Anthesteria 2024

Today, February 4th, is the cross-quarter day between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. This annual festival is known by some spiritual paths as Candlemass or Imbolc, Oimelc or Brigid’s Day. In my practice, this is the Anthesteria, or Festival of Flowers, and it is linked to the awakening of Dionysos and the onset of Spring.

Yes, yes, I know. The secular calendar and your local meteorologist take great pains to state that Spring occurs roughly 6 weeks from now on the Vernal Equinox, which falls on or about March 21st. But for someone who lives in the country and who grew up on a farm, and who is also an engineer who has some inkling about thermodynamics and lag-lead temperature control of systems, I know that the earth is warming, and that the trees and shrubs are already beginning to bud out now. The crocuses, and windflowers, and snowdrops are blooming, with witch hazel soon to follow.

To me, it’s fairly obvious that this isn’t mid-Winter. Thus, I treat the Vernal Equinox as mid-Spring, just as William Shakespeare treated the Summer Solstice as “Midsummer” replete with dreams of the fae. And I’m not the only one who thinks so, as this article from Ireland demonstrates. Today I burned the greens that have decorated my front doors since mid-Winter (the Winter Solstice).

As I begin to clean out my raised beds and ready them for their first plantings, I’ll use these ashes to fertilize the soil of those beds.

Last night I gathered with friends to celebrate the end of Winter. Yeah, we still had a roaring fire going. But, hey, we’ll have fires going throughout the summer, too. Fire speaks to the primal core of our being. If it’s dark out, it’s a great time for a fire. And stories. And drink.

Speaking of drink, Hendrick’s has come out with a new floral gin just in time for the Anthesteria – Grand Cabaret. We tried a Grand Cabaret Royale as described on the back of the bottle, substituting cranberry/pomegranate juice for straight cranberry, and club soda for sparkling wine.

It was delightful, as was the company. I hope that you begin to awaken and bloom as the darkness of winter slowly fades into the past.

— Να εχεις μια ωραια μερα. —