Within the Benin Kingdom’s lunar calendar, February is known as Uki-Ifie. This lunar month marks a pivotal time of preparation. After journeying through January's period of purification, the Kingdom takes a closer look at their environment. After weeks of being in stillness, this month gives us a chance to apply the information that found us in silence. In order to yield a successful harvest, you must prepare the land by clearing the way. This month was where the Kingdom dedicates itself towards clearing bushes, removing shrubbery, and priming the land for late spring planting. Here, the Kingdom participates in a literal letting go process.
Letting go begins with developing good discernment on what actually matters. Get too focused on one area and now you haven't cleared enough space; hesitate on letting go and now there's no room for new growth. This month serves as a bridge between January's rest and March's momentum--do not spend this period overthinking last month's epiphanies, apply them instead. You'll notice the genius of our ancestors within the lunar calendar, the energies of our months are not rigid but interact and inform one another. You may still very well need to cleanse and purify yourself in order to develop your discernment. In fact, letting go is an act of physical purification.
What stands Uki-Ifie apart is while Uki-Ague (January) may have been devoid of actual movement, this month allows us to use our newfound strength to get closer to the dreams and visions for the year ahead. This is an excellent month for any cord-cutting and visualization rituals as this month naturally supports your release. Old situations and feelings may come to the surface to be released once more. Letting go is a journey and not a one off experience, flowing with your natural process will yield greater rewards.
For those born in February, happy birthday! You are a visionary--a seer. You are blessed with the gift of foresight, and perhaps this same gift becomes the very thing that suspends you in inaction. Those born in this month should partake in activities or hobbies that allow them to dream; their imagination can become a portal towards receiving divine information. Life may have thrown you many experiences that developed your ability to let go, however this learned resilience has made others label you as detached or standoffish. It would benefit those in this month to treat decluttering or cleaning up as a spiritual remedy; visualizing what you're removing or making space for will launch you into the next chapter of your life.