**Please Use The Blow As A Guideline Only**
o/a unknown
This festival is the first rite of spring. The dark of winter is behind us and now the Goddess takes on the robes of the Maiden and the God is seen as a young man.
Find some time and a place where you will be undisturbed. Take a black or dark red candle to represent the Goddess as Wise One and a white one to represent her as Maiden. As with all your rituals, call upon the elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth as well as the Goddess and the God to be with you.
Light the dark candle and say, “This light is the light of the Crone, the Wise One who has ruled over the winter months, the resting time.” Spend a few moments thinking of all that has passed since your celebration of Samhain, especially of what you have learned in this time.
Next say, “Now it is time for the Crone to turn away and become once more the Maiden, Lady of Spring and promise.” Light the white candle and extinguish the dark one.
Now spend a little time thinking about what you would like to begin in this new season.
Thank the elements and the Goddess and the God for their presence during your rites.
An alternative to this ritual would be to take some ice, a large piece if possible, and, taking it in your strong hand (your right if right handed, your left if left handed), hold it over a bowl and say, “This represents the Crone, Lady of Winter, of the time when the land is still and resting. But as winter’s thaw begins, so the Lady casts off her robes of stillness and becomes once more the Maidens. Full of movement, like the cool waters of spring, she flows once more to bring life and hope to all the land.”
Once the ice has fully melted, keep the resulting water to put on your favorite plant, either indoors or outdoors or in the garden. Please wait until the water has reached a reasonable temperature before you do this, otherwise you will freeze the poor thing’s roots!
Once again, this ritual should begin by asking the support of the elements, the Goddess and the God, and they should be thanked at the end.