There haven’t been any further addition to the holy days for our calendar. Considering this is one of our busier months in the Otherfaith I wasn’t surprised. Because of this I will simply be re-posting the information found on our static February Holy Days page. At the end of this post will be the ‘program’ for February as well as the updated yearly calendar; I have added in new holidays throughout the year. These can also be found on our Calendar page.

February Holy Days:

• February 1: Imbolc (Broader Paganism)
• February 2: Spring Cleaning
• February 7: Birth of Claudia the Witch
• February 8: Birth of Cordelia the Witch
• February 13: Birth of Cecilia the Witch
• February 13, Friday the 13: Birth of Thirteen
• February 14: Valentine’s Day
• February 15: Dahlia’s Day
• February 19: Birth of Mallory, Right Hand to the Ophelia
• February 23: Birth of Malaise the Witch
• February 24: Birth of Malice the Witch
• February 27: Birth of Mary the Witch
• February 28: Ride of the Six Sisters
• February 29: Liathianic Holiday

February 1 – Imbolc (Cultural)

A cultural (general Pagan) holiday rather than a specific Otherfaith one, Imbolc represents the start of the end of winter. Wintry flowers begin blooming and the days begin to brighten. Imbolc is one of the four cross quarter Sabbats in the modern Pagan Wheel of the Year.

February 2 – Spring Cleaning

On February 2 we acknowledge the quickening of spring and deep clean our physical spaces. Our homes can build up with grime and stuffy energy over the winter, when those in colder climates tend to stay indoors. Energetic cleansing should be performed along with physical cleaning. (February 2 is also observed as Imbolc by some.)

February 7 – Birth of Claudia the Witch

The majority of Witch spirits in the Otherfaith are born in February, and the first Witch to be born is Claudia. Part of the Six Sisters, she is the eldest. She is closest to Cordelia, the two tending to appear with each other atop brooms. Witch spirits are associated with youth, largely ill-gotten youth. They are teachers and compassionate spirits, watching over younger Witch spirits and young witches here on earth.

In February, Witches taken on more malevolent forms. The Six Sisters specifically spread disease and malice during February.

February 8 – Birth of Cordelia the Witch

Claudia’s closest sister, Cordelia is the younger and cheerier of the two even in bleak February. She gladly takes in apprentice witches and teaches the basics of spellcraft. Her magic is most closely related to Hollywood-style magic a la ‘The Craft’ and ‘Practical Magic’.

February 13 – Birth of Cecilia the Witch

With her name meaning ‘blind’, Cecilia the Witch has ties to blindness and sight both. She possesses magical sight despite her blindness, an ability that allows her to see to the truth of matters. She can also curse others with blindness. She takes on a fair amount of apprentices but keeps only a small few to train up to full-blown Witches.

February, Friday the 13 – Birth of Thirteen

Technically observed only on Friday the 13th of February, being one of the yearly ‘Friday the 13th’ celebrations in the Otherfaith.

Thirteen is another Witch spirit. Associated entirely with stealing youth, she keeps herself eternally ‘thirteen’ by yanking the youth and innocence out of other spirits as they lay on the cusp of adolescence or adulthood. In some stories she is the cause of the Laethas Ava and Alma dividing themselves and creating their elder forms, the Laethas Arrise and Azure respectively. Thirteen represents the aging process and difficulties in growing up.

February 14 – Valentines’ Day

Added to the calendar originally because of its cultural significance, Valentine’s Day can also herald the return of the Dierne Pallis. The Other People may take this time to acknowledge spirits of love (the Laethas Arabella and Asier and Dierne Pallis) or their own spirit partners, along with any physical partners they have.

February 15 – Dahlia’s Day

Previously called ‘Chocolate Day’, post-Valentine’s sees a bulk of chocolate and sweets go on sale. Dahlia is associate with joy and excess, as well as trade because of her seafaring ties, so chocolate is a good offering. Chocolates and sweets could also be offered to her lovers, furthering the connection to romance.

February 19 – Birth of Mallory, Right Hand of the Ophelia

Mallory is the daughter of Lyra, the huntress lover of the River Ophelia. She is rejected by her mother and accepted by the Ophelia, eventually becoming the god’s Right Hand. Right Hands are the direct aids to the deities, and they fill the role of the god should the god be incapacitated or absent. Mallory is mute and communicates through sign language, as well as very stern looks when something meets her disapproval. She is one of three Calamities the West experiences, the first two being the Firebird and Althea Altair. She controls rot and decay and can spread it through her touch.

February 23 – Birth of Malaise the Witch

Malaise brings about her namesake: sickness and disease. Malaise and Malice are both the most outwardly malevolent of the Six Sisters. Malaise appears as a witch from the swamp, wearing a ragged cloak and hair dripping with foul smelling water. She is tied strongly to the Ophelia, and her skin often has a blue-green tone and is slimy to the touch. She teaches the other witches how to wrangle and control disease and inflicts it on her enemies.

February 24 – Birth of Malice the Witch

Malice is the sister to Malaise and, similarly, brings about her namesake: hatred and spite. She is cheerier in appearance than her sister, tending to prefer bright colors. She views her magic of spreading fighting and ill will as a joyous act, and she loves seeing people bicker about any subject. She has especially sharp fingers that prod at people’s soft spots. Malice is associated with the Laetha and often wears the god’s colors of white, red, and gold.

February 27 – Birth of Mary the Witch

The most dangerous of the Six Sisters, Mary oversees all witchcraft focusing on murder and murderous revenge. She knows the most malevolent of all magic and lacks any hesitation toward using her arts. She is connected most strongly to the god of outsiders, the Liathane. Though she represents the most dangerous and feared witchcraft, she can also teach us some of the strongest protection magic. Her more amicable forms appear around Halloween, where she plays with her arts for the entertainment of those around her, especially children.

February 28 – Ride of the Six Sisters

At the end of February we bid goodbye to the Witches that have been with us throughout fall and winter. Spring calls in other riotous spirits, and we want to see out our playful and unpredictable guests. We send the Sisters out eastward to spread their knowledge. This holiday is also meant to help us move past the cold winter into the brighter springtime, shifting our own religious practice and magical arts into a different gear.

February 29 – Liathianic Holiday

Occurring only on Leap Years, February 29 is a holiday for Liathanic spirits and energies. The god and his entourage take on more playful forms, making this a day for mischievous pranks and fun parties.