Spring Equinox Ritual

(Alban Eiler)

Written by

Upon the circle cast by the hand of Awen in the form of the Divine One who bespeaks for me, sword tip drawing the image of the globe for above and below is a sphere of light now called from within the casting. 

I consecrate this circle of power to the Ancient Gods. 

Here may they manifest and bless the attendants.

To the East our hands are raised with our gaze.

Time has held still for a breadth as the sun entered the new day of the Bright One.

Today it is that we stand still for but a moment and step outside of time and our confines,

This is a time that is not a time, in a place that is not a place, on a day that is not a day.

I stand at the threshold between the worlds,

Before the veil of the Mysteries in the cycle of Eostre.

May the Ancient Ones help and protect us on our magical journey.

Chalice waters flowing from the infinite cup, serving us in wisdom knowledge and trust with the balance of forces creating justice.

Great Mother, bless the creatures of Water to your servitude and peaceful purpose.

The seasons of change are but a wellspring from the spirit buried deep within the earth.

The flow of rain from the skies and the tears of all must come for without either the soul is barren.

May we always remember the cauldron waters of rebirth in our time of thirst and bounty.

From the sea comes made of the Mother’s dried earthly tears of mineral white and pure.

Great Mother, bless these creatures of Earth to your sustaining life force.

Treading lightly upon the grassy green we shall remember our homage.

Being gentle and kind and asking in our taking to keep the delicate tree in balance.

May we always remember the blessed Earth, and its many forms and beings.

And in remembering the council of all spiritual forms we respect its place in the world.

Salt upon water we give you our tears as we empathetically feel your birthing pains.

Great Mother, we give you honor!

In a circle we spread our circle cast with mind for all spirits this night.

With the sea, land, and sky revolving clockwise around the edges of our sphere.

We now hold the dagger in the cleansing smoke of perfume drifting in the air.

Great Father, bless these creatures of Fire to your service.

May we always remember the sacred Fire that dances within the form of every creation.

Through the element of fire we have warmed our frail figures through the cold night.

The cleansing of debris from our hearts through the purifying ash, we ignite the phoenix within.

Great Father, bless this creature of Air to your service.

As we linger feeding upon the deep breaths of air filling our lungs.

May we always listen to the spirit winds that bring the voices of the Ancient Ones.

So that we can drift upon the hawks wings, and let our minds float upon the stars rising as our guides.

With the clockwise motion the smoke spirals towards the father sun and pictures are drawn of curling air.

Our fringe of heaven is complete within the salted circle,

Begun from the east balanced between the halves of light and dark in the veil of unity.

Hold close clasped hands and unite in the process of creating justice from knowledge that first sprang from the wisdom of our ancient cultures.

It is between the male and female, the duality,

That all life must spring and the sacred branch speaks to us from these beginnings.

Great Father, I give your honor!

To the East:

The sacred yellow candle is lit in the mind’s eye.

We call upon you, Powers of Air, to witness this rite and to guard this circle.

To the South:

The sacred red candle is lit in the mind’s eye.

We call upon you, Powers of Fire, to witness this rite and to guard this circle.

To the West:

The sacred blue candle is lit in the mind’s eye.

We call upon you, Powers of Water, to witness this rite and to guard this circle.

To the North;

The sacred green candle is lit in the mind’s eye.

We call upon you, Powers of Earth, to witness this rite and to guard this circle.

Behold, the Lord and Lady of life and the giver of life.  Without the Lord the Goddess is barren.  Without the Lady, the God has no life.  Each must have the other for the full circle to spring life.  As the Sun feeds the Earth, the spear to the cauldron, spirit to flesh, man to woman, the dualities of light and shadow fall upon us in alignment.  Our arms sweep wide to welcome you into the group’s embrace. 

O Great Goddess, be with us now in your aspect of the Maiden, the fair one who brings joy and new life.

For it is in your triple aspect our bounty has come, though we enter upon the time of new giving.  We light a candle for you as you venture through the darkness of space to find hearts full of light and grace.

O Great God of renewal, be with us now in your aspect of the Lord of the Forests, the Horned God who brings warmth and love.  Your herd awaits your gentle blessings made in dignity and faith to watch over us as we continue on the spiral path.  Chimes ring with your announced presence and thus we are united in your giving strength.

May the strength of the old enter into the new.  Great Lord and Lady, make all things strong and giving of new life.  Blessed Be.  With the wand we wave our passage on forward and ask for hope.

Awake!  All creatures in the realm of Earth, awake! Greet the Maiden and her Lover, who herald the coming of spring.  To you the smoke of the fire, the flowered enticement of incense from the mother’s earthen bed.

Now cast behind the darkness of Winter and the past; look only to that which lies ahead.  This is the time for seed planting in the physical, mental and spiritual.  As we write our memories upon the paper for the wishes of a better year, touched by an athame shall we know too the metal of our wants.

This is a joyous time, a time for planting.  With joy and trust, we place these requests in the hands of the Goddess and her Lord.  To weigh in their receiving hands in complete release so that we may walk forward in life. 

These thought-seeds do we willingly place into the hands of the Lady and her Lord, that these desires and dreams may manifest and become reality.  Blessed be the Old Gods!  And fire shall consume those words with the bright flame of healing sent from above.

Personal Note

On my second year of writings, begun as a simple way to express the enamourous thoughts of the new path I had begun with those I dearly love, I began a quest to become an honest person steeped in my solitary mysteries though the message of what I had to say be clear.  There have been many messages and many faces, there have been many misadventures and choices, no path is ever clear of obstacles yet sometimes we place them so plainly that anyone can read the pain and anguish that we face in those life matters.  On this year, we have as a nation grown into this Awakening.  The circle has become larger and sadness pervades us as we try to grapple with the warnings have been receiving, and yet we come back to the Old Ones time and again.  To listen to the wisdom they had gained in their explorations of life, and to be reunited with the sacred message buried deep within our consciousness.  It is not a path for everyone to take, as I understand that there are many in life and to choose but one view without remaining open to understanding others would be to brush away some sense of truth in an obscurity most would rather not face.  It is in my practice that I choose to unite my friends in this circle of celebration, for life is what it is about.  I chose to create my club out of hopes that some remaining piece of poetry would linger on and be savored as I have tasted on my palate and so too that I may in time relish the experiences I was given.  Often I felt alone and afraid of the things to come, for it is difficult to not fear the unknowns in the face of change.  I seek to overcome these fears often, and that is what this day brings in meaning and ritual for many cultures.  It is a time of renewal and birth, a time when magick is made in the gray mists of twilight and the rise of the sun and moon in a timeless exchange of mysticism throughout the world.  It was not my intention to choose this day in particular, for it is also my sister’s birthday.  Though Autumn Magick is exactly that celebration of seasonal exchanges, and the nature surrounding all of us in our daily lives viewed to be miraculously beautiful and inspiring.  On the Celtic Tree of Life we see that Autumn allows things to die and be reborn, a time for harvesting what we have gained in knowledge and sharing it in the dark months to come.  When Spring arrives in its circular fashion, as it will inevitably do, the rains begin to wash the land of the cold blanket and relinquish the hold over life it has claimed.  Spring offers us new life in our homes, and hope is born on those seeds of light.  The equinox marks the return passage of the migratory birds, most colorfully welcome to the stark landscape of winter.    And it is in the birds that I find the divinatory messages born upon, for even though the numbers of the species declines and warns us of our harm to the Tree, we also understand that a new chance has been given to us.  I want to say thank you to the Goddess and God for those gifts of life, and also the friendships I have gained in my circle.  The spiral is long, and there are many celebrations and setbacks though we shall remember the important things through the cosmic rays filtering through the voices being heard.  I pray it is in time, and also for those who walk the path of stars to remain strong in the purpose the universe is trying to show them.  The Earth needs us to listen.  So it is my hope to my grove, that we will take time to do so beyond this circle.  And this circle though my choice, is universal in honoring those of all faiths.  I will to have gone to give my sacred message to nature with the traditions of both old and new, as spring has come to my home, my group, and my mind.  It is now that we chose to say these blessings for renewal and growth, inspiration and insight, strength and unity, tenderness and caring, love and trust, but above all hope and faith for the future. These are my blessings to honor the powers that be from all directions the path before us has sprung from.  Peace be unto you and the forces that be.

 Closing the Circle

Honor to the Old Gods!  Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.  Drink the wine and sing a prayer for the Ancient Ones. 

Give ye a taste of the fruit from the magick done by the spirits sent to help our peace, and the cause shall go on to be one of blessings. 

By the powers of the ancient Gods,

I bind all power within this circle Into this spell.

So mote it be.

To the East:

Our yellow candle is extinguished, but all the work and memories will remain for the benefit of all to gain.

Depart in peace, O powers of Air.

Many thanks and blessings.

To the South:

Our red candle is extinguished, but all the work and memories will remain for the benefit of all to gain.

Depart in peace, O powers of Fire.

Many thanks and blessings.

To the West:

Our blue candle is extinguished, but all the work and memories will remain for the benefit of all to gain.

Depart in peace, O powers of Water.

Many thanks and blessings.

To the North:

Our green candle is extinguished, but all the work and memories will remain for the benefit of all to gain.

Depart in peace, O powers of Earth.

Many thanks and blessings.

To all beings and powers of the visible and invisible, depart in peace.

May there always be harmony between us.

Many thanks and blessings.

With the reverse of the spiral motion we cut the circle undone.

The circle is open, yet ever it remains a circle.

Around and through us always flows its magical power.