Mark Green's Atheopaganism Blog

As the vernal equinox (which in my version of the Wheel of the Year I term High Spring) approaches, Pagans everywhere prepare to celebrate this important Sabbath.

As the “Spring festival” (whether you consider it the beginning of Spring or, as I do, the height of it), themes of High Spring include new life, youth, childhood, innocence, inspiration, new beginnings and the initiation of new projects and efforts, and balance (just as the equinox is the balance point between the primarily-dark and the primarily-light halves of the year). Here where I am, at least, the world is green and blooming with flowers, and hope is in the air.

Some common ritual activities for High Spring include dyeing eggs (a pre-Christian tradition going back thousands of years in Europe), planting seeds (I prefer wildflower mixes native to my region), cleaning one’s Focus (altar) and/or home, and playing childlike games. Ritual foodstuffs for this Sabbath often include “Easter” candy; I like to serve sparkling cider for the kids and sparkling wine for adults—preferably with a strawberry in each glass for festive color.

Gatherings for High Spring often focus on children and childlike games and activities. In past years, we have played Chutes and Ladders and Candyland at High Spring gatherings; for more active activities, playground games like “tag” can actually be a lot of fun for adults as well as children. And, of course, a hunt for dyed eggs for the kids is traditional and exciting (but please, avoid plastic eggs and toys to as great an extent as possible).

High Spring is a great time for contemplative practices, too. Meditation topics can include, “What am I hoping for now?”; “Where am I needing to seek balance in my life?”; and, “What am I planting for this year’s harvest?”, as examples.

High Spring is a happy time. It is a Sabbath for forgetting our lives’ burdens for a moment, and being in the moment in joy, knowing that renewal is possible, hope springs eternal, and light and warmth are growing for the year. I hope yours is wonderful.