There are times in most every blogger’s life where you have an idea for a post, love it, but think to yourself, “well, I don’t need to pen that right now, surely I can save the idea and come back to it again in the near future”.
And, generally, that is true. I started to have that train of thought myself when the idea for today’s entry hit me, then I had to laugh. Sure, I could hold off, but I’d be doing so for another four years! 😃
You see, we’re just nine days away from February 29th, which makes 2020 a leap year. And while I consider myself a patient soul, four years is just a tad too long to wait on such a fun, date-specific post.
So without further ado, let’s hop right into and get to working some Leap Year Magick!
Why do we need Leap Years?
Perhaps no other day is more mysterious, unique and even chic than February 29th. It’s like that ultra-cool, super elusive celebrity – or relative – who only makes rare guest appearances once in a great while.
Yet what is a Leap Year and why do we need one?
Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians (though I personally suspect even earlier societies took note of this fact as well) observed that it actually takes the earth a tad more than 365 days to revolve around the sun.
How much longer, you may ask? Roughly 1/4th of a day per longer per year.
The earth circles the sun once, approximately, every 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds. The technical term for the duration of the year when it is measured this way is a Solar Year or a Tropical Year, which astronomers measure beginning on the spring equinox.
Hence, in the context of the current Gregorian calendar that much of the modern world uses, we need leap years to help ensure that earth’s revolutions and our calendar itself remain in synch.
If we didn’t add an extra day into the calendar every four years, we would lose about six full hours from our current calendar each year.
That might not seem like too big of a deal at first glance, but over time, the missing hours would quickly compound into days and weeks. In fact, it would only take a hundred years for the Gregorian calendar to end up about twenty-four days short! (In other words, the better part of a full month.)
The extra day – which is technically called an intercalary day – that we require to help keep our calendar system working effectively is tucked onto the end of every fourth February, as February is the shortest month of the year.
It is generally believed that the ever-industrious Roman general Julius Caesar was the first person to introduce the concept of a leap year into the calendar system, though the process involved with the frequency of said leap years would take many hundreds of years more to develop more closely into that which we now use today in the 21st century.
And did you know, those who are born on February 29th are known as Leaplings? These folks only get to technically celebrate their February 29th birthday every time a leap year appears, but many opt to observe it on either February 28th or March 1st on leap year-less years.
February 29th is a liminal day
Occurring as it does once every four years, February 29th is a rare day. It exists, that much is true, but the fact that it does so on such an infrequent basis makes a highly charged, unique and powerful day that exists both in situ and betwixt the realms.
It is a liminal time, not completely unlike periods such as those surrounding Samhain and Beltane, respectively, when the veil is especially thin.
February 29th is a day and time on the edges and periphery. A brief period of once-ever-four-years time that quickly transforms into the more commonplace occurrence of March 1st.
What kind of magick should you do on the Leap Year?
Any kind your heart desires! Though, that said, now is a phenomenal time to set long-term spells, manifestations, and plans into place.
Some examples of these kinds of long-term magickal workings include the following:
-Banishing work.
-Beginning a new journal, Book of Shadows, Grimoire or other personally meaningful spiritual or magickal related record.
-Breaking bad/negative/unwanted habits.
-Bringing your deepest, most poignant dreams into reality.
-Burry, in either a more literal or a figurative or representative way, aspects of your life, magick practice, and spiritual journey that no longer serve you well or which are holding you back from blossoming in the ways that you need and want.
I am especially fond of doing banishing work involving written messages or intentions and burying them outdoors at either 4 am or 4 pm on February 29th (the hour of four-o-clock corresponding to the fact that leap years generally transpire once every four years).
-Committing yourself to thoroughly learning a subject, art, technique, etc that pertains to your magickal practice.
-Engaging in long-term shadow work.
-Fertility magick.
-Health, wellness, and fitness-related workings and goals.
-Launching new projects, such as a business, blog or website, volunteer endeavour, or doing home renovations.
-Long-term goal setting, specifically if you have any goals or plans that may take up to four years to complete (though this is not mandatory and shorter, though still significantly lengthy goals can be set into motion now as well).
-Love magick to help you find, if desired, a long-term partner (you can also perform friendship magick to help bring new long-term friends into your life as well – keep in mind that love magick does not have to strictly be romantic by any means; plutonic love is highly important in most peoples’ lives as well).
a man to marry her on February 29th. Image Source
And speaking of love and romance, historically, in certain parts of the world – particularly in Ireland, was an old tradition that women could reverse the standard practice of the day and, on February 29th, ask their beloved to marry them instead of waiting for their honeys to do the proposing (as seen in the vintage image above).
-Planting/starting a new garden or a brand new section of an existing garden.
-Starting something new that will require one or more years of your life.
-Workings pertaining to courage, tenacity, bravery, and fortitude.
Shorter-term magick for the leap year
With February 29th being such a relatively rare day, it is an ideal time to engage in magickal workings of any length.
If you’re feeling drawn towards shorter-term magick and spiritual undertakings, here are some useful suggestions that you may wish to put into practice specifically on the last day of this February.
-Astral projection and lucid dreaming.
-Courage magick to help you do something that you’ve been struggling to muster the gumption needed to undertake.
-Curse and hex breaking (or placing, if that’s up your alley).
-Doing twelve-month tarot and oracle card spreads to help provide you with a clearer picture of your life over between now and next February.
-Ethically gathering/sourcing natural materials from the outdoors to use in your witchy workings for the coming year.
-Finding lost objects. February 29th is “hidden” for a few years at a time, when it reappears, jump at the chance to use its powerfully unique energy to aid you in locating missing or lost items.
-Hedgeriding.
-Negative energy reversal work.
-Protection and invisibility/cloaking magick.
-Realign – or begin realigning – areas of your life that may be off-kilter, out of whack, topsy-turvy or otherwise not aligned as you’d ideally like.
-Seeking spirit allies, both animal and non-animal related.
-Shamanic work (done respectfully and mindfully of the traditions and beliefs of the culture whose practices you are enacting or drawing inspiration from).
-Strengthening psychic abilities.
-Take a leap of faith in yourself, your abilities, a new job, someone you trust, a new opportunity – just about anything, really. If ever there was a day for such a leap, February 29th is definitely it! 😊
-Work with the current astrological chapter of the year, Pisces, a water sign, and the twelfth sign of the zodiac (the annual cycle of which begins anew with Aries, which generally begins on or right around March 20th).
-Working with the faery folk in your immediate area and letting them know that you’re thinking of them at on this naturally enchanted day.
Are leap years lucky or are leap years unlucky?
Some people, both inside and out of the Pagan and witchy world, believe that February 29th is a wonderfully lucky day.
Just as, others – perhaps more so in the past – such as the Scottish and Greeks of yore, saw it as an unlucky date. Indeed, the Greeks thought it was unlucky to marry point blank during a leap year, but especially to do so on February 29th itself.
I’m always leery of dubbing a particular date as being inherently lucky, but can’t help thinking that the rarity and charged liminal energy of February 29th lends itself to potentially increasing one’s luck, good fortune, and all-around positivity on that specific date.
Leap year magickal correspondences
Generally speaking, a lot of the correspondences that apply to February 29th are ones that hold true for the month of February as a whole.
As well, you may find that things and correspondences which are especially rare or hard to come by – much like the rarity of leap years themselves – feel right for your workings and sacred space on this special day.
The following is a list of magickal correspondences for February:
-Trees: Cedar, pine, rowan, cypress, and laurel.
-Herbs, spices, and flowers: Hyssop, bay leaves, anise, myrrh, sandalwood, frankincense, pine needles and pine resin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ylang-ylang, mint, rosemary, balm of Gilead, sage, thyme, basil, tansy, wisteria, jasmine, heliotrope, palmarosa, lemon balm, primrose, heather, snowdrops, and patchouli.
-Colours: White, blue, violet, purple, grey, light yellow, pale green, pink, red, brown, silver and gold.
-Crystals and stones: Clear quartz, diamonds, rose quartz, citrine, amethyst, fluorite, silver, pyrite, angelite, aquamarine, ruby, garnet, jasper (including dalmatian jasper), ammolite, bloodstone, turquoise, black tourmaline, onyx, and selenite.
-Animals: Sheep, cows, foxes, rabbits, hares, bears, deer, otters, groundhogs, prairie dogs, eagles, robins, owls, chickadees, blue jays, and unicorns.
-Gods and Goddesses: Brigit, Kuan Yin, Diana, Eros, Persephone, Aphrodite, Demeter, Venus, Selene, The Muses, Mars, Pan, Boann, Shakti, Branwen, Parvati, and Bast.
Nature spirits: The fae, including faeries who are connected to the home, one’s property and garden.
-Foods: Those associated with Imbolc and the end of the winter, with an emphasis on warm spices, fresh citrus fruits, grains, seeds, breads, potatoes, and most types of fresh and dried green herbs.
-Magickal supplies: Candles, salt, dried herbs (including those listed above), tools made out of silver and silver-tone metals, altar tiles, crystal wands, and ogham runes.
-Elements: Air and water, though fire is an important element for February as well, particularly as it relates to Imbolc.
-Astrological sign: February 29th falls during the time of Pisces, whose ruling element is water. Pisces is ruled by Neptune and is represented by a fish.
A leap year spell to help you get over hurdles in your life
What you’ll need
-A large bay leaf (use more than one leaf if needed) or another type of dried leaf that is suitable for writing on
-An environmentally friendly writing material, such as Natural Earth Paint or vegetable ink, or if that is not possible, a permanent marker in the colour of your choice (I’d suggest picking one that aligns with the intentions behind your spell)
-Optional, an eco-friendly offering to leave in the area where you perform the working outdoors. Things such as lovely rocks, attractive leaves, springs of herbs, and pieces of fruit are often good choices.
How to perform this spell
Select a natural spot that safely allows for you to throw something into it without damaging the natural environment. (I CANNOT STRESS THIS POINT ENOUGH – PLEASE BE SUPER SAFE!)
This could be a small hill, a river, a gully, an abandoned/no longer used well, or another suitable spot in your area.
If possible (though it is not imperative), prior to 4 am on February 29th, gather the materials listed above and visit the spot you’ve selected. Ensure that you are dressed warmly, if the weather is less than favourable.
Arrive at the spot a little before 4 pm (if possible), take several deep, soothing breaths in and out, and focus on your surroundings. As you do so, think about an area in your life that you’ve been struggling to overcome or more past.
This could be just about anything. From ditching an unwanted habit to working up the courage to ask for a raise at work to finally standing up for yourself with your in-laws.
Once you clearly know what you’re focusing on, write the name of that issue on the leaf or leaves that you brought with you. A single word or just a few words will likely suffice here, no need for lengthy paragraphs in such a small space.
Hold the leaf (or leaves) in your hands and (if doing so is safe in the area that you’re visiting) close your eyes. Focus your energy on the leaves and envision the strength that you need to overcome this issue in your life entering your body, as you transfer the energy, fear, stress, anxiety, and so forth from yourself that may be holding you back into the leaf or leaves.
Safely approach wherever you are going to throw the leaf/leaves. Right before you toss this trouble away from yourself, say the following words (or ones of your choosing):
“I am projecting that which holds me back away from my body, my spirit, and my life. I tap into the energy of this liminal, rare leap year day and ask that it help give me the courage and strength to overcome this hurdle that I’ve been dealing with once and for all. So mote it be.”
Scrunch up the leaf/leaves and throw them away from you. As they weigh very little, they may not travel far, so you might have better luck dropping them, rather than throwing them.
Step back, take a few more deep breaths, and concentrate on the natural energy of your surroundings, as well as that of February 29th. When you feel ready, thank the environment and Leap Year for assisting you (if you brought an offering to leave, do so now) and carry on with the rest of your day.
What does the leap year mean to modern witches and Pagans?
Like so much in our individual practices, this will vary from person to person. For some, it may just be an extra day at the end of February. For others it is a time to engage in long term magickal workings, take chances and proverbial leaps in our lives, focus on the magick of a day whose presence is only felt and experienced once every four years, and celebrate the rarity of February 29th.
I get downright giddy when we get treated to an extra day. It feels so deliciously secretive – even if most people know about leap years. Perhaps then, it is one of those secrets that we wear on our sleeves. They’re private, but not as concealed as we might have the rest of the world believe.
Whatever the case, I’m on board with the leap year big time and am delighted that the idea for this post struck me just in the nick of time (and that I jumped on the opportunity to pen it when I did).
I encourage you to look for ways to tap into the energy, strength, unique qualities, and hurdle busting properties of the leap year on this special day that we won’t experience again for another four years.
What are your magickal plans for February 29th?
Autumn, what a fascinating post- and full of information about our leap years that I never knew.
I smile as I recall that 4 years ago on February 29, 2016, my husband and I closed on our new (current) home- here in the forest. Talk about a magical day!
Thank you for sharing your well-penned and intriguing information…. and for not waiting 4 more years to do so!
Thank you very much, sweet Debi. You are heart-touchingly kind.
What an auspicious and memorable day to close on! Love that! My husband and I purchased our first home in early 2018, moving in on Feb. 28th of that year. Not quite as rare a date as the 29th, but still an awesome memory to tie to the more frequently occurring last date of that month. 🙂
It’s really cool that we both have house buying memories connected the tail end of February. Another delightful point that we share in common.
Many thanks again. I hope that you have a cozy, fantastic weekend!
♥ Autumn
I must thankyou for this insight into this magical day, I feel excited every four years to get one extra day, its a gift we should use wisely. Your post was a fascinating read, filled with information.
Thankyou also for calling and leaving a comment on my blog, I don’t know how you found me but so glad you did.
Have a magical 29th. xx
Hi Janette, thank you very much for your lovely comment and for coming to visit my blog. It just launched at the start of this year, so I’m extra elated when people come to call here, as Witchcrafted Life is just starting out on what I hope will be a long, wonderful life.
You’re sincerely welcome. That’s a very good question (re: how I discovered your blog). I love clicking on commenter’s names that I’m not familiar with, so chances are that I saw a comment you left elsewhere and followed through to your beautiful site.
Thank you again & may you have a thoroughly magickal 29th as well!
♥ Autumn
I love, love, love, love that you included hedge riding on your list of things to do on the 29th because that is exactly what I have planned! I loooove liminal days and places and times. They are perfect for communicating with spirits and traveling to the Otherworld!
And I feel the same way about blogging. Lately, I’ve really been feeling it. I am tired in my bones and I know it’s my day job, not blogging that is taking its toll. I love blogging, but lately, I haven’t had the headspace to focus completely on writing like I usually do. I haven’t even been practicing witchcraft very much lately, which makes me feel even worse!
Blessings of the Leap Year to you, my dear friend. Thank you very much for your terrific comment and for sharing with me that hedgeriding is going to be a part of your February 29th working this year. May you have a truly beautiful and beneficial experience as you traverse the realms. (Sidenote, on the subject of hedgeriding, I must tell you that the posts you’ve penned on this topic over the years are amongst the best, most informative, and most engaging I’ve ever read.)
I’m very sorry that your job is taking a toll on you and impacting other areas of your life as a result. I get that big time.
It’s great that you’re really feeing blogging right now in general though. Three hefty cheers for that. I am massively as well – and not just because this site itself is so new.
Save for guest posts elsewhere, I hadn’t blogged for almost three years and hopping back in the saddle on that front has been profoundly enjoyable, beneficial, meaningful, inspiring, empowering, and just plain fun.
I know that the blogging realm as a whole has changed substantially over the past few years, as SM and YT have gained all the more of a stronghold, but I think it’s still an intensely and immensely important medium and one that I’m elated to be contributing to again.
As February melds into March and the fertile, abundant season of Ostara greets us once more, I sincerely hope that you will have more time to connect (all the more) with every area of your life that your heart desires.
Much love,
♥ Autumn
Interesting. I never knew people attributed any meaning to this day. I just thought it was a way to adjust the calendar to earthly rotation.
Thank you very much, Ally. In a very pragmatic sense that is the top reason why Leap Years exist, you’re quite right. Isn’t it delightful that we humans have since ascribed more to this rare late wintertime occurrence?
I find the old tradition of women asking for men’s hands in marriage on Feb. 29th particularly amusing. While it is still more common for gents to propose, it’s awesome that it’s now more acceptable for women to do so in many parts of the world (the whole year through), if they want to.
Have a magically lovely Feb. 29th!
♥ Autumn
Another interesting read, Autumn! Leap years have always fascinated me, and although I did know the reason why they exist, I had no idea of the meaningfulness of February 29. xxx
Thank you very much, sweet Ann. Same here! I treat them almost like a rare additional sabbat or holiday, and have adored them since childhood.
It surprises me in a way that we as a collective whole don’t make a bigger deal out a date that occurs so infrequently. IMO, it should be a fullfledged universal holiday.
I hope that you have a fantastic and fun-filled Feb. 29th.
♥ Autumn
WOW well what an interesting post very informative and had no idea of all the facts connected to 29th February usually just seen as the date women can propose-we have lost so much Earth/Season information which should be celebrated more.Thank you for the comments on my blog leading me here
Carol x
You’re splendidly sweet, Carol. Thank you very much for your touching comment and for visiting me here on my blog as well. I appreciate it with all my heart.
You are absolutely right regarding the loss of (or at least loss of widespread knowledge about) traditional information regarding the earth, seasons, and natural world as a whole. These parts of our existence still survive in the 21st century – indeed, life as we know it wouldn’t be here on this planet if they didn’t – but a lot of folks have lost touch (or never been in touch to begin) with it and I cannot help but think that this plays its own role in why our beautiful planet is in the state that it presently is.
Of course countless factors are at play there, but a shift towards being more in-tune with nature and what the earth needs (not just what we need from the earth itself) would likely go a long ways towards helping to stop or slow down some of the epic damage we’ve done to our one and only planet.
Thank you again. May you have a joyful and very magickal February 29th.
♥ Autumn
I actually didn’t even realize it was a leap year – how embarrassing! As for plans, just a few ladies over for a knitting session and scones in the afternoon; I think I’ll probably be exhausted after that. 😉
P.S. I LOVE that you can remember potential topics for future blog posts! If I don’t get them down immediately, in my world they are gone forever. lol 🖤
Hello lovely Lynne, please don’t give it a second thought! A day that comes around but once every four years certainly has the potential to be forgotten (especially if one has a lot on their mind and plate throughout February).
Your Feb. 29th plans sound marvellous! I can’t knit in the slightest (never learned), but I wholeheartedly admire and marvel at those who can. And one can almost never go wrong with scones! I love a great scone and often include (GF vegan versions) as the bread component of offerings, dumb suppers, sabbat and esbat meals.
You’re very kind! Thank you! Back in the days of running my vintage blog, I kept a massive list of potential blog post ideas. It often totalled thirty pages or more and showed no signs of slowing down (until said blog was retired, that is). I’ve started a similar list of witchy, Pagan, and paper crafting related post ideas for this site and have no doubt that it too will get quite hefty in size as time rolls ever onward. 🙂
I find that creativity begets creativity (that’s a personal motto of mine) and, for me, that certainly applies to the creative act of blogging.
Thank again, my sweet friend. May you have a thoroughly marvellous and magickal Leap Day!
♥ Autumn
I saw the number 8 a lot on this day. I’ve been seeing the number 8 a lot actually the past cpl years. I think it’s kind of a sign I’m supposed to do shadow work on developing a switch for psychic ability since was so capable during tough moments a year ago. I am alone though and just unmotivated, kind of hopeless. I am very strong physically, but less so mentally. Idk how to try at this the right way and also have been making very little effort. It’s hard to see bad stuff and feel like you can’t do anything about it. Maybe at least not until you can reliably see the bad stuff. It is very depressing as is all the major threats to our world. I’m glad I stumbled on your post after a little random google searching though. This was the best article on the internet by far imo about leap year and also makes me want to get into witchcraft.
Hi Evan, thank you very much your comment and for letting me know how much you enjoyed this look at the magick involved with Leap Years.
You are absolutely right regarding the serious impact that seeing major issues, often at a national or global level, can have on our psyches and well-being. It is a sort of grief unto itself, really, and one that can leave us feeling very powerless at times.
While no one person could right all the wrongs in the world, of course, a lot of us do have the ability to do meaningful things that can help in some instances. Even just having open, honest dialogues about the way we’re feeling regarding these major world events is a positive step. Little is ever helped (let alone reminded) by keeping silent about serious problems, concerns and stresses.
Seeing the same number(s) so often that it passes the point of just coincidence or biased cognitive recognition is not uncommon. I personally believe that in a lot of cases, we’re being given messages or supported in other ways by these numbers.
It is believed by some that if you frequently see the number 8, it may be a message pertaining to inner strength, wisdom, balance, equality, fairness, and/or finances. Eight – much like nine – is also said to be linked to the concept of karma, amongst other things.
Thank you again for your comment. I really appreciate you visiting my blog and for letting me know that this post has even inspired you to possibly venture down a path of witchery. That’s an amazingly touching thing to be told.
Many sunny blessings to you for March.
♥ Autumn
Oh how I wish I wasn’t behind reading your blog, so I had read this in time. I could really use some leap year magic. I hope I manage without. I still owe you an e-mail, I have a lot to tell. In Denmark it has been tradition that a woman could propose to a man on leap day. If he said no, he had to give her 12 pairs of gloves. Later it was changed to stockings. I loved this post, so much great information I didnt know about, and I have never thought of the day as magical, now I will. Have a great day, dear. 🙂
What a wonderfully lovely and supportive comment, dear Sanne. Thank you so much!
I’m delighted that this post shone all the more light on the history, folklore, customs and magick of February 29th for you. While the next one is a bit of a ways off at this point, thankfully we do have the knowledge that the Leap Year will return again in four times and can aim to plan our celebrations of it well in advance (if possible).
Please do not worry in the slightest. Take all the time you’d like to email me. As always, there is zero rush. Things have been quite busy in recent months and I’ve been online significantly less for the most part, due primarily to the serious medical issues that Tony has been dealing with (he just had his most recent kidney surgery on Thursay). I’m sure we’ll both have plenty to catch one another up on the next time we chat via email.
Many thanks again for your terrific comment and for your absolutely awesome support of my new blog. In a world where the blogging sphere as a whole has, by and large, changed drastically in recent years and comments are not nearly as much of a “given”, nor necessarily received in the same volume they once were (across the board), those who take the time to visit and comment here are even more of a encouragement and a beautiful treasure to me.
Oodles of hugs & blissful March wishes,
♥ Autumn