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
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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