Dear Friend and Reader:
Today the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Aquarius — the exact midpoint of that sign. This is called Imbolc, which means “in the belly” or “in the milk.” This acknowledges that we are at the depths of winter; though today is a holiday called Midwinter. In the Catholic tradition it’s called Candlemas — the time we take stock of how many candles are left, and if there are enough, light one in every window. (If you take part in this tradition now, please mind the curtains.)
Imbolc is one of eight turning points of the solar year; that is, the year that is based on the Sun’s apparent movement through the seasons. We are familiar with the equinoxes and solstices: the points in the year when the day is longest or shortest; and those when day and night are equal. These are considered the “major” turning points. They are when the seasons change and the Sun enters one of the cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn. They are called the quarter days because they are the points wherein we divide the year into four.
Then there are the lesser-known cross-quarter days, which are offset from the quarter days by about 46 days or 45 degrees of solar movement through the sky. They are the midpoints between the changing of the seasons, and they occur when the Sun reaches 15 degrees of the fixed signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.
Two of them have holidays we are familiar with, Halloween and Ground Hog Day. While Valentine’s Day is technically about 11 days after the cross-quarter, it’s still close enough to count. You can see that it’s a power point because Valentine’s Day seems to draw more energy every year, even though it’s a holiday that obsesses over the relatively unholy theme of romance.
Meanwhile, the cross-quarter in May is turned into a party or a ritual mainly by Pagans (it’s called Beltane, and it’s the celebration of Venus, the Goddess and the May). This would actually be a lot better time of year for Valentine’s Day. And the one in August, also known to most Pagans, is called Lammas or Lughnasadh. That is the “second planting” or “first harvest” as opposed to Sahwen (traditionally spelled samhain) or Halloween, which is the “final harvest.”