20 March 12:49am Northern Hemisphere

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

Copyright OBOD – Edit by sundruid

The day after Imbolc (2/10/08) I went out to Bass Lake Park and checked on the grove we planted in December. I was greeted by the new growth of our little saplings!

All five Bald Cypress trees had added quite a bit of growth and were looking really healthy. They had each added about 6 inches of new growth.

I hope everyone is having a promising and bright January!

This time of deep sleep for the Earth is a time to reflect and prepare personally for the days ahead – bursting with life and promise as we approach Spring. I get myself mentally and physically prepared each Winter for the year ahead. Sometimes that means reviewing my diet, going for a nature walk (yes, even in the dead of Winter) or just re-evaluating my habits and values to ensure that I’m living the life I want, rather than just going with the flow. We all have a purpose for this incarnation, what’s yours?

How do the seasonal ceremonies fit in to personal growth for the Modern Druid? John Michael Greer, in the book The Druidry Handbook says:

“Self initiation into the Druid Tradition, however important its effects may be, is a process you’ll pass through only once, but the wheel of the year will carry you from season to season as long as you remain a Druid. There’s a sense in which the stations of the year are your real initiation, repeated at ever deeper levels as one year leads to the next.”

I hope that you connect with each station of the Sun, enjoying and being fully present with our Earthly home. Take the opportunity this year to practice your values and be a ‘Priest(ess) of Nature’ by finding ways to lessen your impact on the environment. Let your blessings shine through you on a personal level.

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At our last Grove meeting Monday, we had tentatively set a practice for Imbolc this Sunday. With the projected bad weather coming in, I propose we move that to Thurs, January 24 at 6:30pm. We will then be prepared for our formal ceremony on Thurs February 7th @ 7pm here at Wilderness Grove. There are 91 days between Winter Sol. and Spring Eq. so the mid point between the two falls on Feb 6-7. Thanks to Matt for bringing this forward from the shadows!

I have not had the opportunity to visit our new Peace Grove this month. The rain is perfect for our new planting – this should ensure a strong, healthy Grove that will be off to a fast growing start in April.

Don’t forget to visit the group calendar should you want to check on upcoming events. You can find it here.

Festival 2007

This year’s event will include:

• Workshops
• Entertainment
• Vendors
• Kid’s Activities
• Raffles and Auctions

http://www.ncpaganpride.org/

Also, be sure to get tickets for the after-party, The Pagan Pajama Party!