The spring equinox has come and gone, we now approach the
end of March and the coming of Easter. Earlier this month I wrote a blog called
‘In winter’s Grip’ and in that blog I discuss briefly, England’s rather
abnormal weather front. See link below.
Putting aside that snow in February is hardly unknown in
England, we do have to take on board, that this spring has been one of the
coldest in living memory. The month has been distinctly notable for the blizzards,
which have continued through March right to the equinox. In some parts the
lambs have come a little late, as have the few brave spring flowers that have
so far, sallied forth from the depths.
I have been rather fortunate, I have taken annual leave the
week before and the week of the equinox. Yet the month has been rather full on,
both sweet and sour. A bereavement during the latter part of February cast a
shadow, a shadow long enough to touch the beginning of March and tinge spring
with an element of sadness.
Noting this however, we should not dwell too long upon the
more negative aspects of the month. My annual leave began with a trip to London
and a visit to the Fortean Society at Conway Hall. I was there to hear a most informative
lecture on Herne the Hunter and Robin Hood. This was delivered with great
professionalism by John Callow, who was courteous enough to sign his new book. It
was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, the subject is very much my personal area
of interest and a review will eventually be forthcoming.
That week of annual leave was indeed a busy one, perhaps
capturing the slow change of tide as winter very slowly relinquished its grip.
A change barely discernible in the air yet extant. I was active, attending two
meetings relating to a charitable venture, I had meetings with friends and I
saw a rather good amateur production of Tommy, it was quite enough to keep me
occupied that week.
During the latter part of that same week prior to the equinox,
we held our usual moot. It was our delight to drink to the health of two of our
attendees who had just announced their engagement. We hoped that this was a
sign, the winds of change and that spring was truly in the air. However, that
weekend the snows returned, less fierce but as disruptive as previously noted.
A reminder that the Snow Queen was not yet ready to depart.
We the Hearth of the Turning Wheel, should have been holding
our spring equinox meeting on Monday the 19th of March. The eve of
the official date. Due to the inclement weather we postponed one day, meeting
for our observance on the evening of the 20th. During this ritual we
read poetry and distributed chocolate eggs.
“Ostara is new light, soft
sweet air, the running hare and spring flowers. The bursting of buds and the straight
following of new paths. May the spirits of the air guide our thoughts when we
set out on new paths. May the spirits of the Sun and fire give us vitality and
passion to make new ventures successful. May the spirits of water help us to
tread new paths with balanced emotions. May the spirits of the earth give us
physical balance so we may draw life and health from the strengthening Sun. May
the Gods watch over us this springtime and may we continually remember to give
thanks to them for this new season.” Poem adapted from Duff G. (2002) ‘The
wheel of the Wiccan year.’ Rider Publishing.
Since only a few of us had been able to attend and I had
bought plenty of chocolate eggs, we had enough for two each. Wrapped around
each egg I had placed a slip of paper and upon each slip, was typed a motto
taken from the Anglo Saxon Rune Poem. These served as a little pointer or
message for the recipient. My two stanzas of the poem are reproduced below.
‘Peorth is a
source of recreation and amusement to the great, where warriors sit blithely
together in the banqueting-hall.’
‘The joyous man
is dear to his kinsmen; yet every man is doomed to fail his fellow, since the
Lord by his decree will commit the vile carrion to the earth.’
Within a day or so of the equinox there was without doubt, a
change in the air. There was less chill, the skies were bright and walking
around the village I could appreciate this change. Yet the change was not
complete, snow was still present in the secluded parts. Although the hares were
out in the fields, those fields were hard and still unwelcoming. To balance
this however, I saw my first butterfly and my first bumblebee.
Later in the week I attended the wedding reception of a work
colleague. A welcome and complementary event to the engagement announcement made
earlier in the week. Capturing as it did, a certain lighter air. Yet despite
all this promise, the sun, the lambs, the flowers and the tides of romance. The
chill and the ice lingers on. The promise we look for and feel with the
lengthening days, seems inconsistent, inconstant and itinerant.
At the time of writing it is the seventh anniversary of this
blog and I find myself increasingly aware of its significance to my life.
Equally I am surprised at the moderate success of the blog. I appear to have
gained some respect in its writing, while building upon my published writings. The
blog may have only a few followers but due to shares across the web, primarily
Facebook, I now average two thousand visits a month. Who is reading this and
why?
All this reminds us how much we cannot take for granted.
Success or the lack of it. Respect or the lack of it. We cannot take nature,
the weather or indeed even our health for granted. We are all subject to many
extraneous factors and our fate is known to none, perhaps not even the Gods. It
is with that thought and in the hope that the winter chill will soon rescind, that
I end with 'Sigdrifa’s
Prayer' from Sigdrifasmal.
“Hail,
day!
Hail,
sons of day!
And
night and her daughter now!
Look
on us here with loving eyes,
That
waiting we victory win.
Hail
to the Gods!
Ye
Goddesses, hail!
And
all the generous earth!
Give
to us wisdom and goodly speech,
And
healing hands, life-long.”
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