Blessings are listed first. Below the blessings is a section for Calling in the Directions and opening and closing the circle.
Vernal Equinox 2018: “Welcome ladies: May the scent of spring awaken in you joy and laughter, creativity and divine providence…go forward with an open heart.”
Also...
Prayer before the meal:
On this day of celebration, we begin with a feast in gratitude for life itself. At this time of spring awakening, we experience more light in our lives. Did you know the added light makes the birds sing more? So as the gentle breeze of spring's sunlight arrives, we give thanks for all we have and the bounty Mother Nature will soon provide to each of us this season, physically and spiritually. Now we celebrate all this by nourishing our bodies...Ho!
Also...
Prayer before the meal:
On this day of celebration, we begin with a feast in gratitude for life itself. At this time of spring awakening, we experience more light in our lives. Did you know the added light makes the birds sing more? So as the gentle breeze of spring's sunlight arrives, we give thanks for all we have and the bounty Mother Nature will soon provide to each of us this season, physically and spiritually. Now we celebrate all this by nourishing our bodies...Ho!
Put your troubles into bubbles and blow them away,
Be playful, be present, enjoy this spring day.
Be playful, be present, enjoy this spring day.
Vernal Equinox 2015-Mad Hatter Tea Party Calling in the Directions
Left is so interesting: Left unsaid; left behind, my left food; left open; left leanings; left is right; left brain;. When nothing goes right, go left”. In thinking of being creative, we can remember the words of Thomas Edison: “ I start where the last person left off; think of those delicious left overs; remember 2 wrongs don’t make a right, but 3 lefts do. And in the immortal words of Dr. Seuss: Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!. Remember: Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open! Ho: to left!
Left is so interesting: Left unsaid; left behind, my left food; left open; left leanings; left is right; left brain;. When nothing goes right, go left”. In thinking of being creative, we can remember the words of Thomas Edison: “ I start where the last person left off; think of those delicious left overs; remember 2 wrongs don’t make a right, but 3 lefts do. And in the immortal words of Dr. Seuss: Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!. Remember: Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open! Ho: to left!
Garden Blessing for Ostara By Patti Wigington (2014)
The earth is cool and dark,
and far below, new life begins.
May the soil be blessed with fertility and abundance,
with rains of life-giving water,
with the heat of the sun,
with the energy of the raw earth.
May the soil be blessed
as the womb of the land becomes full and fruitful
to bring forth the garden anew.
The earth is cool and dark,
and far below, new life begins.
May the soil be blessed with fertility and abundance,
with rains of life-giving water,
with the heat of the sun,
with the energy of the raw earth.
May the soil be blessed
as the womb of the land becomes full and fruitful
to bring forth the garden anew.
Seed Prayer in Wheel of the Year
Now the dark half of the year is passing.
Now do the days grow light
And the Earth grows warm.
I summon the spirit of that which has slept in darkness
Awaken, stir, and swell
Soon you will be planted in Earth and in Mind
To grow and bring forth new fruit.
Blessed be all life.
Now the dark half of the year is passing.
Now do the days grow light
And the Earth grows warm.
I summon the spirit of that which has slept in darkness
Awaken, stir, and swell
Soon you will be planted in Earth and in Mind
To grow and bring forth new fruit.
Blessed be all life.
Vernal Equinox Antiphonal Chant: "What is this night? It is the night of Vernal Equinox..." The link takes you to the chant with a background of flowers. Would suggest changing the words to "What is this day?"
Blessing (2007): (Holding hands and breathing with woman)
"Welcome. Join us in the great rhythm of life. As Mother awakens in spring, so do you. Close your eyes and breathe in the lushness of your aliveness, your power and vitality."
(Annointing with water) "Know that your own body holds all the wisdom of the earth. You and she are always connected. Join us as we cultivate our Joy!"
"Welcome. Join us in the great rhythm of life. As Mother awakens in spring, so do you. Close your eyes and breathe in the lushness of your aliveness, your power and vitality."
(Annointing with water) "Know that your own body holds all the wisdom of the earth. You and she are always connected. Join us as we cultivate our Joy!"
From 2000 Spring Equinox Ritual: The whole ritual revolved around using the 4 Direction's attributes to honor Spring Equinox. Below are a few of the writings used in the celebration.
Introduction to the Celebration
This is the dawn of the Spring Equinox. The life forces of Earth have turned toward renewal; new life awakens us to a recreated world. This time is sacred to dawn, youth, the morning star and the East. Eostre (estrus) is a dawn goddess of fertility and rebirth. The festival of Astarte, March17, means "womb". At this time the Goddess as the earth is pregnant. As the goddess of the morning and evening star, kAstarte is also Venus, goddess of love, passion and creativity. In the story of Demeter and Persephone, this is the time of Persephone's reappearance on earth." The first days of Spring make us a feel young again. Let optimism touch our hearts as the tender spring sunshine touches the earth. |
From "Earth Prayers" page 288
To be of the Earth is to know the restlessness of being a seed, the struggle toward the light, the pain of growth into the light, the joy of bursting and bearing fruit, the love of being food for someone, the scattering of our seeds, the decay of the seasons, the mystery of death and the miracle of birth. ------- Earth Prayers page 211 (click link for complete text) "At the heart of earth prayer is a sense of belonging. Belonging is the basic truth of our existence. We belong here. Life belongs here... |
The four blessings below are from our 1995 Ritual:
Invocation:
We gather in this circle to welcome the Maiden, The old Mother Goddess shape-shifts once again And brings us a young and laughing daughter. She returns once more from the darkness And her sweetness makes us melt with joy. She comes, with fragile buds and green. She comes in beauty, dancing and singing, With fragrant blossoms in her hair. That which was separated has been reunited. That which died is now reborn... Communion:
Drink of this sweetness. Let life forces sweep through your veins Juice of the goddess, from the body of the goddess. Eat of her body, the blessed sustenance of grain. Be strong and grow as Persephone haas grown up from the Earth. |
Taken from the Antiphonal Chant:
From this night forward, light will prevail over darkness. We turn away from darkness. We embrace the light. We find the light within ourselves. Our goddess helps us. She is the shade and the brightness, the fire and the ash, the morning and the evening. She is the Virgin of Light, the Crone of Darkness, the Mother of Time. She is in our hearts in all seasons of the turning year. Behold the Goddess is ourselves. Closure:
We are daughters of our mothers, We are mothers of our daughters, We are sisters, we are lovers, We are friends and good grandmothers We are women like a river, Flowing on forever and ever. May the circle be open but never unbroken... |
Blessing: "We join with the earth and with each other, To bring new life to the land, To restore the waters, To refresh the air...
Introduction: "Now is the time of Vernal Equinox. The time when light and dark are equally balanced in our life. All sleeping seeds awaken. In the myth of Persephone and Demeter, this is the time of her physical birth where she rejoins her mother, leaving the darkness. A time of creating and mending bonds among women. A time to connect and rejoice in all that is growing and alive within us. As Earth bursts forth, relishing the warmth of the sun, so are we."
Is there a correct sequence for opening the circle and calling in the Directions? I've looked at many sites that have varied the order (as have we over the years). As with everything you do in ritual, your intention should guide you. Anything you use on this site, can be changed to meet your needs. However, I did find the following guidelines if you choose to use them:
"Note that the South is the starting point of the Q’ero Wheel, (South, West, North, East), whereas in the Native American tradition the East is the beginning of the cycle (East, North, West, South)" (https://www.gaia.com/article/four-directions-ceremony)
We've added the following to our rituals:
"Note that the South is the starting point of the Q’ero Wheel, (South, West, North, East), whereas in the Native American tradition the East is the beginning of the cycle (East, North, West, South)" (https://www.gaia.com/article/four-directions-ceremony)
We've added the following to our rituals:
We begin by acknowledging that our celebration takes place on the ancestral and unceded land of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of the Maidu People. We pay our respects to elders both past and present, and to their stewarding of the land throughout the generations. We pledge ourselves to respect and honor the earth, our Mother, through our celebration.
(To open the circle:)
By the Earth that is her body, By the air that is her sweet breath, By the fire of her bright spirit, And the water of her living womb, Our circle is cast, and we are between the worlds. And what happens between the worlds changes the world. |
(And to close the circle…)
By the Earth that is her body, By the air that is her sweet breath, By the fire of her bright spirit, And the water of her living womb, Our circle is open and yet unbroken. May the peace of the goddess be forever in your heart. Merry meet and merry part / And merry meet again. |
Calling in the Directions / Closing the Circle for 2018: (Click on the link for the complete text)
East- We join with the earth and with each other.
To bring new life to the land, to restore the waters, to refresh the air.
South- We join with the earth and each other.
To renew the forests, to care for the plants, to protect the creatures...
East- We join with the earth and with each other.
To bring new life to the land, to restore the waters, to refresh the air.
South- We join with the earth and each other.
To renew the forests, to care for the plants, to protect the creatures...
Blessing and stepping through "gates" representing the directions for 2017 rebirthing ritual: "Now the dark half of the year is passing. Now do the days grow light and the Earth grows warm.That which has slept in darkness, awakens, stirs, and swells. The Gate of the South is open. Its passionate flame warms Earth’s womb to quicken her seeds..."

Calling in the Directions from 2016 Ritual: Click on the link (words) to open a page you can print.
Calling in the Directions 2014 Vernal Equinox Ritual: "East: Air, the symbol of the East, a time of new beginnings and for new life; a time of planting our desires, hopes and intentions. Gate of the East, please open to visible and invisible good. We greet you and welcome you to our circle..."