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Sweetwood Temenos Spring Equinox Celebration

3/17/2012

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Sweetwood Temenos Spring Equinox Celebration - March 17th 20012 

This morning I sat in meditation before my personal altar with lit candles, incense burning and water in the goblet. I smudged my dedicated bag of Runes and focused on the theme of the Spring Equinox celebration, Renewal. I drew forth twelve runes and each one inspired one word and with these twelve words I made a list to give to my priestess. I poured a small libation from the goblet to the God and Goddess, drank the rest of the water and blew out the candles so ending the ritual meditation.

My priestess made 12 hardboiled eggs and used a white crayon to write invisible words on them from my meditation. She put the inscribed eggs in a spring basket and made ready for the afternoon ritual. 

This was the warmest Spring Equinox ritual and last weekend of winter that I could remember. The temperature was at 80 degrees today and I set up the altar naked only wearing my cord. I built a fire and returned to our home on the land to shower and put on some festive clothing for after the ritual. 

My priestess and I arrived back at the circle to find four friends that came to celebrate the Spring Equinox with us.  We all entered the circle, potluck food was bought in and set on the table in the circle, and a friend brought in the pot luck container (with utensils, cups, plates silverware, and napkins). 

The Priestess and I all gathered around the fire, held hands, took three deep breaths and did an OM to center.

The Priestess then went to the altar to get the Stang and came back to the fire and handed it to me saying “Where shall we begin?” and I responded “All a spiral without a beginning.” & handed it back to her. She took the Stang from me and said “A tree without end” and handed it back to me and I said “Reproduced and renewed by the Gods and Goddesses it gave birth to”. The Priestess and Priest kissed and said “Blessed Be!”.

I took the Stang (staff) starting at the altar and walked the circle dedicating the space to the ritual celebration of the spring Equinox. I spoke of blessings of the season, the renewal of life, the balance of light and darkness and the beauty of an early spring. Returning to the altar, I placed the Stang upon it. 

Then the Priestess picked up the singing bowl, I, the incense burner and feather. We honored the altar with one chime from the bowl and incense of one pass of the feather. To the East we went and we walked the circle round. Silently to each direction we went, with three chimes of the singing bowl and with three passes of the feather, we offered sound and incense to each direction ending in the North. 

Then I, the Priest, took a small amount of fine whiskey and offered at the gateway to the circle a libation to the Goddess Eris, she who causes all to strive and her kin who may make mischief in her service. This was an offering of peace and recognition of her and her kin.  

After honoring the directions and the making the libation to Eris, the Priestess brought forth the water jar filled with water. She began the charging of the water by asking the good folk gathered “who would speak for one of the 7 sacred elements of Sweetwood Temenos”? According to her heart and inspiration she called out earth, fire, air, water, ancestors, descendants and community. Each time she called upon an element, a good soul would volunteer and answer that they would speak for the element called. The water jar was handed to the good soul and then spoke according to their heart and inspiration. When finished, the good soul poured a libation and the gathering of good folk said “Blessed Be!”. Then the good soul returned the water jar back to the Priestess and so the rounds went until all the elements were so spoken for. She then did return the water jar and its water so charged and filled the Goblet with water for the Water Sharing later.

I went to the altar and once again brought forth the Stang and spoke the invocation: 
“I call upon the Goddess and God 
And the Divine community
The Beloved Wholeness who are the One,
The Oneness that is all,
Both Spirit and Nature
As above so also below
And by their creation of love  
We are their children!

Blessed Be!


So the circle was cast and the Priestess brought forth the spring basket with the eggs that had the invisible words printed on them. We spread out a blanket near the fire (& up wind) that all the good folk could sit on. 
We passed the basket round for each to choose the first egg as an omen for renewal. Then on each round thereafter, the chosen egg would be a gift for one’s self, another, or the land, according to their heart and inspiration. We brought forth the dye and had a good time coloring the eggs and revealing the hidden words of renewal. The eggs were then gathered up and placed in the spring basket once more by the Priestess and the blanket folded up and set aside.

The eggs were charged up by a chant lead by the priestess:

“Make yourself a power spot,
Bring in a spoon and a cooking pot,
Bring air, bring fire,
Bring water, bring earth,
You, a new Universe will birth!” 

I, the Priest led the good folk in a dance as we chanted raising power and joy that ended in a great shout of birth that echoed down into the woods and valley below.

As everyone grounded the energy of the chant and dance, I took the spring basket of eggs from the Priestess and returned it to the altar and brought forth the goblet of charged water and began the water sharing.
I raised the Goblet to the sky and then poured a libation to the earth, I turned to the good soul to my left and said “Water shared, is life shared is love shared, May you Never Thirst, Thou Art God/Goddess” Drink Deep! The good soul drinks and turns to the next good soul to the left and repeats the words, and offers the goblet and water. This is repeated until the goblet comes around and the Priestess offers water to me, the Priest. I drank deeply and asked if any other would like to speak words of the season with the goblet. None wished to speak further, so I made a blessing to the land of Sweetwood, the world and humankind, and poured a libation.

The Priestess and I returned to the altar and she took the singing bowl and I the incense and feather and began the farewell to the energy of the ritual circle. Starting in the north we honored each direction going widdershins with one chime and one pass of the incense with the feather. Returning to the altar we honored it with one more chime and pass of the incense with the feather.
 
Then hand in hand, the Priestess and I returned to the good folk gathered around the fire. We kissed and then all held hands and the Priestess released the energy of the circle with these spoken words:

 “All from Air into Air, let the misty veils part. 
 All is ended, all is done,
What has been, must now be gone.
What has been done by ancient Art,
Must merry met and merry part
And merry met again!
The circle is open but never broken!”

Hugs and kisses were passed around among the good folk who gathered for Sweetwood Temenos’ Spring Equinox ritual celebration. The feast began and good food, drink and conversation were shared around the fire on a fine early Spring afternoon. Later, as darkness fell, the good folk packed up and made their way to the Priestess and Priest’s house to continue to make merry and have conversations about the season and other interesting subjects. 

Never Thirst, Iacchus
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SweetWood Temenos Spring Equinox 2009

3/21/2009

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SweetWood Temenos Spring Equinox 2009


“I call upon the Goddess and God 
And the Divine community
The Beloved Wholeness who are the One,
The Oneness that is all,
Both Spirit and Nature
As above so also below
By Love’s creation 
Whose children we are!

Blessed be!”
Iacchus

The week before the spring equinox winter has been fading away and about midweek the snow had disappeared from the SweetWood Temenos circle. By Friday the circle had dried and on this first day of spring I raked it to ready it for the ritual on Saturday.

In preparing for the ritual Friday night my spouse boiled 12 eggs for the ritual. Saturday arrived with Sunshine and warmer weather (the high temperature for the day was 62 degrees). Saturday morning I took the eggs and a wax crayon and went to our home altar. I light incense in the name of the Sun Goddess and took my pouch of Runes off the altar. I held the pouch in my left hand, an egg in my right hand, chanted “signs of renewal” and chose a rune. I then wrote the rune with the wax crayon on the egg, made some more decorations on it and set it in the spring basket. When I had repeated this process for all the eggs I thanked the Sun Goddess and All the Gods.

As part of this ritual I use local spring water. I went down to this spring, filled the water jugs, pour a libation to the Gods, drank from the spring and proceed to SweetWood Temenos. When I arrived at the circle the skies had cleared, birds were singing and there was even a butterfly sunning itself on the altar. 

I went to the circle and set up the altar with beautiful weather, soft gentle wind and sunny blue skies. I invoked and sang to the Sun Goddess as I collected firewood and built a fire in her name. I brought the SweetWood Temenos Cauldron down to the circle, hung it up, filled it with the spring water and put on its lid. The circle was ready for the ritual and I looked around I found joy in my heart and the moment was a pleasure to my senses. 

Two local folk Johanna and Raven and my spouse Delta showed up for this lovely spring ritual. As priest I am naked in ritual celebrations (as weather permits) and all who attend may also honor Divinity so. We begin the ritual by blessing one another with incense and rose oil!  Then we held hands, grounded and centered with a three deep breaths and an OM. Then Delta and I cast the circle by honoring the four directions with incense and sound. In our rituals we use a water jar to draw water from the cauldron, to hold and charge the water with words, pour libations, then returned the water so charged to the cauldron to be drawn once more for each round of libations and water sharing. 

The first round of libations began by speaking and pouring libations for the 7 elements and the Sun Goddess. The second round invoked the Sun Goddess and all spoke about renewal, peace and balance. In the third round I spoke about the lore of the Sun Goddess and her renewal from the winter Hag to spring Maiden. It was lore that love and union between the old and young achieved a new balance and renewal (The loathsome lady who is transformed by a kiss from the young hero into a beautiful princess pp 68 The Sun Goddess by Sheena McGarth). The restored vitality and renewal of spring is likened to rebirth. So with each rebirth comes a restored wholeness and dynamic balance that includes and values our gender and sexuality. One of the most common questions asked at the time of birth is “ is it a boy or girl?” 

So we honored in this ritual of renewal and rebirth with a water libation to the multiple gender and sexual expressions of Divinity; to female, male and hermaphrodite, to homoerotic, heteroerotic, autoerotic and bisexuality, and to monogamy, polyamory, polyandry and polygyny. We honored the Goddess’s charge that all acts of love and pleasure are my rites in this season of new beginnings. With these words of wisdom and love the water jar was so charged and with a great shout, a libation was poured and the rest of the charged water returned to the cauldron.

 A new draught was brought forth from the cauldron and the water-sharing goblet on the altar was filled with this draught. I poured a bit of charged water on an evergreen sprig and sprinkled and so blessed all in the circle with it. The sprig was cast into the fire with the wish for greater love in this season.

Then I brought forth the spring basket filled with eggs, passed them around twice and every one drew two. We gave thanks for these signs of spring and set the eggs aside. We then did a spring dance and chant around the fire, singing and shouting “Shedding of the grey of short days (3 times), the husk of winter falls away  (3 times), we remember our goodness (3 times) and the green of spring returns (3 times), for we are the seed of Divine love (3 times)”. Our voices filled with joy and mirth echoed through the woods and valley below. We gave another great shout and gathered around the fire once more. 

 I then brought forth from the altar the water-sharing goblet filled with charged water. The goblet was passed around with these words “Water shared, is life shared, is love shared, May you never Thirst! Thou art God Thou art Goddess! After all had shared the Goblet was returned to the Altar and Delta and I took down the circle. Hugs were past around and the eggs were dyed to reveal the signs, the runes, of renewal. We all sat around the fire talking of the meanings of the runes and things to come. All left with full hearts and with feelings of renewal! What beautiful spring day it was!

Blessed Be and Never Thirst
Iacchus 
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Spring Equinox 2005

3/27/2005

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This year the celebration of the Spring Equinox was on Sunday March 20th at 1:00 pm. I arrived early to the circle. There was still 4 inches of snow on the whole ground of the circle and the temperature was around 38 degrees…a bit cool. 

I first went to the alter, gave thanks for the return of the Sun and then I placed upon the altar the incense, spring water, goblet, feather and the Goddess and God images. I set the altar, light some incense and sweet grass. I went around and honored the directions with the sweet grass. 

Then I went about building a fire in the circle. As I collected the firewood I sang to the Sun Goddess asking her to bring her warmth, her smiles and beauty to melt the snow and bring forth the green of spring. Two other members came at that time and joined in the building of the spring fire.  I took the incense and burner from the altar and smudge everyone with its incense. 

Then I began invoking the Sun Goddess, calling upon the renewed virgin, the winter hag who now blushes with youth and fertility. I invoked the solar vulva to stir the passions of men and women to dance the green of spring into being, to bring joy and promise to all hearts that we all may find the kinship of friendship and love in this season of renewal. 

We each took a turn and spoke of the Sun Goddess’s return and the balance she restores. Then we shared water in her name and blessed each other with “Thou art Goddess, Thou Art God, may you never thirst” and after which we sat down and had a small fest by the fire and warmed our feet. We talked of the coming season at SweetWood and made well wishes for another good season of celebration. 

Then the crone spoke and said “what no naked dancing on this hallow day”? So as priest I arose to her suggestion and said why of course my lady and took of my clothes and shoes. The crone said mind yea that the blessing of the Sun Goddess is three times and so around the circle naked must yea dance. So as I dance joyously naked in the snow I called upon the Sun Goddess and sang praise to her. Upon the third time I jumped and landed in the snow and gave a great shout of joy all in her name…I had a vision of her smiling in amusement at my naked dance in the snow where upon her golden radiance melted the snow and brought forth the green of spring. Then I saw her dancing around a may pole naked with flowers in her hair.

Then we relaxed for a while and in due time I took down the circle. Thus was the first SweetWood Temenos Spring Equinox ritual. 

Never Thirst
Iacchus
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    A Meditation For The Fall Equinox
    A Poem
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