Shadows & Sweet Dreams

Foretelling Weather & Weddings

Author

The Déjà Digest
February 02, 2024

Background: It's that time again, folks! February 2nd dawns and one quirky tradition captures the public's imagination with the promise of meteorological prophecy: Groundhog Day. Every year, a small town in Pennsylvania becomes the epicenter of an age-old ritual where Punxsutawney Phil is coaxed from his burrow to predict the weather. Despite our access to advanced meteorological satellites, this whimsical blend of folklore and festivity still captures the heart.

Groundhog Day has a special place in our hearts. Thanks to the conceit of the Bill Murray movie, today is also a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We marvel at how often the news of today is simply a spin on the news of yesterday. History repeats itself. The past is prologue.

This kinda happened already.

Like a critter peaking out to see the light, we hope you read us and feel a little brighter. With that, let's get back to the issue at hand: what does our furry friend Phil remind us of?

Knowing the weather for a few weeks could be useful, but what if you could know you future spouse before you met them?

Deja Vu: St. Agnes' Eve, observed on the night of January 20th, was believed to be a time when young women could divine information about their future husbands through dreams and specific rituals. This belief hinges on the notion that the pure and the faithful, emulating St. Agnes' virtues, are rewarded with visions that foretell love and matrimonial bliss.

Some of the rituals performed on St. Agnes' Eve designed to inspire prophetic dreams.

  • Say three times: "St Agnes be a friend to me, In the gift I ask of thee, Let me this night my husband see."

  • Move pins from a pin cushion to your sleeve, one by one.

  • Make a cake with friends in total silence and eat it before bed.

  • Go to bed at midnight, lying on your left side.

  • Sleep with a clump of thyme beneath your heads

Like Groundhog Day, St. Agnes Eve underscore the human fascination with forecasting future events through omens.

Fact: "The Eve of St. Agnes" is a romantic poem by John Keats, written in 1819 and published in 1820.

The story centers on two young lovers: Madeline, who fervently believes in the St. Agnes' Eve superstition and hopes to see a vision of her future husband, and Porphyro, who is deeply in love with Madeline and seeks to make her dream a reality. Despite the feud between their families, Porphyro sneaks into the castle where Madeline lives, with the help of the old nurse, Angela. He hides in Madeline's room to await her undressing and falling asleep, after which he intends to appear in her dreams as her destined lover.

As Madeline falls asleep, Porphyro emerges and sets a feast of delicacies to awaken her, not through a dream but in reality. When Madeline awakes, she is initially shocked but then elopes with Porphyro into the stormy night, leaving behind the familial feud and the rigid societal norms.

Number: 39%

According to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Punxsutawney Phil’s accuracy rate is 39%.

Quote: “Jesus Christ is my only Spouse.”

St. Agnes of Rome was born in 291 AD. Her family was wealthy, and her hand in marriage was highly sought after. Agnes made a promise to God never to stain her purity, and whenever a man wished to marry Agnes, she would always say, “Jesus Christ is my only Spouse.”1

Word: Divination

The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.

List: Global Guessing Games

  • Andrzejki, Poland

    • A traditional Polish celebration and night of ritual. One of the most iconic rituals involves pouring hot wax through the hole of a key into cold water. The resulting lumps are then held up into the light, producing shadows that are interpreted to predict future events.

  • Omikuji, Japan

    • Fortune-telling paper slips found at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. Visitors make a small offering (usually a coin) and then choose a random omikuji from a box. The omikuji predicts the immediate future. If the fortune is good, the recipient can keep it. If it’s bad, it's customary to fold up the strip of paper and tie it to a pine tree so the bad luck will stay with the tree rather than follow the person.

  • Haruspicy, Ancient Rome

    • The art of divination by inspecting the entrails of sacrificed animals, usually sheep, birds, or poultry. Priests, known as haruspices, would consider the shape, color, and texture of the organs were all considered in the interpretation.

  • Wiarton Willie, Canada

    • The Canadian version of Groundhog Day involves a groundhog named Wiarton Willie from Wiarton, Ontario. Willie is brought out of his burrow on February 2nd each year to predict the coming of spring.

Recommended Watching: If you have AMC in your cable package, Groundhog Day is streaming all day long. 

Or, buy a copy if you want to watch it over and over and over again.

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