Saint Bridgid’s Cross for Saint Bridgid’s Day, the Start of Imbolic season, or in America, Groundhog Day
It is still an exciting time when we dream of spring and all the new growth, of both plant and animal, and most of all the growing daylight of longer days!
Cabin fever remains the prominent malady. We long to bask in the warm rays of the sun and ready the fields and gardens for summer planting. We welcome the return of hens to laying their eggs, calves growing to be born for market or harvest, and the fresh wild greens just about to pop out of the earth and grace our table with nutritious delights.
To celebrate the world coming back to life and as protection from fire, hunger and evil.
One of the Celtic symbols was the St Bridgid’s Cross. A solar cross depicting the four seasons using Rushes, a hollow evergreen perennial plant resembling grass. Follow this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRi89vnzF5w, for a good tutorial video, and brief summary of its history. For the, text, history of Imbolic, follow this link, https://www.claddaghdesign.com/special-days/all-about-imbolc/
Horsetail Rush, or Puzzle Grass for Saint Bridgid’s Cross
The only Rushes I am able to obtain, at my present knowledge of the area, Central Missouri, is what the locals call “Puzzle Grass”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equisetum_hyemale. Puzzle grass refers to the whole genus of 
Equisetum, but for my purpose here the E. hyemale, or rough horsetail is the one I am using. It has the hollow stem of the rushes and is referred to as Horsetail Rush, http://www.waterfordgardens.com/Reeds-and-Rushes-Hardy-Bog-Plants-sc-239.html, this works for the Bridgid’s cross that I want to make to celebrate the coming of spring. What we currently refer to as Groundhog Day here in the United States.
I was going to make a new post, and perhaps I will later. I made my Bridged’s Cross out of the Puzzle Grass, and it turned out to be easier than I though
t it would.
