Baltimore Reclaiming Celebrates Spring Equinox 2021
Date: March 20, 2021
Time: 6:45 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4942898732
Intention: We bloom with awareness and trust. We dance through the season, our community thriving.
When bees leave their hives and nests in the spring, they are acting on an affirmation--“there will be nourishment. There must be a thriving world that will keep myself and my community well.” They don’t know what to expect when they emerge, but they do their best to find the resources they need. As they gather some news of where to find nectar, where danger is, what to look out for in the world outside of their homes, honeybees will even dance that information to their sisters in order to help the collective do what they must. Other bees have other methods of survival, whether they live alone in mud or wood nests, or are members of a hive. This Spring Equinox, we are tapping into that energy and that leap of faith. We are calling to that determination to co-create a nourishing world. We are calling to the blessings that will nurture our community and experience our relationships as a dance of communication with the world and all its species.
Although we see an end in sight to the pandemic now, it is still far off. There are other really important issues on personal, local, national, and global levels demanding attention and action. Wherever your focus is, now is a good time to ask again: what resources do you need? What role can you play in helping other community members get what they need? Where do you need recovery time? Where and in what ways are you ready to engage with others?
The story for this ritual is “Spring Awakening,” by Soleil, Zac, and Aimee
i wake with the sun in the warmth of my siblings. i have matured enough to venture out of our community.
i follow the path drawn out in pheromones.
Flower to Hive, hive to flower and flower to hive again. This dance is a part of me.
i have faith i can collect enough; i have no choice but to believe in flowers.
i do not always know their words but i believe the flowers believe in me too. i carry between and they bow, so that must mean something;
sometimes the journey is long and i may tire and the pollen is heavy but my siblings will always be there to lighten my load.
i add my treasures to the others,
there are so many to care for.
from queen mother to beautiful babe, suspended in honey waiting to be birthed
nurturing belongs to all of us. ]
i end in warmth, and safety,
to rest so that i may dance again
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I wake with the sun warming my wood nest. I’m alone in a cozy cell.
I follow the rumble of hunger. I eat my way forward and find a breeze
Take wing, and fall down. I’m heavy. I’m loud. I’m a carpenter bee.
The air is alive with the sounds of the hive of honeybees down the way.
Us carpenters Bump and bumble our way, stretching our legs
And falling off flowers. We fly into human faces, into each others’ bodies,
Into basically everything. “Sorry!” we say, and go on our way.
We’re not graceful, not like those dancing honeybees.
Not compared to the hive we adore. I’m always shy drinking nectar
Next to one of those other bees, so sleek, always with their friends.
Dancing through they sky. But the flowers don’t seem to mind.
I ride a flower head. Drink deep, spread pollen. A friends thrumming wings
Bop into me, and we both fly away, hobbling through our own kind of dance.
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As the sun rises I turn my face towards its fiery rays. The light veil of dew that collected on my petals and leaves overnight begins to slowly evaporate, and I thank the water as it returns to the air.
I awaken further and send a gentle good morning to my neighbors in the earth - my roots connect me to my siblings and I am aware of other roots, of burrowing creatures, and of the bugs sharing the soil.
The sun continues to heat my surfaces and I can sense that Spring is here. The air is warmer, the light is returning. I can also tell the nectar and pollen I have been creating is becoming plentiful.
Soon a gentle humming enters my awareness. They have returned!
The hum grows louder, becomes a buzz. I feel the air around me shift as a single bee approaches. They are the first but they won’t be the last.
I tremble with equal parts anticipation and fear. Is my bounty ready? Will the bee enjoy the first tastes of my labor?
~~~
Financial Contributions: In keeping with the Principles of Unity, no one is ever turned away from a Baltimore Reclaiming ritual for lack of funds. When we were able to hold in-person rituals the monies collected at ritual went to paying for facility rental, supplies (candles, lights, small tokens to hand out, etc), and often to fund a donation to a local activist or charity organization. Since the 2020-2021 Ritual Arc is taking place online many of these expenses are reduced or eliminated. Instead the RPC intends to use the funds raised in ritual to pay marginalized witches for their labor, supporting anti-racism work in Baltimore Reclaiming, and funding activities planned by other Baltimore Reclaiming cells. Please give as generously as you are able so we can support the ongoing effort to Decolonize Reclaiming!
What is the Spring Equinox? The Spring Equinox is the official start of Spring. It is an astronomical event, marked by the instant of time when the plane of the Earth's equator passes through the center of the Sun. On the day of an equinox, daytime and nighttime are of approximately equal duration all over the planet. It is a moment of balance Following the spring equinox, the days will lengthen until we reach the longest day of the year at the Summer Solstice. Some witches call the Spring Equinox "Ostara", which was a name given to the Spring Equinox in 1974 by neo-Pagan Aidan Kelly. Modern Pagans mark Spring Equinox/Ostara as a celebration of balance (due to the day and night being of same length) and of life and fertility. This is a time when the world is usually waking up. The first blossoms and buds are breaking forth from the ground and the world is springing back to life. It is a time to witness the beauty of the world and recognize the preciousness of the living web.
About this ritual arc: Root to Rise is a ritual arc that was created especially for this pandemic year. It is an arc where community members have been invited in each ritual to help the Ritual Planning Cell create a story, and then the rituals themselves are based on the stories those community members choose to tell. This arc has emerged over time with the people who could be present for meetings each six week period, and has a lot of flexibility built in.
Who is Baltimore Reclaiming? We are a group of witches, artists, pagans, healers, activists, queers, priestesses, anarchists, theater geeks, feminists, and other good humans. We see our work as teaching and making magic: the art of empowering ourselves and each other. In our classes, workshops, and public rituals, we train our voices, bodies, energy, intuition, and minds. We use the skills we learn to deepen our strength, both as individuals and as community, to voice our concerns about the world in which we live, and bring to birth a vision of a new culture. We gather, mostly on the Sabbats, to work magic, often for personal healing and also for the healing of our society and planet. We believe that the work we do together in our sacred circles really can change the world.
Drugs & Alcohol: All Baltimore Reclaiming events are drug and alcohol free. We respectfully request that you do not use drugs or alcohol before or while attending our events.
What to Expect: New to Baltimore Reclaiming? Visit this page on our website to learn more about what to expect at an event. https://www.baltimorereclaiming.org/rituals
Dress Code: Wear whatever you like! You are welcome to wear everything from jeans and a t-shirt to a tuxedo. Often, people like to wear something special for ritual which might mean a favorite dress, a special shawl, a flower crown, or something else. We encourage you to wear whatever you feel most comfortable in.