Spring Equinox (Alban Eilir)
Alban Eilir is considered the light of spring. This is the turning point within the season of Embolic (spring).
Midwinter Gathering: (Calan) Calends of summer, winter, spring and fall.
Honor spirits of darkness now behind this culture, the sacred land and the welcome of the spirit is of the new cycle. The lessons of the darkness are spoken of, or the beauty and power of winter. The seeds of spring are sewed into the land.
The internal is a mirror for the external, and the external is a mirror for the internal. So, by making an offering to the spirit’s of winter, people are also honoring own dark inner world(s), all that lurks and hides within the cracks, possibly unaccepted by one’s own consciousness and rarely, if ever, expressed. Honoring inner strength and stoutness that brings one through harsh times is essential.
Common seeds that people plant are barley and wheat, which will sprout and grow ripe in time for harvest. Other seeds such as sunflower, beans, sweet peas, or annual grass are also used. It is important that when choosing a seed to plant that an easily grown plant will avoid stress and heartache. This is the time when fertility is awakening. The culture turns their foes to the point of balance.
Creativity, emotion, and desires of the new growing season are seed thoughts of which plans are expressed during painting of eggs. If one takes the time to listen, leaning up against a tree, it is possible to feel the energy of that extraordinary flow - the sap rising. As the warmth of the sun’s light warms the earth, people are inspired to stretch - reaching for the skies - growing and learning, finding freedom in new directions.
The Spring Equinox is celebrated between March 20 and March 23, on the day when the day is the same length as the night. It is also known by the name Alban Eillir (sometimes written Eiler) Eilir is Welsh for “regeneration” or “spring”. Poetically Alban Eilir is expressed as “Light of the Earth”.
The spring equinox, being a time of new life is a celebration of childhood, where games are abundantly played. The symbolism of the egg is prominent. It is a festival filled with laughter and anticipation. It is a festival of excitement for balance with tipping the year toward lightness and growth.
The darkness is behind us and we begin our journey into the light part of the year. Similar to the autumn equinox many, who are attune to the energy of the cycle, feel a balance over the few weeks before and after the event.
At the Spring Equinox, energy is increasing. The tides are high and the moon is high and bright.
The core of Alban Eilir lies in honoring the seeds that will become the year’s harvest. They might be sown in pots and cared for on windowsills or in greenhouses, protected from the frosts. These seeds are a part of a Druid’s ritual work of caring for the land. They are consecrated with the elemental forces of flowing air, of sun warmth, of moisture (rain) and of earth (soil).