How Month of the Pearl Became the Mythology of Me

Dearest reader,

For as long as I can remember, Month of the Pearl and I have shared a secret mythology that has defined my indentity sometimes literally, sometimes subconciously for most of my life.

And while it is perhaps foolish to believe in these fantasies and strange coincidences between Month of the Pearl and my person – that I know – it is at least more fun to live in the moonlight of nonsense, which is why, I have decided to be foolish and sink contentedly into the magical embrace of the legend of February, and make its story also a story of me.

It all started when I was born, not in January as predicted, but stubbornly and quick as soon as January turned into February. According to my mother, that first day of February of the second millennium was a cloudless, clear, and freezingly cold winter’s day – the kind where water beads freeze on spruce branches, snow sparkles like crushed diamonds, and angels fly around looking for sun-gilded nacre for God's heavenly crown (I added the last part myself, of course). That is when you began wearing sunglasses and sunscreen again yet need to wrap yourself in furs because February is the last joyful show of winter playing with extremes and painting blue, other times peachy skylines.

And if it wasn't already obvious, February certainly plays a princess by becoming a pearl herself, flaunting her purity and blowing glitter onto the hems of coats: she flirts with both spring and winter, can't decide how tall she should be, demands both air and water as her elements, serves Jupiter instead of Uranus and despite of being the beginning of the year, demands to be the ending. And yet she is also calm and quiet, like an inky blue night.

When born into such a februarycal atmosphere, a child cannot possibly become anything other than a desperate dream rider – a ballerina or a poet – who christens her blue-eyed baby doll (at three years of age) seriously, without hesitation, Dew Drop.

Yes, I am talking about myself and why I could not have been born at any other time than at the beginning and end of the year, in the month of love and death, on a cold and sunny day.

(Or maybe I could have, but then nothing would, perhaps, make sense. Just like this monologue).

Sure, February may not sound like a valid source of psychoanalysis for unraveling the mystery of self, but I still consider it the opening verses of my personal mythology – the beginning of my journey. And in the end, everyone is free to write about themselves whatever they wish, believe whatever they wish, and believe it or not but February lives on the icy fells of my soul, rests in the mossy forests of my mind, sings like a bird underneath my window, twinkles like a star in my desires. Because as we know, the moment of our birth is not determined solely by our birthday, but includes the entire universe's energy at that moment, humanity's beliefs, the mysterious nuances of culture, and the now forgotten forces of nature which together create the personal mythology of every single human.

She is a lunatic, you probably think having read thus far, and that is obvious, but I'm not talking about anything stranger than ancient history, horoscopes and the wondrous minerals of our planet. And so that you can truly understand my babbling, I'm going to tell you who February is, what kind of bundle of meanings it has thrown at me, and how I am a typical February also.

And it all sounds perfectly reasonable at times.

how she got her name:

From Helmikuu to February

As a Finnish, I primarily know the second month of the year as Helmikuu – Month of the Pearl or the Pearl Month – which according to Finnish folklore refers to water droplets that form during warmer weather, which then refreeze and turn into ice pearls on the branches of trees. According to another interpretation however, the name comes from the pearly white sparkle of snow under winter sun.

Up until this point, everything has always been clear: the characteristic beauty of winter is crystallized in the essence of its last month for which there is no better metaphor than a pearl.

Then, I started learning English and that clear connection to nature vanished and turned into this grotesque word, February – how can someone take the pearl away from my Month of the Pearl! And yet, February also has sensible symbolism related to its Finnish counterpart.

Namenly, the name February comes from an ancient Roman festival of purification, Februalia, which was celebrated in honor of Februus, the god of death and purity, with sacrifices and meditation. Later, the use of fire as a means of purification created a connection to the Goddess Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and home.

It is precisely this pure and deadly power of winter that can also be connected to the physical qualities of our Finnish Month of the Pearl, and with the looming rebirth of the world, as well as the increasing amount of light, the month can be seen as a phenomenon driving away death.

why she is the

The Short Month

The varying length of February is, however, due to the strangeness or misunderstanding of the passage of time in the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of the year with 28 days, sometimes 29 days.

However, this has not always been the case. In ancient Rome a ten-month year did not even include the end of the year, January and February, which were unnecessary as they were unfit for cultivating the land.

But, about 2700 years ago the Romans changed their calendar to include the end of the year which meant that out of 355 days, February got 23 days, which was its fate as the last month. And this was basically how people meassured time in Europe up until the 16th century and in Sweden (which included Finland) until 1753, when that rather illogical Gregorian calendar was introduced, in which the year splits up winter instead of beginning it on March, on the first day of Spring.

I don't know about you, but it feels somehow more natural to think that February, as the last month of winter, would also bring the cycle of the year to a close.

On the other hand, perhaps this is part of the incomprehensible contradictions of February, where you don't have to be either by being both – the end and the beginning – which is also apparent in its horoscopes.

my February

Horoscope as Aquarius

Like all of the months, February has two zodiac signs: Aquarius and Pisces (note the plural) – but since I am an Aquarius myself, I will only deal with it in this already long post, also because Aquarius has that strange contradictory February character trait.

As the eleventh zodiac sign, Aquarius or the Water Bearer, despite its name, is not a water sign but belongs to the air zodiac signs, which is ruled by the planet Uranus. (Therein lies the first oddity). However, water does play an important role in Water Bearer's activities because of its nurturing and life giving power. And from her cup the Water Bearers, at least figuratively, fills the lakes and nourishes the soil while pouring wisdom over civilizations. Moreover, in Middle Eastern cultures, the water poured by Aquarius symbolizes floods typical of the winter season.

Another oddity of Aquarius is related to its myth, where the most beautiful mortal on earth, Ganymedes, was carried up to heaven by an eagle in order to become a water bearer for the supreme god Jupiter – not Uranus, who according to astrology rules Aquarius. In an alternative myth however, Aquarius is Deucalion who was sent to heavens in memory of a great flood, from which only Deucalion and Pyrrha survived.

Whether the role model is Ganymedes or Deucalion, the myth has formed a belief that Aquarians represent innovation, revolution and rebellion, and that they protect human rights and individuality. These qualities are also conveniently related to water as an substance that nourishes humanity and as rainfall is able to see the true scale of our problems.

At the same time, the Water Bearer is a kind of bringer of luck – at least in legends – which may be indicated in one of the brightest stars in the Water Bearer’s constellation, Sadalmelik, which is Arabic and means the lucky star of the King or kingdom. This light yellow star is located on the right side of the Aquarius constellation, on the top of the right shoulder. However, under the influence of various planets, Sadalmelik can also cause misfortunes and difficulties to people.

But how to describe the relationship between Aquarius and February? According to a certain Manilius, "They who issue from this sign are a gentle sort and a loveable breed, and no meanness of heart is theirs: they are prone to suffer losses: and of riches they have neither need nor surfeit. Even thus doth the urn's stream flow". This statement can probably be interpreted in many ways, but in the context of February and Aquarius it conveys a quality of generous humanity that, alongside February's capriciousness, gives the rebellious Aquarius a sunny look of an optimist: while it is easy to hate winter, it is easy for the Water Bearer to love February which is artistically made of snow, and give it a gift of frozen water – the elixir of human life that only Aquarius can share.

Simultaniously, Aquarius understands February, that you can be two things at the same time: the end and the beginning, air and water, a prince of Jupiter and a rebel of Uranus, a bringer of good fortune and an unlucky one, 28 or 29 days, beautiful and grotesque.

Ultimately, when more is more, you can be anything and everything at once.

quandary of

The Birthstone

And so, as we proceed to our final topic in this mythology, the February birthstone, you may already guess that there should be two instead of one.

And, if I were allowed to use my limited authority, I would of course place a pearl next to an amethyst, which properties would balance the amethyst's powers, take into account my Nordic roots and February’s Roman history as well as how pearl is connected to the name Siiri.

So, as mentioned, the most famous February birthstone is amethyst, which is often associated with royalty and is found in the crown jewels of numerous noble families. Thus, amethyst symbolizes wealth and power, but also spiritual wisdom and is believed to have protective and healing powers, thus matching the qualities of Aquarius.

Whereas pearl, which symbolizes purity and love, would go together with the purification theme of the Februalia festival, compliments the water element of the Water Bearer and Pieces, and serves as a metaphor for the sparkling of snow during Nordic winter. In addition to above, Valentine's Day, the celebration of love, would also place pearl in the heart of February, not to mention its Finnish name, which unambiguously states that the month is like a pearl.

When you think about all of these things, it seems strange that pearl is not officially a birthstone of February, but of June, the 19th of which also happens to be Siiri's name day in Finnish calendar.

Naturally, this pearl problem bothered me. And since I wanted a poetic conclusion to my mythology, I did further research into February's birthstone, and eventually found a mention (though not very reliable) that from the 15th century to the early 20th century, pearls were also among offical February birthstones. But nowadays they are considered a more modern option to amethyst.

So even thought, the source doesn't provide any other context, it is enough of a unifying factor for me, and thus brings February's mythology to a perfected end, or should I say back to the beginning: to pearls, winter, and birthdays; to that inexplicable feeling that no other month would have been suitable to me.

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Therefore, I cannot help but wonder, can a person decide for themselves when they are born? Or is everything truly random? Would January have been okay after all, and if so, would I be the same person as I am now. And does anything – all this – truly matter? to which I have to answer that it does, because everything always matters in the end – or maybe I really need to believe that it does.

Nevertheless February is such a dear and special month to me that it has become a symbol of my existence and, in a strange way, a core feature of who I am. For a long while, February’s values ​​of individuality, revolution and the coexistence of opposites have defined me and what I have wanted to become – and I have been proud of that.

Yet.

No horoscope or birthstone are the whole truth about anyone's humanity or a prediction of a life to come. We also get to write our own stories and find our own unique symbolism in life's adventures.

Still, Month of the Pearl is a month that seems to close the circle around my life creating an impression of belonging to something larger. And what is more important in this faltering world than belonging to something, to someone; if only to February, Jupiter, revolutions, amethyst caves or ice pearls on tree branches.

Yours Truly,

Siiri

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Are you familiar with your personal mythology?

Do you believe in horoscopes & birthstones?

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Sources:

Constellation of Words. Sadalmelik. https://www.constellationsofwords.com/sadalmelik/

Braid, Fara; Shang, Pheobe. 2025. Pearl Symbolism and Legends. https://www.gemsociety.org/article/history-legend-pearls-gems-yore/

The Pearl Source. Pearl Meaning. https://www.thepearlsource.com/pearl-meaning

Cass, Linda. What is Amethyst? Meaning, History & Significance. https://www.forsythejewelers.com/blog/what-is-amethyst-meaning-history-significance

Matthew's Jewelers. 2022. February Birthstones: Traditional and Modern Options to Celebrate Your Birth Month. https://www.matthewsjewelers.com/february-birthstones-traditional-and-modern-options-to-celebrate-your-birth-month/

Atala. 2020. February Birthstones. https://www.crystal-life.com/february-stones/

Somos, Maria. 2026. February Birthstones: Amethyst and Pearl – Gems of Serenity and Inner Wisdom. https://somosjewelers.com/blogs/gem-lore/february-birthstones-amethyst-and-pearl-gems-of-serenity-and-inner-wisdom?srsltid=AfmBOoqLDF5HHuglXG1bruayCwja80j5d5HO_YRPzcwLpBkiyQ032XUh

Kapach, Avi. 2023. Uranus. https://mythopedia.com/topics/uranus/

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Go Astronomy. Aquarius Constellation. https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Aquarius

Stein, Vicky. 2022. Aquarius constellation: Evertyhing you need to know. https://www.space.com/21511-aquarius-constellation-facts-about-the-water-bearer.html

Kelly, Aliza. 2026. The Personality Traits of an Aquarius, Explained. https://www.allure.com/story/aquarius-zodiac-sign-personality-traits

Kelly, Aliza. 2024. Everything to Know About Air Signs: Gemini, Libra & Aquarius. https://www.thecut.com/article/everything-to-know-about-air-signs-gemini-libra-and-aquarius.html

Britannica Editors. 2026. Aquarius. https://www.britannica.com/place/Aquarius-astronomy

Uusi kielemme. The Meaning of the Finnish Months. https://uusikielemme.fi/finnish-vocabulary/interesting-words/the-meaning-of-the-finnish-months

Britannica Editors. February. https://www.britannica.com/topic/February

Wallius, Anniina. 2013. Helmikuu on lyhyt, koska vuosi loppui kesken. https://yle.fi/a/3-6510535

Aapala, Kirsti. Helmikuu. https://kotus.fi/sana/helmikuu/