The last full month of winter, February in the northern hemisphere is an opportunity to absorb the ephemeral stillness of the world. Time seems to fold in on itself, both endless and fleeting. The cold provides a chance to witness the invisible. Running water becomes solid, endless movement suspended in glistening sculptures of ice. Snow-covered ground becomes a record of presence, laced with the overlapping footprints of departed humans and animals.
Historically, the beginning of February has marked the pagan festival of Imbolc, a celebration of the Gaelic goddess Brigid. The goddess of poets, Brigid has two sisters, also named Brigid—a blacksmith and healer. That she shares her name with her sisters implies that she exists as a trinity, a state of unity and wisdom. Tribute to deities such as Brigid represent faith in the natural cycles of the earth. Winter is met with an understanding that from stillness comes renewed life. During Imbolc, Brigid would be invited into the home, a corn-husk effigy of her laid on a bed of rushes alongside a wand of birch, which she would use to encourage the growth of the coming spring’s flora. The ashes in the hearth would be raked smooth at night and inspected in the morning for signs of Brigid’s presence, the evidence of her visit like footprints in fresh snow.
At Open Sea, we make stationery to allow you to mark moments in time, to ignite shared wisdom and connection, and most of all, to serve as a token of remembrance in the years ahead.
Aquamarine, the birthstone of March, contains the life-giving essence of the sea. Aquamarine has been discovered with saltwater contained in interior channels, the ocean inside of a stone. This stone is a mirror, a tool for inward exploration and understanding fueled by the tranquil strength of the endless water.
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Heralding the thawing of the soil, the full moon in March is called the Worm Moon. Worms emerging from deep underground aerate the compacted earth, provide food for waiting birds, and redistribute nutrients from the decaying leaf litter at the surface of the soil. Worms are most active at night, safe from the heat of the sun.
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