That Time o' Year

February seems to invoke different reactions in different people. For some it's Groundhog Day and a time to think on the end of Winter. For others it's Candlemas, for still others it's Imbolc, both celebrations with a focus on Winter's waning and Spring's stirring. Others think of Valentine's Day - to the lonelier folk it's Corporate Love Day - a celebration of love (or, to the embittered, a reminder of heartache). That's the most common one I find. For a few select World of Warcraft players, it's the week of "Love Is In The Air", and for a few weekend warriors (or folks in desperate need of a vacation) it's the month with all those Presidential birthdays in it.

To me, it's that cold dark month with a few more causes for being happy than January, which always strikes me as the loneliest and darkest month. I mean, January is the month a lot of folks rip down their decorations and turn off their twinkling lights, tossing dried and dead trees to the curb and basically bending their will toward going back to work post-hangover from all the holiday cheer and New Year celebrations. It is incredibly dark, due to the recent passing of the Winter Solstice, and cold... and more grey and hollow for all the lack of holiday spirit that keeps so many people afloat. No bright ribbons or gaily adorned wreathes. No reminders for parties or Salvation Army drives. No Santas, no sugar cookies, no lit reindeer on front lawns. Cold. Dark. Absent.

So February - while still chilly and grey - seems so much brighter for all the boxes of candies with crinkling pink and red crepe paper held by glass-eyed plushies. The little hearts and balloons do much to chase the chill away, the flowers in pots or in damp buckets neatly arranged just so warm the heart and thaw out the smiles. Granted, to me it's mainly an excuse to cuddle plush kitties and scarf down more chocolate than is really healthy, inhaling deeply of freshly cut roses, for while I don't feel a need or desire to revel in the holiday itself, I don't mind taking in the sights and smells (and tastes) while they're available.

But more than that, February is the month of Pantheacon, a once-a-year event dedicated to the exploration, refinement, and practice of alternative spiritualities. This year we have a fair representation from ancient Hebrew culture, covering some of their more in-depth astrology as well as some of their philosophical points. The theme is "Back to Basics", something that everyone could benefit by covering every now and again, with several classes ending in "101". Not least among these being Psychic Self Defense, a class I took last year with surprising and profound results. As with the convention every year, there are a few classes and workshops I have no interest in, some that are just plain silly, and some bordering on the creepily weird. But a good number of these classes are useful and insightful, providing perspectives on multiple spiritual paths.

So I am looking forward to this weekend. I will have to pack, and take many warm clothes, as being somewhat northward from here it will be chilly. Fortunately, unlike last year, it shouldn't be a torrential downpour, just a threat of a little rain on Friday. I feel hopeful about this trip, which is my Valentine's Day present... and I plan to make the most of it. I will be busy from early morning to late night four four days, studying and learning. It will be a good weekend.