Recently, I have been reporting on my news site some disturbing events in my tiny Midwestern city. Our local council, who were annoyed by people spreading rumors, adopted the following resolution:
"Motion to allow City Attorney ___ to file charges with the court against all parties involved in statements that have caused harm to the city."

Anyone who knows anything about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the First Amendment will see a problem with this resolution. The attorney later quantified the resolution to say that it actually meant statements that were "untrue" and "defaming".  But that is NOT what it actually says. As worded, the resolution could mean complaints about blight, calling the police to report a crime, criticism of government, funny parodies of city officials, NEWS ARTICLES, or ANY statement which the council and the attorney deem harmful. What matters is WHAT is WRITTEN, because that is what passes into LAW.

The same thing must be considered when doing acts of MAGICK.

When speaking your will into manifestation, choose your words carefully. Think it over. Write them down. Practice them to yourself silently, before enacting a rite to bring them into being. Ensure that your word is truly expressing your will. 

For example, say you do a rite to increase your abundance. Do you want an abundance of kittens, an abundance of weeds in your yard, or an abundance of money? How do you want your abundance to manifest? Do you want a beloved relative to die and leave you their life insurance? Do you want to be injured and collect a settlement, yet be disabled for the rest of your life? Or do you want your hard work and good ideas to pay off?

Be very cautious in uttering words of power. You wish to manifest your desires in ways that are beneficial, specific, and positive. Boed Felli / So Be It!

Just a friendly reminder, WitchCon Online is coming up THIS weekend. My class is Saturday at 11:30 Eastern Daylight time. It is geared for those brand-new to the Craft. Other classes are for everyone from beginners to initiates to those who've practiced for many years. There are over 100 presenters, including very famous authors and teachers: Maxine Sanders, Laurie Cabot, Silver Ravenwolf, Priestess Miriam, Oberon Zell, David Shi, Z Budapest, and many more. The presenters represent traditions from around the world: Bulgaria, the UK, Australia, Brazil, Korea, African-American Hoodoo and Voudoun, and so many more. WitchCon only costs $100 and you can watch ALL the videos, including those from previous years, forever afterward. There are also vendors, a drumming circle / concert, and opening and closing rituals. Please join us!

Many common Imbolc and Candlemas rites have to do with counting the days until Springtime. Of course, it's six more weeks until the Spring Equinox, no matter what.

Phil The Groundhog saw his shadow in Punxsutawney, PA, meaning six more weeks of winter weather. Yet Woody from Michigan did NOT see her shadow, predicting an early spring. Good news, since we sometimes get slammed with snow as late as April 29. In Medieval England, it was a badger who predicted the weather.  This tradition may have come from the Teutonic countries, brought to the USA by German immigrants.

In Ireland, the Cailleach Buehr (old woman of Winter) used the hours of sunshine to gather more firewood to burn during a long winter season. If it was cloudy on Brigid's Day, the Cailleach would sleep in, ensuring that spring would arrive earlier. The Cailleach may be the flip-side of the Goddess Bridget, in her Crone aspect. 

Christian traditions replaced some of this Pagany stuff with their own rites, including burning candles for various spiritual reasons. Yet candles were also used for lighting the home during the long winter evenings. For the first time since Halloween (in the Eastern Daylight time zone) the sun sets AFTER 6PM. The period of daylight will lengthen until the Summer Solstice. There is a little verse about it: "After the time of Candlemas Day, goodfolk put your candles away."

In Cymru / Wales, Imbolc wasn't widely celebrated, prolly because the sheep were busy lambing, and the people were outside helping them at 3:00 AM. Instead, Catholics celebrated Gwyl Fair y Canwhyllau, pretty much the same as Candlemas, in which candles were blessed in church for the year. Yet there are plenty of Pagan overtones: divination, processions, candle-lit vigils, wassailing, and Mari Lwyds. If sunlight shown through the window, there would be a good harvest in autumn. You can read an article (in English) on Nation Cymru here: https://nation.cymru/feature/gwyl-fair-y-canhwyllau-marked-across-wales-today/
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One of the symbols of approaching springtime is the snowdrop, the first flower to emerge in spring, often poking through the snow. The ones in my yard have yet to come up, since we still have a foot of packed, frozen snow covering them. In fact, the snowdrops might wait 'til March.