Druidry and the equinox

(Nimue)

We don’t know whether ancient Druids celebrated the equinoxes. If they did, we don’t know what they did. We do know that prehistoric peoples were interested in the night sky, the solstices and equinoxes from the alignments of stone circles and other monuments.

It makes a lot of sense to honour the equinox – it’s a part of the turning of the year. These solar points are important parts of the seasons, and recognising them in some way is good for keeping in touch with the natural world.

I’ve never found them easy to celebrate, because there’s not a lot of folk tradition to draw on. In my part of the world, this is a busy time for people living close to the soil. But then, our more agricultural ancestors wouldn’t have needed a wheel of the year to help them connect with nature, they were living in the world far more than we do. Many of us are well insulated from weather, seasonal variations and what’s living around us. Most of us are not as involved with actual life as our ancestors were.

Festivals offer opportunities to reflect on our own lives, and to connect with the seasons, the land and our ancestors. If you only have a little time to devote to Druidry, it makes sense to focus on the day to day shifts – the seasons, the weather, and what the living world around you is doing. A few minutes every day to observe and reflect on this is worth a great deal, and will ground whatever else you do.