If Candlemas be bright and fair
Winter will have another year
But if it be dark with clouds and rain
Winter is gone and will not come again.
TRADITIONAL
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Yes, I realize it seems strange that I enjoy the traditions of what we modernly know to be Groundhog’s Day. But, I was transplanted to California after spending my first 27 years waiting for Punxsutawney Phil to make his forecast each year. In Pennsylvania, Phil is Word.
The truth is, Spring comes to all of us; it even comes to those of us living in southern California. It’s arrival may be a little quieter here, or more likely to go unnoticed by those who do not pay attention to such things. But, it is every bit as magickal. Every year, everywhere, around the beginning of February, we begin to see the promise of fertility, new life and new hope, and gather to celebrate the reawakening of Earth.
This year, my garden has lived up to this promise in a big way. The birds are busily building nests and the orange tree is bursting with its fragrant blossoms. My winter crops are thriving from the winter rains, which also blessed us with mounds and mounds of one of our favorite lovable lawn “weeds”, wood sorrel. It is especially fond of the cool, moist earth under our 30-foot pepper tree, which I have long suspected is a favorite gathering site of the fae. In Wales, the delicate flowers of the wood sorrel are called “fairy bells”, as they are thought to summon the fairies to their moonlight revels.
Both the leaves and flowers of wood sorrel are edible. A member of the oxalis family, it is high in Vitamin C and has a fresh, lemony taste. Butterflies love it, too! It can be eaten raw or cooked, or it can be made into a tea or a tincture. Wood sorrel is good for stopping bleeding, cooling fevers and soothing the stomach. It is a mild diuretic and can induce appetite in those who are sick. It can be used in a poultice to reduce swelling.
The small, heart-shaped “folded” leaves, which grow in groups of 3, are sacred to the triple Goddess. Like many herbs with healing properties, it is used in healing magick. The dried leaf can bring luck, protect the heart from emotional disease, and enable one to see fairies. Fresh sorrel, hung in the sickroom, can bring health and healing.
When Spring does come to your own garden, don’t let its arrival go unnoticed. It is not a date on the calendar, but rather a gradual transformation that unfolds like a well-composed symphony; the more you stop to listen, the more you will hear. Take a few moments, each day, to discover the gifts left for you by the Goddess. You will be amazed at what you find.
I wish you blessings.