Spring Equinox

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Welcome to the fourth of eight celebrations in the cycle of the solar festivals in Ireland. Sow in Spring and reap in Autumn; in life as in the seasons

The cycle we use marks the four seasons of Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lughnasadh with the four cardinal days of winter and summer solstice, spring and autumn equinox. The seasons are an expression of what is happening on the land and also in our own lives. Spring Equinox is the time of year when the sun rises due east and sets due west giving us equal amounts of daylight and darkness. It is a time that the earth’s axis is straight as a door post and suggests to us a time of balance has arrived. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates Spring whilst the Southern experiences Autumn. There are many different cycles and calendars and these have been handed down since pre-history, changing as the needs of the individual and community changed. In our rituals and ceremonies we do not seek to do what they did, we seek what they sought. With each ceremony held, with each candle lit, with each positive image about Earth raising the awareness level of people, each poem, thought, prayer offered in sincerity has been heartfelt by the spirit of Earth. It is certain that whatever else happened at ancient sites in Ireland they were and are still used for traditional customs and rituals at particular times of the year.


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