The London Druids and the Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox - also known as the Vernal Equinox - begins today at 9.24pm in the UK. It marks the point in the year when the sun sits directly over the Earth's equator as it heads northward. Both hemispheres share the sun's rays equally at the equinox, and night and day are roughly the same length.

Our ancestors followed the movements of the the Sun and the Moon in the sky and the Solstices and the Equinoxes formed fixed points in the first calendars (see here for info on the pagan 'Wheel of the Year'). The Vernal Equinox is seen as the beginning of Spring and the start of new life. In older pagan religions it was known as Ostara, from where we get the word 'Easter'. But more on that tomorrow. 

The Equinox will be celebrated all over the UK today - most notably at important sites like Stonehenge (and even Milton Keynes - see here) -  but one of the most extraordinary events takes place in the heart of London. At 12 noon, members of the Order of Druids will proceed along Byward Street to Tower Hill Terrace in silence. Participants dressed in white robes and head-dresses carry banners, invoke the elements and perform blessings before scattering seeds to encourage a fruitful year ahead.

The Druid Order has existed in London since 1717 but its roots are very much older. The Druids describe themselves as a spiritual group, but they don’t have a religion per se. They base their philosophy on living in harmony with Nature and the cycles of Nature. 

The group will form a druid circle on Tower Hill Terrace and blow a trumpet to call for ‘peace within’. Then ‘the lady’ (representing the earth mother, Ceridwen) enters and sprinkles seeds on the ground. It represents the sowing of ideas or plans for the year ahead. When the ‘sowing’ is complete, one of the druids will give a short talk, followed by a moment of meditation.

Images copyright (c) Ron Fassbender 

I've seen the ceremony a couple of times and it's a lovely thing. Sadly, I can't be there this year as I'm lecturing students. 

But I will be marking the Equinox by attending an Ostara celebration with a group of witches on Wednesday evening. 

More on that in a few days.