February Lore
The Flowers of February are said to be the Primrose, Iris, and the Violet. Whether they are your “birth” flowers or not, these colorful flowers are sure to lift your spirits.
Primrose
With Valentine’s Day at the forefront of everyone’s mind in February, it may come as a surprise that the red rose is not February’s birth month flower. Instead, those born in the second month of the year are linked to the primrose.
The Primrose flower symbolizes patience, kindness and gentleness. The Primrose also brings the meaning of belonging, and nurturing. Primrose is used magically as a symbol to meditate upon to draw protection and love, Oil of primrose has been used to cleanse and purify in the Druidic tradition. This wildflower is also used to symbolize the beloved guest.
If you grow primroses in your garden, take very good care of them. Unhealthy primroses upset the fairies and it is not recommended to have cross fairies. If kept indoors, Primroses are said to bring sickness and sorrow, perhaps this is because they generally do not grow well indoors and upset the fairies.
Though primroses are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses — and may cause vomiting if ingested — primroses are edible for humans. Leaves and flowers may be eaten raw or cooked, used as a herb, or as a garnish. The flowers can be used to make wine and syrup.
An old gypsy cure for skin complaints on the face: take three primrose leaves and boil them in a pint of water, drink the water.
Iris
The February birth flower is the iris. The warm, deep color of the iris is a harbinger of the luxuries of spring, as we know February has long been a month known for romance and love. The iris comes in a few colors including cool blue and snowy white, remembrances of winter.
The iris flower meanings are faith, wisdom, and hope.
There are hundreds of species of the February birth flower, the iris. The iris is a perennial herb. An iris can be grown from a creeping rhizomes or a bulb. The bulb is usually used in drier climates. The iris has been valued since ancient times. There is a flower on the sphinx in Egypt believed to be an iris. Another iris appears on a bas-relief from the 28th Egyptian Dynasty.
In ancient times iris roots were used in perfume and medicine. The fleur-de-lis is a stylized iris, which was used much in heraldry. The February birth flower, iris, is Greek for “rainbow”.
Violets
Not many flowers bloom in February, however, the tiny woodland plants of February brighten the landscape like purple, colorful slippers. Wild violets show off their purple-blue petals and heart-shaped leaves in the coldest months!
The violet has been thought to symbolize modesty, faithfulness, everlasting love, innocence, remembrance. The Ancient Greeks considered the violet a symbol of fertility and love, using it in love potions.
Both Greeks and Romans used the flower for things like herbal remedies, wine, funeral decorations, and to sweeten food. Persians used violets as a calming agent against anger and headaches.
In the Middle Ages, Monks were said to have called them the “Herb of the Trinity” because of their three primary colors—purple, yellow and green.
In the Victorian age, a gift of violets was a declaration to always be true. It still serves as a reminder of loyalty, thoughtfulness and dependability. Give a violet to someone to let them know you’ll always be there for them!
Each color has its own meaning:
- Yellow symbolizes high worth.
- White is for innocence and purity.
- Purple means truth and loyalty.
- Blue is for faithfulness and devotion.
In Christianity, violet flower symbolizes the Virgin Mary’s humility. It is believed that the flowers blossomed when the angel Gabriel told Mary that Jesus would be her baby. In religious art, violets are often portrayed as a symbol of modesty and humbleness.
Sources:
According to astrological and lunar lore, there are best days for doing a variety of tasks. The best days listed here are based on both the phase of the moon and its position in the zodiac. Many people believe that if you do the tasks on the dates listed, you will get the best results possible.
February 1:
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Plant Root Crops
- Potty Train a Child
- Prune Trees
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 2:
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Plant Root Crops
- Potty Train a Child
- Prune Trees
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 3:
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Cut Hair (to slow growth)
- Dig Post Holes
- Harvest
- Kill Plant Pests
- Make Jams and Jellies
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Paint
- Potty Train a Child
- Quit Smoking
- Start Diet (to lose weight)
- Wash Wooden Floors
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 4:
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Cut Firewood
- Dig Holes
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Paint
- Potty Train a Child
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 5:
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Cut Firewood
- Cut Hair (to increase growth)
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Plant Above Ground Crops
- Potty Train a Child
- Start Diet (to gain weight)
- Wax Floors
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 6:
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Cut Firewood
- Cut Hair (to increase growth)
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Plant Above Ground Crops
- Potty Train a Child
- Start Diet (to gain weight)
- Wax Floors
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 7:
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Cut Firewood
- Cut Hair (to increase growth)
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Plant Above Ground Crops
- Potty Train a Child
- Start Diet (to gain weight)
- Wax Floors
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 8:
- Bake
- Cut Firewood
- Dig Holes
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
February 9:
- Bake
- Cut Firewood
- Dig Holes
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
February 10:
- Advertise Something for Sale
- Buy a Home
- Cut Firewood
- Cut Hair (to increase growth)
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Paint
- Plant Above Ground Crops
- Wax Floors
February 11:
- Advertise Something for Sale
- Buy a Home
- Cut Firewood
- Cut Hair (to increase growth)
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Paint
- Plant Above Ground Crops
- Wax Floors
February 12:
- Advertise Something for Sale
- Cut Firewood
- Cut Hair (to increase growth)
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Paint
- Plant Above Ground Crops
- Wax Floors
February 13:
- Cut Firewood
- Dig Holes
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Set Eggs
- Travel (for pleasure)
February 14:
- Cut Firewood
- Dig Holes
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Set Eggs
- Travel (for pleasure)
February 15:
- Bake
- Cut Firewood
- Cut Hair (to increase growth)
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Plant Above Ground Crops
- Plant Flowers
- Plant Seed Beds
- Start Diet (to gain weight)
- Wax Floors
February 16:
- Bake
- Cut Firewood
- Cut Hair (to increase growth)
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Plant Above Ground Crops
- Plant Flowers
- Plant Seed Beds
- Start Diet (to gain weight)
- Wax Floors
February 17:
- Cut Firewood
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Paint
- Travel (for pleasure)
February 18:
- Cut Firewood
- Dig Holes
- Get Married
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to increase growth)
- Paint
- Travel (for pleasure)
February 19:
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Quit Smoking
- Slaughter
- Start Diet (to lose weight)
February 20:
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Quit Smoking
- Slaughter
- Start Diet (to lose weight)
February 21:
- Cut Hair (to slow growth)
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Plant Flowers
- Plant Root Crops
- Slaughter
February 22:
- Cut Hair (to slow growth)
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Plant Flowers
- Plant Root Crops
- Set Eggs
February 23:
- Can Fruits and Vegetables
- Hunting
- Make Jams and Jellies
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Plant Root Crops
- Plant Seed Beds
- Prune Trees
- Set Eggs
- Transplant (seedlings and plants)
February 24:
- Can Fruits and Vegetables
- Hunting
- Make Jams and Jellies
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Plant Root Crops
- Plant Seed Beds
- Prune Trees
- Transplant (seedlings and plants)
February 25:
- Advertise Something for Sale
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Cut Hair (to slow growth)
- Demolition
- Dry Fruits and Vegetables
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Pick Apples and Pears
- Potty Train a Child
- Quit Smoking
- Start Diet (to lose weight)
- Wash Windows
- Wash Wooden Floors
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 26:
- Advertise Something for Sale
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Cut Hair (to slow growth)
- Demolition
- Harvest
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Pick Apples and Pears
- Potty Train a Child
- Quit Smoking
- Start Diet (to lose weight)
- Wash Windows
- Wash Wooden Floors
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 27:
- Advertise Something for Sale
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Cut Hair (to slow growth)
- Demolition
- Harvest
- Kill Plant Pests
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Pick Apples and Pears
- Potty Train a Child
- Quit Smoking
- Start Diet (to lose weight)
- Wash Windows
- Wash Wooden Floors
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
February 28:
- Castrate Farm Animals
- Mow Grass (to slow growth)
- Plant Root Crops
- Potty Train a Child
- Prune Trees
- Wean a Baby or an Animal
Source: The Farmer’s Almanac
What follows is a list (in alphabetical order) of the names given to the February moon. Also listed is the tradition and/or origin of that moon name:
- Avunnivik Moon ~Inuit
- Big Winter Moon ~other
- Bony Moon ~Cherokee
- Chaste Moon ~other
- Cleansing Moon ~other
- Coyote Frighten Moon ~San Juan
- Dark Storm Moon ~Janic
- Geese Moon ~Omaha
- Gray Moon ~Pima
- Horning Moon ~other
- Hunger Moon ~Janic, Algonquin
- Ice Moon ~Celtic
- Lateness Moon ~Mohawk
- Little Bud Moon ~Kiowa
- Little Famine Moon ~Choctaw
- Long Dry Moon ~Assiniboine
- Nuts Moon ~Natchez
- Old Moon ~Cree
- Purification Moon ~Hopi
- Running Fish Moon ~Winnebago
- Quickening Moon ~other
- Rabbit Moon ~Potawatomi
- Raccoon Moon ~Sioux
- Red Moon, ~other
- Shoulder Moon ~Wishram
- Snow Moon ~Neo-Pagan, Algonquin
- Solmonath Moon ~other
- Sparkling Frost Moon ~Arapaho
- Spruce Tips Moon ~Passamaquoddy
- Storm Moon ~Medieval English
- Sucker Moon ~Anishnaabe
- Trapper’s Moon ~Algonquin
- Trees Pop Moon ~Sioux
- Wild Moon ~other
- Wind Moon ~Creek
- Winter Moon ~Taos
- Wolf Moon ~other
Correspondences for February
- Nature Spirits: house faeries, both of the home itself and of house plants
- Herbs: balm of Gilead, hyssop, myrrh, sage, spikenard
- Colors: light blue, violet
- Flowers: primrose
- Scents: wisteria, heliotrope
- Stones: amethyst, jasper, rock crystal
- Trees: rowan, laurel, cedar
- Animals: otter, unicorn
- Birds: eagle, chickadee
- Deities: Brigit, Juno, Kuan Yin, Diana, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite
Power Flow: energy working toward the surface; A good time for spell work on purification, growth, healing. Loving the self. Accepting responsibility for past errors, forgiving yourself, and making future plans.
About The Month of February
February was named for the Roman goddess Februa, mother of Mars. As patroness of passion, she was also known as Juno Februa and St. Febronia from febris, the fever of love. Her orgiastic rites were held on February 14th, St.Valentine’s Day. In Norse traditions, she is equated with Sjofn.
The Irish called this month Feabhra or an Gearran, the gelding or horse. The horse was used to draw the plough, but Gearran also means ‘to cut’ and ‘Gearran’ can be used to describe the ‘cutting’ Spring winds. To the Anglo-Saxons, this was Solmonath, “sun month,” in honor of the gradual return of the light after the darkness of winter. According to Franking and Asatru traditions, this month is Horning, from horn, the turn of the year.
The first full moon of February is called the Quickening Moon. It shares the titles Snow Moon with January and November, Wolf Moon with January and December, and Storm Moon with March and November. February’s Moon is also called the Hunger or Hungry Moon, and it has been called the Ice, Wild, Red and Cleansing, or Big Winter Moon.
The month of February, truly a month of ice in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, is a dormant time, when all activity and life appears to be low-key or below the surface movement. In both the Celtic and Roman cultures, it was a time of spiritual purification and initiation. The country of Tibet celebrated the conception of Buddha and the Feast of Flowers during this time of year.
Aquarius and Pisces share power over February, with Pisces taking over around the 19th of February. Violet is the flower for those born in February. Though hyacinth and pearl appear on some lists, amethyst is the jewel for those born in this month and for Pisces, while aquamarine is the stone for Aquarians. Other stones associated with Aquarius are chrysoprase, garnet, labradorite, lapis lazuli, and opal. Albite, aquamarine, chrysoprase, fluorite, green tourmaline, labradorite, moonstone, and opal are linked to Pisces.
February can be an ideal time for dedicating or re-dedicating oneself to whatever deity or deities one worships. It is also a wise practice to cleanse and purify yourself, your dwelling place, and even your property lines before the dedication. Purifying changes the vibrations by removing negative ones and inviting in positive ones. The month of January was a time of ending old cycles and preparing for new ones. February prepares the environment and the body, mind, and spirit for receptivity of new spiritual and life experiences.
February Celebrations:
Hatun-pucuy, or the Great Ripening, was celebrated among the Incas.
The Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries of Greece was also called the Festival of the Returning Daughter. This was a celebration of the Kore’s return from the Underworld and the rebirth of earthly vegetation. This ceremony, unlike the Greater Eleusinian, was open to many people and was a time of initiation into the lower Mysteries. Initiation into the Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries was open to all free men and women who were not guilty of murder and similar crimes. All initiates were bound by an oath of silence so effective that the secrets of the mysteries were never told. Today we know very little about the actual ceremonies, except what was performed in full public view.
Kuan Yin is the Great Goddess of the Oriental people. She has been known to offer her aid primarily to women and girls, but there is no reason why men cannot honor her and ask her help. She is said to guide lost travelers, protect from attack by humans or animals, bless a family with children, and heal. She is called the Compassionate and is revered for her wisdom and love. Oriental women offered oranges and spices before her statues.
The Roman Lupercalia festival was a time of purification and fertility. A priest of the god Pan signaled the beginning of the Lupercalia with sacrifices of a goat and a dog. The skins of these animals were made into whips which chosen young boys used to strike people, particularly barren women. This was thought to bring good luck in conceiving and having a healthy baby. It is quite possible that our present Valentine’s Day has seeds of its beginnings in this ritual.
The Roman Parentalia and Feralia celebrations were a time to honor the ancestors. It was a period of solemnity with no feasting or marriages; all the temples were closed. Houses were cleaned thoroughly and food offerings made to the spirits of the dead. The goddesses Mania and Vesta were honored with solemn rituals.
The priestesses of Vesta (the Vestal Virgins) were accorded great respect and trust. They kept the wills of the citizens of Rome and saw that they were properly fulfilled when the maker died. At a word or appearance of any Vestal, any condemned criminal was set free without question or argument.
Later in the month, the festival of Carista was held as a family celebration for peace and accord. This festival was known as the Concordia. Condordia, or Caristia, was the goddess of harmony. It was a time for exchanging gifts with family members and resolving problems. Differences and feuds were not to be carried within the family beyond this date.
The Roman god Terminus was the deity of land boundaries. His festival was the Terminalia. Boundary stones marking the property lines were anointed and blessed by the head of the household. This ceremony is rather like the one honoring the household guardians, as the Nature spirits residing in the boundary stones were asked for protection and prosperity for the land and family. This ritual could be adapted for today by blessing the boundaries of your property, stones or not.
Sources: Moon Magick and Angelfire