a green dragon in the Green Dragon

 

On the 4th of February, roundabout the time of the feast of Brigid, some Wellington people gathered together along with a dragon and a spinner, in the back bar of The Green Dragon to celebrate that time of year when some people think of looking for signs of spring.

For myself, that need to look ahead and hold on to the certainty that spring follows winter, is more urgent than it was last year, 'though my home is safe from flooding and I've only had to wade through water-over-my-boots once to get home this winter.  A song was sung about the exploitation of weavers, and the spinner talked about Brigid and I got the gist of why we look to her, here in this area of weaving, for she of the snowy white garb is associated with the beginning of the lambing season.

Hearths, thresholds and doorways are also part of  the Brigid symbolism. I've been thinking about hearths and thresholds a lot recently in association with rug making. Thresholds: liminal spaces that are crossed by visitors, inviting worlds to collide. Hearths: where stories are written in flames and songfulness is learnt. Travelling by bus across the county for my rag rug 'gigs', I've rediscovered the pleasure of enjoying "reading in motion" - it  somehow heightens my engagement. Just finished Jeanette Winterson's "Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?" in which she talks about stories as being thresholds where the writer and her readers meet.