Today is Sunday, day of rest, contemplation & study.
February 2, 2025 – Candlemas Day. The Ashram is filled with candles to be blessed for use in the upcoming year.
Candlemas, the cross quarter day between winter’s cold & warm spring rains.
It is also, in the Catholic Church, the Baptism of the Holy Child.
Mary & Jesus & Joseph were Jewish.
So Mary, after the birth of her son, entered the temple for a sacred bath given to all women who gave birth. The holy sacred bath is called a Mikvah.
So today is also called Purification Day.

Candlemas marks the moment in time (day) between winter solstice and spring equinox (cross-quarter day). Like a spring festival of preparation, we turn over the soil and begin to prepare it biodynamically. We sort our seeds, call forth their life-force, thus securing our future food supply. The Light is returning. We feel hope.

February 1 & 2 are St. Brigid’s Days. We bake multigrain breads, weave crosses of wheat or oat stalks. The crosses, hung in our homes, protect from fires and lightning. We make corn dollies from dried (soaked in water) corn sheaves, offering the dollies as gifts.

In the Catholic Church, Candlemas, 40 days after Christmas, marks the end of Epiphany. On this day, the holy child and Mary are presented in the Temple. Mary is bathed (Mary was purified in a ritual – a mikvah – bath of sea-salt water) and the holy child (Jesus) is recognized as the promised and long awaited one – the “Light of the world.”

We, too, bathe ourselves in salt and sea water. And become the “Light of the world” for thirsty humanity (Aquarian task).

Candlemas is a fire festival, acknowledging the Sun’s rising light creating the rising of the sap (fires) in the plant kingdom. In the Catholic churches today, beeswax candles are blessed to be used throughout the year for light & protection. These rituals anchor into our little world the Light of Life. They connect us to the Earth and to the heavens. We come into balance on this cross-quarter day. We prepare through knowledge.

Candlemas Day, Baptism by water day. Purification Day.
The blessing of the candles day.
It’s also the Celtic Imbolc & groundhog day.
Aries moon today – Aquarius Sun – fire & air today.

February 2nd each year is a multi-festival day. The day our Christmas trees become Valentine’s trees.
And the question today – will winter last?

Tomorrow, a study of the true prez chart.
So we may have a deeper understanding of the man, his leadership & his purpose. Knowledge & understanding unfolds Love. Risa

as the Holy Child is Presented in the Temple.
First Sorrow:
The Prophecy of Simeon
From the Gospel according to St. Luke:

When the days were completed after the birth of Jesus it was time for Baptism & for Mary’s sacred bath of purification according to the Law of Moses. And so they took the holy child up to Jerusalem to present Him in the Temple. And there was a holy man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was devout, awaiting the prophecy to be revealed (the consolation of Israel which the people did not accept), and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the prophecy fulfilled & see the Messiah of the Lord.