The spring equinox in March marked the New Year in earlier days, and the best time to sow seeds for the new harvest. In Ireland, the seeds were offered up for blessing of Saint Brigit, who was once a goddess associated with the earth, the sun and fertility. In Wales, families went out into the fields to call on the Corn Spirit for a good harvest. They poured a libation of cider on the ground and buried a piece of plum cake as a libation to the Earth. After the feast, they joined hands and danced across the field. A West Country Spring blessing captures this spirit:

Good luck to the hoof and horn
Good luck to the flock and fleece
Good luck to the growers of corn
With blessings of plenty and peace!

Sowing our Seeds

Light a candle at your altar, center yourself, and ponder on what seeds you would like to sow in your life this year. Write down everything which comes to you in a list, then choose three of them that you can really focus on: one for yourself, one for your family or community, and one for the planet.

Seed will remain forever dormant unless it is planted in earth that has been well prepared for it. What groundwork do you need to do before your seed-ideas can germinate?

In the modern world, we are continually bombarded with distracting stimuli. The straight, orderly furrows of a plowed field remind us of the need to focus on our own projects. Look at ways in which you can clear space and time in your week for cultivating the delicate new shoots that will appear.

As the plow may encounter hard, stones in the soil, we may allow all sorts of things to get in the way of our growth. Take a look at any obstacles, within or without, that may prevent you from working towards your most important goals. How do you plan to deal with them?

Visualize your seed-ideas growing and becoming strong, healthy "plants." What will each idea look, sound, smell, taste, and feel like when it comes to fruition? Paint a picture in words or in colors, making them as real as possible, and place on your altar.

Ask Brigit to bless these projects with her life-giving sun and warmth.

Now re-enter your daily life and be sure to nurture your seed-ideas with the four elements:

Air = inspiration
Fire = enthusiasm
Water = imagination
Earth = practical application