Snowdrops are Blooming

I got home about 5:45 tonight & thought that I might have just barely enough light to take a photo of the snowdrops, which are are the fullness of blooming. There are hundreds of them in my gardens, little clumps everywhere. These are in the front of the house, where they get more sun than the ones in back in the labyrinth. It's still quite chilly here, but every year the snowdrops come out, as soon as the light begins to grow. Some years they are mostly covered with snow, but they don't seem to mind.

I read somewhere that snowdrops are sacred to the goddess Brigid, but I can't seem to remember where I heard that. If anyone knows more of the lore, I'd love to hear from you. Since they are the first flower to bloom, snowdrops are like a promise from Mother Nature - reminding us to be assured that Winter is coming to an end, and Spring is on the way. The Wheel of the Year keeps turning.

I've also read in Anne McIntyre's book, Flower Power, that snowdrops are considered a flower symbolic of death, and that many people think the flower looks like a shroud. What a lovely, soft, sweet-smelling shroud that would be.

If I could harvest all of the tiny snowdrop flowers in my garden and sew them all together, I would make a shroud for my dear friend. Lynn was in a terrible car accident on the night of the lunar eclipse. She's been unconscious ever since, and was removed from life support on Tuesday afternoon. Her body still breathes, but not for long. Her spirit is ready to move on. I will miss her so much. I always thought that Lynn would be a long-time elder in my spiritual community, but alas, it is not to be.