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Spring Equinox
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Winter sometimes seems so long, that we could
be for-given for wondering whether Spring will ever return.
But the Goddess of Spring is merely sleeping through the darkness
of Winter, and while she stirs at Imbolc, she is truly awake
by the time of the Spring Equinox.
The forces of light are equally balanced with the forces of
darkness at this time, but light is on the increase - and will
reach its apogee at the Summer Solstice three months later.
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The four festivals of the two solstices and
the two equinoxes are solar - being markings of the times
of longest and shortest days with the solstices, and of times
of equality between day and night with the equinoxes. The
four 'fire festivals' that occur between the solar festivals
are lunar, and so we see in the Druidic calendar a balanced
flow between lunar and solar celebrations.
The symbolic plant of the Equinox in
Druidry is the trefoil or shamrock, which is also customarily
worn on St. Patrick's Day, 17th March - almost at the time
of the Spring Equinox. The usual explanation for the use of
the shamrock is that St Patrick once used its three-leaved
shape to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity, but in fact
shamrock is probably the national emblem of Ireland because
of its earlier Druidic associations, and it is seen by some
authorities as a survival of the trignetra, a Christianised
wheel or sun symbol.
The three-fold green leaves of Spring in the Druid ceremony
and in the Irish buttonhole on St. Patrick's day bring us
back, then, not only to the Sun God and the doctrine of the
Trinity (which some say evolved from Druidry), but to the
teaching of the Awen, and to the concept of the Triple Goddess
- for Artemis, the Triple Moon Goddess of the Greeks, fed
her hinds on trefoil.
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In Druidry, Spring is considered so
important, that three festivals are dedicated to this season:
Imbolc, marking the first stirrings of Spring, Alban Eilir marking
its more obvious beginning, and Beltane marking the time of
its fullness, before it develops into the very different quality
of Summer. The following quotation by Nuinn elaborates on this
theme: "Spring with
the Druid Movement is at least a triple celebration. One could
indeed take it back even to winter solstice, with the rebirth
of the light. However beginning with Imbolc or Brighid as
the first of a trio, we have the first plough, the washing
of the face of the earth and eight lights because it is distinctly
a Mother Goddess occasion. So we have the use of earth, water,
and light. |
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The second festa is the spring Equinox, Alban Eilir. Here
in the open air again,if we celebrate at Parliament hill,
we have the use of the stone of free speech (earth),the first
fire of spring (the censer), and the sword of aither or spirit:
and transformed water(wine) is given by the Spring lady, as
well as atom-seeds for growth."
"Alban Eilir, at the point of
balance between Imbolc and Beltane, is at the point of balance
too between day and night, and it is a perfect time to open
to the quality of balance in our own lives." |
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