolc falls about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and is a celebration of the light coming back and the approach of spring. Candlemas is where an 'Earth candle' is lit. It is made from saving the ends of burned candles from over Christmas, melting them together and pouring the wax into a small hole in the ground with a wick in. We do this in Home Field, and it offers an opportunity for us to gather and let go of the past and look towards the future. We speak about our wishes for the coming year and its seasons. I asked for good weather!
There was a stunning sunset on the day. The weather on Imbolc itself has traditionally been seen as symbolic. In Celtic cultures, good weather was taken to mean we might have a wait until winter is over as the Cailleach (‘old woman / divine hag’ in Gaelic) has made the weather good on that day so she can collect more firewood as her winter fires will need to be lit for longer.
This picture was taken on Imbolc and is of one of our newest members of the milking herd, Calamari. The light was reflecting off the farmhouse and onto her udder. Less than a week later she calved. We have christened her new calf Squid.
