Vernal Equinox High Day Ritual

As our ancestors once did, so we do today and so may our children do in the future...

The wheel of the years turns and the Equinox is upon us, the night equal to the day. This is a day of perfect balance when, for a breath, the Earth hovers on the terminator between the focii of our eternal orbit. Now we begin the journey into the light half of the year, when our world here in Las Vegas really begins to heat up, the birds head north to their summer homes, the reptiles emerge from their burrows and we humans seek refuge at the nearest oasis. Now the snow-capped mountains begin to melt and the winds gather to assert their strength on this land. This is a time of borders and boundary crossings, new life and journeys begun.

Today, we gather to honor the Spirits of Nature. Humankind and our ancestors share the worlds with a myriad of other beings, other forms of life both physical and spiritual. The other kins share with us and the gods and goddesses in the weaving of the web of fate. They are as various as the species of our world, filled with magic and skill and cunning. Some of them are the beast-spirit peoples. Many of these are close allies of human folk, the hound and bull and pig and more. Others are of the deep wild, the wolf and deer and boar. The spirits of birds go freely between Earth and sky. Other spirits are the wonder peoples, the magic races of the many cultures–fauns and dryads, Alfar and Daoine Sidhe. They roam in midrealm countries sometimes very close to ours, sometimes very distant. We honor them and sometimes seek their aid in magic.

Won't you join us as we renew the Cosmos, strengthen the Ways between the Realms, and reconnect with the Kindreds? As part of this rite, there will be a hunt for colorful crafted "eggs" as well as an opportunity to have personal items belonging to our pet-friends blessed (collars, food/water dishes, etc).

Please arrive on time so that we may provide a pre-ritual briefing to everyone and still start ritual no later than 3:00pm.

As always, our ritual will be held outdoors. Please dress accordingly!

Information about our ritual style can be found at: About Our Ritual Style (https://www.meetup.com/Druids-in-Las-Vegas/pages/About_Our_Ritual_Style/)

More information about our grove can be found at: Larrea Tridentata Protogrove, ADF (http://www.larrea-adf.org)

** This is a public ritual and all are welcome. ** Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult who assumes responsibility for their charge's actions. We are currently unable to provide childcare, so if your child is unable or uninterested in being part of the service, it may be better to leave them home for the sake of your own experience as well as those around you.

While attendance is free and open to everyone, rituals do cost money to perform. All donations are gratefully accepted and are tax deductible through the charter from our parent organization, Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF) [a 501(c)3 charitable religious org]. All attendees are welcome to participate in the ritual as much or as little as they like; incense, oil and other items are provided to use for offerings. If you'd like to bring something of your own to offer, the Deities and Ancestors, in general, appreciate the sweet smells of incense as well as alcohol and silver objects. The nature spirits love edible seeds. All of our Kindred appreciate handmade goods and heartfelt poems and songs.

All offerings are given to the Kindreds, taking them permanently out of human use (burned or otherwise eliminated/destroyed).