Posted in Holidays, writing

Welcome Spring

Posted on by D. D. Syrdal

Plum Blossom spring

Click on the pic for a little card.

Some of you folks have had a brutal winter, and you may be feeling like Mother Nature let the clock wind down in your neck of the woods, coming to a dead stop in the middle of winter.

But fear not! The wheel of the year continues to turn, and Mother Nature’s just taking a well-deserved nap. Everyone needs their beauty sleep, after all, putting a blush back in the old girl’s cheek when she rises rested and refreshed.

This weekend, January 31, is Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. 2014 is 4712 on the Chinese calendar, and the Year of the Horse. From Infoplease.com:

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality. Those born in horse years are cheerful, skillful with money, perceptive, witty, talented and good with their hands. Rembrandt, Harrison Ford, Aretha Franklin, Chopin, Sandra Day O’Connor, and President Theodore Roosevelt were born in the year of the horse.

I’m a rat, but we don’t need to go there now.

This weekend, February 2, is also a holiday for the pagan community. Variously known as Bride, or Bride’s Day (pronounced Breed, who came to be known as St. Brigid), Oimelc, Imbolg, Candlemas. This is when lambs are born (hence the name Oimelc, meaning “ewe’s milk” or “in milk”). It’s the first major Sabbat of the year for Wiccans and some pagan traditions.

the-goddess-brigidClick on the pic for more info

So Blessed Bride, Happy Spring, Happy New Year, Kung Hei Fat Choy. Have courage, spring is coming.

Author:

Writer of vampire stories and science fiction. First novel, "Revenants Abroad", available now at Amazon. If you like a vampire you can go out drinking with and still respect yourself in the morning, I think you'd like Andrej.

13 thoughts on “Welcome Spring”

  1. Looking at your photos and reading your post made me relax. In Germany it feels like a mixture of Spring and Fall intertwining with each other then a cold chill of a breeze blowing for us not to forget it is winter. My happiness and joy of no snow will come to an end soon I heard on the news as I patiently wait and hope they are wrong, lol, I am going to go nuts! I can’t drive in snow. I have a fear of driving in it:( On a good note typically I don’t like rats, but your the first rat I took a shine to:) I might see rats now in a different light.

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    1. Hehehehe 😉 In Chinese astrology, rats are viewed quite differently from here in the West.

      http://www.astrology.com/chinese-animal-sign-rat/2-d-d-58142

      They kind of sound like the sun sign Leo: talkative, lots of acquaintances, likes to go to parties. I’m such an atypical Leo. I’m more like my rising sign, Scorpio.

      I sure hope the snow doesn’t amount to much. If you have to drive in it, go slow, no jamming on the breaks, and if it’s really slick,downshift the car (even an automatic transmission) to second, or even first gear if it’s really bad. And watch out for the bozos in the SUVs who think 4WD means 4-wheel-stop. It doesn’t. Four wheels will skid and slide just as nicely as 2.

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      1. I read the link and was laughing my butt off. Yes it is very different from the West. But it is funny it as some similarity to people who they cal a dirty rate. Similarity like trait like, nice read for a Monday, thank you. Also thank you for the tips. I will try to remember and drive slowly ofcourse. Here they don’t have too many big cars unless it are the American army people who ship their cars over here, but never the less everyone drive here like they are professional meaning crazy, lol. I think I might cut down on some of my shoot and pray Feb come and goes quick. Enjoy your week and keep warm!

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    1. Oh no!! lol, sorry to hear that. I guess in your neck of the woods it’ll be a little longer! I hope it’s not too much more snow? Oddly some of our worst snows have come late in the season, like now. So far we’re just expecting rain, though, which we really need.

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  4. It’s been so cold in New York…yesterday we had a little break…Mother Nature awakened long enough to bring the temperature up from 9 to 35. Talk about relief. I like what you wrote about the attributes of a horse since I am one…

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