2024 Spring Equinox Family Ritual

Spring Equinox Ritual
March 19, 2024
By Foxlyn Wren
ADF COoR Style 

Materials:

• Pictures of Kore
• Kore Statue
• Persephone Statue
• The Well, The Fire, The Tree
• Snake (Gatekeeper)
• Hare (Gatekeeper)
• Spirit Staff Alum
• Drum
• 5 Fresh Eggs (one for each person)
• Crayons
• Cornmeal Offerings
• Green Altar Cloth
• Kuksa Offering Cup
• Drinking Horn with Water
• Elen's Wooden Blade
• Hellenic Prayerbeads
• Thera-Pets Deck
• Lighter

Entities of the Occasion:

• Kore, Child Spring Goddess

Ritual:

1.     Opening Rite: Today we celebrate the First Day of Spring!  Longer days, soon-to-be warmer weather and worm weather with the coming rains and storms.  I'm excited and I know yall are too.  Today we're honoring Kore, the Flower Maiden, as She awakens from Her long winter's sleep, and walks with flowers and greenery in every step.

2.     Light the Candle: Hestia-Vesta, First and Last, The Living Flame, I light this candle to show my love and gratitude for all that you've done, do, and continue to do for myself, our family, and the community.
Hestia-Vesta, accept this offering.
Kids: Accept our offering!
(Sprinkle salted flour into the flame)

3.     Purification: With this drum, we clear this space and our minds of all unwanted energies and entities.
(let each kid tap the drum)

4.     Invite the Earth Mother:  We call to the Earth Mother.  Earth Mother, hear us call to you as well as welcome you to this ritual.  Earth Mother accept our offering!
Kids: Accept our offering!
Give offerings.

5.     Inspiration:  We call now to the Spirits of Inspiration!  May you give energy to this rite.  Honey our words and keep the kids interested and excited.  Inspiration, accept our offering!
Kids: Accept our offering!
Give offerings.

6.     Recreating the Cosmos: Let us connect to the Sacred Center. 

7.     Attunement: I want you to close your eyes and take three deep, slow breaths, in and out.  Imagine that your feet are tree roots.  Grow your roots into the ground.  Roots help keep the trees standing against strong winds, like we had last week.  Now raise your hands up and imagine those are the branches and leaves of the tree.  Reach up into the sky.  Feel the sun's warmth and see Sunna's sunrays flowing into your finger leaves, arm branches, and tree trunk body.  Do you feel the sun's energy flowing through you?  Put your arms down and open your eyes.  How do you feel?
(let them answer)

The Waters support and surround us,
The Land extends about us,
The Sky stretches above us.
At our center burns a living flame.

May all the Kindreds bless us.
May our worship be true.
May our actions be just.
May our love be pure.
Blessings, honor, and worship to the Holy Ones.

8.     Opening the Gates: We call to the Gatekeepers, the Those who protect the paths between our world and the Other.  Hare!  Snake!  Accept this offering and be welcomed in our home. 
Kids: Hare!  Snake!  Accept this offering!
Give offering.

Hare and Serpent!  We ask that you join your magiks with ours as we open the gates.

(With Elen's blade, touch the Flame)
As we are in ritual space and time, know that this world reflects the Other.
Sacred Fire of the Heavens and Gods, You are the spark of inspiration, the flame of transformation, Burning within us, igniting our spirits with purpose.
May this candle flame become the cosmic fire.
Sacred Fire, burn bright within us!

(With Elen's blade, touch the Well)
Sacred Well, cauldron of the Underworld and the Chthonic Ones, Portal to the Ancestors, deep and ancient, Flowing from the womb of the Earth Mother.
May this cup of water become the cosmic well.
Sacred Well, flow deep within us!

(With Elen's blade, touch the Tree)
Sacred Tree, Yggdrasil, Portal to all worlds, you are the embodiment of strength and endurance. 
May this block of wood become Yggdrasil.
Sacred Tree grow strong within us!

The Fire, the Well, and the Sacred Tree,
Flame and flow and grow in me!

Hare and Serpent!  Let the Gates be Opened!
Kids: Let the gates be Opened!

9.     Welcome the Ancestors: Who welcomes the Ancestors?
Warrior: I do.  Ancestors of blood, spirit, and place, we invite you to this Spring Equinox Ritual.  Ancestors, accept this offering!
Everyone: Ancestors, accept this offering!

10. Welcome the Nature Spirits: Who welcomes the Nature Spirits?
Wolf:  I do.  Nature Spirits of land, air, and water.  We invite you to this Spring rite.  Nature Spirits, accept this offering!
Everyone: Nature Spirits, accept this offering!

11. Welcome the Shining Ones: Who welcomes the Shining Ones?
Wolverine: I do!  I call to the Shining Ones, Entities of blessing and guidance.  Shining Ones, accept this offering!
Everyone: Shining Ones, accept this offering!

12.  Welcome the Being of the Occasion: We now call to the Being of the Occasion, Persephone's Inner Child, Kore, the Flower Maiden.  Persephone wasn't always a Death Queen.  Once upon a time, she was a little kid like you three.  Playful and excited about warmth, sunshine, animals, and flowers.  Little Kore loves flowers and nature.  Little Kore has been asleep for the 6 long months of fall and winter, and now will be awakened for spring and summer.  Bringing with her, energies of love, playfulness, wonder, and renewal.  When you see female deer this season, especially fawns, perhaps you will be seeing this child goddess of spring?
Kore!  Flower Child, Spring Goddess, we honor and welcome you this day and season.  Kore!  Accept our offerings!
Kids: Accept our offering!

(drum and dance while the kids give their offerings)

13. Omen: Our offerings have been given and accepted.  Now it's time to see what messages our Kindreds have for us. (Thera-Pets).
Ancestors, what is your message for us this Equinox?
Nature Spirits, what is your message for us this Equinox?
Kore, what is your message for us this Equinox?

Thera-Pets by Kate Allan

Do we accept these messages?
We do.

14.  Hallowing the Waters: We have made our offerings to the Kindreds and so we shall ask for blessings in return. 
(Hold the Drinking Horn and their cups)
We ask the Kindreds to bless these waters.  May They fill our cups and with Their love, guidance, patience, and anything else They feel we need until Midspring. 
Kids, I want you to close your eyes and see colorful energies flow from all around and into this water.  Do you see it?  Is it filled to the top?

Behold the Waters of Life!
Kids: Behold The Waters of Life!

Drink deep and know we are blessed by our Kindreds–the Ancestors, Nature Spirits and Shining Ones.

15.  Working: Now it's time for the Work.  Take your eggs and be careful not to drop them or write too hard on them.  Early spring is a great time for the energies of renewal, healing, growth, and planning.  I want you to take a couple of moments and think about your goals for this season and year.  What are you hoping for?  Friends, events, family, personal goals?  Finishing a project or assignment?  Seeing your cousins this year?  Camping?  Thinking about it.  Also think about things that you're grateful for.  You can write and draw these words and pictures on your eggs.
When finished, bury the eggs outside in our pots.  Knowing that as the eggs are absorbed and nourish the seedlings and plants, so shall we be nourished by spring's magik.

16. Thanking the Beings of the Occasion:  To our honored Guests, Kore, the Nature Spirits, and our Ancestors of blood, spirit, and place, we thank you for attending this rite, and giving us protection and guidance, blessings, and patience. Go if you will, stay if you want.  Hail and Farewell.

Kids: Hail and Farewell, Kindreds and Spirits all!

17.  Closing the Gates: Gatekeeper Hare and Snake!  Thank you for guiding and aiding us and mixing your magik with ours.  Help us now to close the gates.
We stand here in ritual space and time.  But now we must return to the here and now.
(Touching Elen's blade to the Flame)
May this cosmic fire be but candle flame.
(Touching Elen's blade to the Well)
May this cosmic well be but a cup of water.
(Touching Elen's blade to Yggdrasil)
May Yggdrasil be but a block of wood.

May the Gates be closed!
Kids: May the gates be closed!

18.  Thanking Inspiration: Spirit of Inspiration, we thank you.

19.  Thanking the Earth Mother: Earth Mother we thank you for your support this day and every day.  Our thanks and blessings.  Hail and farewell, Earth Mother. 
Kids: Hail and farewell, Earth Mother!

20.  Closing Rite: This rite is ended.  May we go in peace and fellowship!  Let's eat!

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Resources

1.     Burns, Susan.  2024 Spring Equinox Ritual: American Hearth.  March 23, 2024.

2.     Serith, Ceisiwr.

3.  Stone Creed Grove, ADF.  Standard Liturgy.  November 22, 2021.  https://stonecreed.org/rituals/standard-liturgy/ 

4.  Three Cranes Grove, ADF.  Ritual Scripts.  https://threecranes.org/category/ritual-scripts/