There is a National Badger Day held on the 6th October every year, but on today's 2nd of February we can celebrate the badger spirit animal. You might have seen the film Groundhog Day, or you might know that there's a tradition in American German culture to make projections about the weather based on what would a groundhog do today. Apparently if it's sunny, the groundhog would cast a strong shadow, get scared of it and run back into the burrow, meaning there will be a long winter. If it's cloudy, it wouldn't see its shadow, so the groundhog will stay out and enjoy an early spring. The groundhog was barometer-in-chief for Pennsylvanians centuries ago, but back in Germany that role orginally belonged to the badger, in Ireland it was the hedgehog and in France the bear. Now all these hybernating animals are about to wake up and bring mischevous joy, but the badger is my personal favourite for 2021, whatever the weather would be, the badger can inspire us to stay grounded, to dig deep and build our resilience, to be dextrous with all the complexities of life, to shake off all the dirt we don't need and most importantly... to feel that deep bass. — Photo of Aoife channeling the badger spirit at Wilderness 2016 @artfulbadgeruk #wildandserene #artfulbadgeruk #letitgo #creature #portrait #party #mask #wildernessfestival #resilience #bass #digdeep #thrive #staygrounded #grounded #musictherapy #imbolc #spiritanimal #badger #groundhogday #badgerday #spring #imbolc #earth #canon1v #filmphotography #filmisnotdead #ilford #grainisgood #bw #bwphotography #festival https://www.instagram.com/p/CKzeRLrptaZ/?igshid=807i88iclt18