happy imbolc!

"Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated among Gaelic peoples and some other Celtic cultures either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on February 2, commonly called Groundhog's Day, as this is the cross-quarter day on the solar calendar, halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Originally dedicated to the goddess Brigid, in the Christian period it was adopted as St Brigid's Day."

~ from wikipedia

more about imbolc here.

also, check out hecate's awesome site - she has a beautiful post about celebrating this holiday of hope! c'mon spring!!!

for bastet

Cats' family tree rooted in Fertile Crescent

The Fertile Crescent of the Middle East has long been identified as a “cradle of civilization” for humans. In a new genetic study, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have concluded that all ancestral roads for the modern day domestic cat also lead back to the same locale.