Intention: Rising on the winds of mystery, our collective stories inspire hope and change.
Spring Equinox with Baltimore Reclaiming
Homewood Friends Meeting House
3107 North Charles Street, Baltimore Maryland 21218
Please arrive no earlier than 6:30 for a 7:00 ritual start.
Spring is here, witches. Spring peepers are calling, birds are arriving and insects awakening, the first flowers of the season are popping up all over the place. Stories of the season are abounding in every corner, when you open all your senses to receive them.
Some of these stories have come a little too early, and others, like spring frosts, have mostly been noticeable by their absence. The natural world is telling a story of changes– some typical, others influenced by human behavior. On this stage set by the natural world, other stories are also unfolding, some as hopeful as windpower generating more electricity in Europe than gas in the last year, others as harrowing as the ongoing genocide in Gaza. By telling our stories, and by hearing those of others, we begin to shape the world we want to live in. Those of us who Court Mystery can even call upon our beloved allies to guide us in our shaping.
What stories are budding in your heart this spring, ready to emerge into the sunlight? What do they tell you about the world we inhabit? How do they mix and mingle with other stories, inevitably blooming, whether we are ready or not?
In this ritual, we will meet some Mysterious Allies, telling them our stories and seeking their advice on how we can work with them to seed changes we desire upon the wind.
Bring to this ritual a story you have been telling yourself this spring. It can be big, or small, deeply personal or a community tale. If you forget, our pre-ritual activity will give you a chance to think on it.
Cost: Baltimore Reclaiming does not charge for our events, but we do have considerable expenses which include renting the space and buying supplies for the ritual! We recommend a $10-$20 donation per person. You can bring cash or send money ahead of time via PayPal to ritual@baltimorereclaiming.org or via Venmo to 443-235-2007. No one is turned away for lack of funds. You are fully welcome regardless of your ability to financially donate.
Mask Policy: Baltimore Reclaiming voted in our January 2024 community meeting to continue our policy of wearing masks at rituals held indoors. We also modified this policy so that priestexes with speaking roles will be wearing transparent masks. We will have masks available for those who need one. This policy will be revisited in July 2024, at our next community meeting.
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.
Scent Policy: We strive to accommodate people who have chemical and scent sensitivities. Please keep these people in mind as you make choices about wearing scented personal hygiene products.
What to Expect: New to Baltimore Reclaiming? Visit our Rituals page to learn more about what to expect at an event.
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.
About 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.
Who is Baltimore Reclaiming?
Baltimore Reclaiming is a radically inclusive community of witches who use our magic to bring transformation, justice and healing to ourselves, Baltimore and the world. 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.