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Todi Neesh Zhee Singers[/caption]
* 1/26 to 2/3: Navajo Sing. Festival in preparation for the coming agricultural season; celebrated with prayer, chanting, dancing, and healing.
* 1/31 eve to 2/2 eve: Imbolc/St. Brigid's Day. * 1/31 eve to 2/3 eve: Mid-Winter/Groundhog's Day/Candlemas.
* 2/1 to 2/14: Old Greek festival of God Dionysos, in which vines were pruned and sprinkled with wine, accompanied by ritual singing and dancing. * 2/1 to 2/28: February dedicated to Old Roman God-Goddess Februus-Februa - purifier and protector of the home. Homes were cleaned and blessed, offerings of reparation were given, and peace was made.
* 2/2: Mindfulness Day--Zen Buddhist day for being mindful that you, and all that is, are in the process of transformation. * 2/2: World Wetlands Day--Day to celebrate the complex living community of water, plants, fish, birds, and mammals that live in wetlands world-wide. * 2/2: Death day of Marija Gimbutas (1994), archeologist who studied Old European Goddess-God spirituality.
* 2/6 to 2/12 (OC 3/9 to 3/15): Carnival/Meat Fare--Christian time of feasting, dancing, and revelry.
* 2/10 (2:20 a.m. EST): New Moon. * 2/10: Sojong Day--Tibetan Buddhist day of fasting, confession, and reparation for harm done. * 2/10 to 2/13: Hsih Nien/Suhl/Tet--Chinese and East Asian Lunar New Year (Year 4711: the Snake). * 2/10 eve to 2/13 eve: Old European Lunar New Year--Celebration of the Triple Goddess (Goddess of the Moon and the Seasons) being transformed from the Crone into the Virgin; celebrated with ritual bathing of divine images.
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Our Lady of Lourdes[/caption]
* 2/11: First appearance of Our Lady of Lourdes, Lady of healing waters (France 1858). * 2/11 to 2/25: Losar/Tibetan Buddhist New Year (Year 2140: the Water Snake) & Monlam Chenmo/Great Prayer Festival--Commemorates miracles performed by the Buddha. Rituals, dances, and sculptures are offered to drive out evil spirits and to protect and benefit all sentient beings.
* 2/12: Birthday of Charles Darwin (1809), biologist and evolutionary; day to meditate on the unity of science and spirituality.
* 2/13 to 2/15: Lupercalia/St. Valentine's Day--Old Roman festival of God-Goddess Faunus-Fauna; merged with the Christian feast of St. Valentine - celebrating love of all kinds. * 2/13 to 3/28 (OC 3/18 to 4/27): Ash Wednesday (fast day) and Lent--Christian time of purification by self-reflection, peace-making, reparation for harm done, and helping those in need.
* 2/14 to 2/22: Iroquois Mid-Winter Ceremony--for continuation of all life-sustaining things. Iroquois believe Awenhai/Sky Woman created the Sun, Moon, and Stars from Her body.
* 2/15: Sarasvati Puja--Hindu festival honoring Goddess Sarasvati, who represents wisdom, intellect, and knowledge, as well as inspiration, arts, and music. Hindus believe all Gods and Goddesses are aspects of the one Great God-Goddess Maha Deva-Maha Devi. * 2/15 eve to 2/16 eve: Feast of Old Greek Goddess Artemis - as creatrix, midwife of birthing creatures, protector of the young, and punisher of child abusers.
* 2/17: Toshigoi--Shinto rite honoring the Kami and offering prayers for a bountiful rice harvest. The Kami are manifestations of the one universal, primordial and eternal, immanent and transcendent Deity, Kuni-Tokotachi-no-Kami. Shinto try to live in harmony with the cosmic forces of the Kami.
* 2/17 to 2/18: Old Egyptian festival of Neteret Bastet, Cat Goddess who fosters domestic harmony. Her image was transported outside the temple on a bark.
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Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa[/caption]
* 2/18: Birthday of Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836), Hindu mystic who fervently loved Great Goddess Maha Devi - Mother of God, Mother of Nature, Elemental Matter, and Cosmic Power. He recognized Her immanence in all, and knew Her to be a manifestation of the one universal Deity. * 2/19: Beginning of Pisces (the Fishes)
* 2/20 eve to 2/23 eve: Anthesteria--Old Greek festival honoring Dionysos as Plouton, God of the Dead, and welcoming the visiting dead from Elysium. * 2/20 eve to 2/24 eve: Jewish fast of Esther, Shabbat, and fest of Purim--Recalls a planned massacre of Persian Jews and their deliverance by Queen Esther; time for helping those in need. * 2/22: Caristia--Old Roman festival for renewing family ties and patching up quarrels.
* 2/25 (3:26 p.m. EST): Full Moon (Leaf/Seedling Moon). * 2/25 to 3/5: Navajo Sing--Festival in which fields are blessed in preparation for planting. Navajos believe Estsanatlehi/Changing Woman wields the power to constantly create and change the world.
* 2/28: Old Slavic Velja Noc--Spirits of the dead visit their living relatives, overseen by Veles, Lord of the Dead. Morana and Jarilo are born of Solntse (Goddess of the Sun) and Perun (God of the Sky). Veles steals Jarilo and raises him in Virey, realm of the dead.
Excerpted fromTHE MYSTIC'S WHEEL OF THE YEAR 2013A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality© 2012 Marija Miovskiwww.WheeloftheYear.com
