The Prayer of the Spring Equinox

The Prayer of the Spring Equinox

"With the first rays of the sun on the plant's leaves its
ethereal spirit is strong enough to summon our convention-blinded souls to this primitive worship."
    ___Llewelyn Powys, "Earth Memories"


   At last we have a clear sign that the year is rising from the enclosing darkness of winter into a warmer, brighter world. On this first day of spring, the sun is at its midway mark, halfway between midwinter and midsummer, when its glory will be greater still. This is a good day for beginnings.

   Make a gift of this day, dedicating it to the beginning of a new phase of your life, or to a new plan or enterprise, rather than doing your mundane work. Begin the day by greeting the sunrise, if you are able, becoming aware of the passing darkness of winter and seeing the sun as the herald of the light that will grow from now on.

  Stand in the light of midday, facing the sun, and tune your heart to the season of spring and all that it means to you. Be aware of how your own soul's circuit and the circuit of the sun are being aligned and attuned to each other. Make your own prayer for this spring quarter on behalf of all beings. Then turn and face your shadow, feeling the sun upon your back. Your shadow is shorter than it was at midwinter and will shorten even more as the year grows.

   Project your thoughts and intentions forward over the next few months. Over what activities, plans, and events is your shadow going to fall? Draw the light into your body and allow the sap-rising spring to penetrate to your soul. Be aware of the fusion between body and soul, of their unity with the light and the season. Open your eyes, becoming aware of your soundings and your life's purpose. As you prepare to sleep, be thankful for the darkness and the rest that enable everything to grow.

"Stand in the sun at midday, as suggested above."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]


For me the concept of the Spring Equinox is representing balance - light vs dark - and I see the tarot card Temperance as being a representative of this harmony.  Here is the Temperance tarot card from Legend, the Arthurian Tarot.

This Temperance card is subtitled The Cauldron of Annwn.. And here is a description of this card's images and symbols.  Nine priestesses attend the Cauldron of Annwn, source of poetic inspiration and mantic powers. Many peoples have attributed the powers of prophecy, inspiration and art to magical springs, cauldrons, and heads. All three motifs have been incorporated into the scene, representing the collective unconscious wisdom available to one who seeks it.
   The bards of Arthur's time credited their talents to the Cauldron of Annwn, which originally was thought to have been a head. This echoes the card's alternative name, Ar, since it is the arts that most often achieve and communicate knowledge of the unearthly.
   One priestess holds a torch, its fire representing the consciuos mind and structure. Another of the priestesses pours water, representing the subconscious and the genius of inspiration. It was the custom to mix wine with water and this mixing symbolizs moderation, the combining and balancing of both the physica and spiritual plane. The priestess has one leg in the water while the other rests on the stone. She bridges both worlds, representing one who is capable of manifesting psychic knowledge on this plane.
    The sisterhood of nine priestesses combines energies, forming a union of forces which illustrates the value of compatibility, diplomacy, and accommodation.