Spring Equinox Ritual

Needed:

  • Bundle of spring wild flowers
  • Priapic wand
  • Wooden or earthenware bowl filled with soil
  • Large seed
  • Parchment and pen
  • Light green altar cloth
  • Light green candles
  • Athame
  • Bell
  • Cakes and ale

Let there be a bundle of spring wild flowers lying on or beside the altar. The Coveners may wear flowers in their hair if they wish. On the altar lies the Priapic Wand*, a wooden or earthenware bowl filled with soil and a large seed of some kind. Also on, or under, the altar is a sheet of parchment, or paper, and a writing instrument. The altar cloth and candles should be light green.

The Erecting the Temple is performed. The bell is rung three times.

Priest: "Blessed be all within this Circle."

Priestess: "Merry meet we at this Springtime Rite."

All: "Merry meet."

Priest: "Brothers and Sisters, hear my words.
Awake and greet the Spring.
Lord! Lady! Hear us, for we are here.
We are here to celebrate with you and for you.”

Priestess: "Welcome, welcome beauteous Spring!
Welcome the time for birth.
Welcome the time for planting seeds."

Coveners, with Priest and Priestess leading, take up the flowers and dance deosil around the Circle. As they dance, they bend down to drop their flowers on the line of the Circle, till the whole circle is decorated with the flowers. If they wish, they may sing as they dance. When the dancing stops the bell is rung three times.

Priest/ess: "Springtime is seedtime. Now is the time for each of us to plant that which he or she wishes to come to flower."

Covener: "Springtime is for hopes and desires; for new ideas; for balance and inspiration."

Priest/ess: "Let us now meditate on that which we wish to bring forth. Let us consider our hopes and opportunities and direct our energies to one, or more, things we would start upon the road of life."

All sit and, in as comfortable a position as possible, meditate. Think of what seed of an idea you would like to plant, that it may grow into an opportunity. It might be a quality like Patience, or Perseverance, or it might be the opportunity to do or create something. It might be something not for yourself but for another. When sufficient time has elapsed the bell is rung. Priest/ess takes the parchment and pen and writes, at the top, his/her "seed" (try to concentrate it into as few words as possible). The parchment is passed around the Circle and all add their "seeds". When it is returned, Priest/ess lights the parchment from the altar candle and holds it so that as it burns the ashes fall into the bowl of earth. As s/he does so, s/he says:
"Lord and Lady, receive these our seeds. Let them germinate in our minds and our hearts. Let them prosper and grow to maturity, For we will care for them and encourage them in your name."

Taking her athame, Priestess mixes ashes into the soil. She then makes an indentation in the center and lays down the knife. Priest takes up Priapic Wand and dances three times around the Circle with it held aloft over his head. The first time round he dances slowly, the second time faster and the third time very fast. Returning to the Priestess, he holds out the Wand vertically before him.

Priestess: "By the power of the raised Wand doth the Seed find the furrow. Blessings be upon this handsome Wand."

She kisses the tip of it.

Priestess: "All honor to it. May it be ever thus."

Priest lays down the Wand and takes up the seed from the altar. He holds it for a moment between the palms of his hands, concentrating his energies into it. He then passes it to the Covener next to him, who does the same. The seed is passed around the Circle in this fashion till it returns to Priest. Priestess then takes up the bowl from the altar and holds it high.

Priestess: "Of old would we celebrate by together planting the seed, one with another. Here do we symbolize that act, in veneration of our Lady and our Lord."

Priestess turns to face Priest, bringing down the bowl and holding it between her breasts.

Priest: "These rites of Spring belong to us all; To us and to the Gods. This is a time of joy and a time for planting."

He places the seed in the hollowed space and closes the soil over on top of it.

Priest: "This seed do I place in the womb of the Earth That it may become a part of that Earth, A part of Life and a part of us."

Priest and Priestess kiss, and Priestess replaces bowl on altar. They then move around the Circle, kissing and hugging each of the Coveners. Bell is rung three times.

Then shall follow the ceremony of Cakes and Ale. After that the Clearing the Temple is performed so that there is plenty of room for fun, games and entertainment. The evening concludes with a feast.

*The Priapic wand is named after Priapus, the Roman Cod of procreation. In Asia Minor he was equated with Pan, the nature deity of Greece, and was considered the off-spring of Aphrodite and Dionysus. He presided over the fecundity of fields and flocks, over the raising of bees, the culture of the vine and over fishing. He protected orchards and gardens, where his phallic image was prominently displayed. The Priapic Wand is, in effect, a representation of a phallus (penis). Although only used in a few rituals (if you so desire), you will need one. It should be about twenty-one inches in length overall with the last eight or nine inches carved in the shape of a male organ.