Imbolc symbolizes the eternal cycle of Life and Death, the Seasons (both, the Wheel of the Year, and of Life itself). The rebirth of The Goddess at Imbolc brings vitality and growth of all living things. This is a season of merriment, celebration and the union of The Lady and The Lord. After their sacred union, The Horned God sacrifices Himself, so that The Goddess may share Her fertility throughout the natural world and its inhabitants. It is His act of self-sacrifice that initiates Summer's end, until the days grow shorter, and the winds usher in the cold, signaling the demise of the Good Mother, and thus, the long-awaited return of The Horned God.