Spring Equinox Blessings and Guidance
Mar 20, 2022
Guided Meditation and Sound Blessing with The Goddesses.
Guided Narration by Lisa Gallagher & Channeled Toning by Georgie Deyn
The Spring Equinox
The Spring Equinox marks the transformative moment when we say goodbye to the dark half of the year, the winter months and the heaviness that can sometimes be felt during this time of year. We welcome the growing light across the land, the strengthening of the sun and the warmth of the natural world back into our lives. It is a time of celebration and honouring, not only the beauty and abundance that lies ahead, but also the process of growth and healing we have each just completed. For some, the last few months provided a time for deep healing and shadow work. For others, it was a time of rest, contemplation and life assessment. Either way, it has paved the way for us to move forward in our lives, working gently and steadily towards a way of being in alignment with our own authentic selves and purpose.
As we mark this astronomical moment of significance for all of us, I am guided to do so by honouring an aspect of the healing arts we often overlook: the songs, storytelling and blessings through music and expressive exchange.
This week I worked together with Georgie Deyn of Seraphisa Music to create a gentle goddess blessing in honour of our transition into the spring and light energies. We worked with Mary Magdalene in the sacral/lower heart, Airmid in the central heart and Danú in the crown/upper heart, combining a guided meditation with channeled toning. This is available to listen to above.
I am not a poet, but my past experience working with children has provided some basic practice with basic rhyming words, enough to allow a transmission of the old folk tale between the Holly King and the Oak King to be expressed below. This tale teaches us about the beauty and necessity of balance between the light and dark, and the winter and summer cycles within the natural world. In honour of our traditions, I have attempted to open the throat chakra, and express my offering this year through storytelling with an adaption of the traditional tale. In this version, the Morrigan, and Macha (often considered an aspect of the triple goddess Morrigan) have played a part, in honour of the unity and alignment of the divine masculine and feminine energies.
May it bring joy and teachings of the significance of this time of year.
The Battle Of Wills Between The Holly and The Oak King.
A long time ago, it was declared,
“The Spring Equinox is when King Holly’s reign ends, and King Oak will take the crown until Autumn again. The night of the Solstice will then be a great night indeed, for the chosen King, in the height of his power, celebrates with songs and dance, honey and mead.”
The two kings fought, all day and all night. And on the Spring Equinox, the Oak King won outright.
They battled high on the mountains, where they roared and created thunder,
They battled deep in the rivers, they created floods, and tore banks asunder.
They battled beneath the sea, to the selkies delight.
And they battled high in the trees with lightening, setting tree tops alight!
But alas, the Holly King, unwilling to part with his crown, fled to Scotland by sea.
All the magicians and priests gathered in chant, to discover where Holly’s hiding place could be.
Through the realms they travelled and found him to be, sitting within Alba’s royal courts, suppin’ on tea.
The Oak king must prepare again to battle through blood, sweat and gore, but, now disempowered, who could he turn to to bring balance once more?
In the depths of Cruachán, in a cave below the ground, the abode of the great Morrigan can be found.
The Morrigan blessed the Oak with strength. Using one stick, one leaf and one seed she transformed them with great speed, using the stick for a boat, the leaf for a shield and the seed for whatever courage or weapon the Oak King might need.
And so he sailed with the phantom queen to the great Alban halls and met all the Gods and the Goddesses of Irish and Alban lore.
There, the Oak king pleaded with Macha, the Goddess of the North, to weaken the Great Holly so he could go forth, to take from him the crown that was no longer his, and return it once more to where it should be.
Macha granted his wish and the Holly took rest, and he carefully walked towards him, hands outstretched. He snatched the crown and made way for the door, but when Holly King realised what had happened, he made an awful roar. The palace shook and crumbled, the Oak King fought hard to escape, but no greater warrior there was in this moment but he, and no champion could stand in his way.
On the backs of the horses, the Oak King rode, to the boat, and from he they sailed till he was safely back in Eiriú’s abode. Sitting rightly in place, Oak King took his reign, and King Holly promised to not be so foolish again.
For Oak King guards the summer, until the bright days begin to end, and King Holly Guards the dark winter months, until the light gently flows into the land again.
To preserve balance and beauty upon the lands, the Holly and Oak must work hand in hand. There cannot be light without darkness in toe. And darkness would not be darkness, without light at all.
To this day you can hear them, fighting and roaring, creating storms in March and heavy rains in September. But although there is conflict, it is just your perspective, you see. It is the changing of seasons, and the changing of strength, that allows the earth to flourish and humans to be.
