the raven

The Equinox really started on the 19th for me. It was a beautiful warm day and Alex and I decided to go somewhere, just because staying at home would have been a waste of a fine day. We randomly selected “Whipsnade Tree Cathedral” out of the National Trust handbook, just because it sounded intriguing. When we got there, we found a park laid out in the shape of a cathedral with trees for pillars. The aisle is an avenue of hornbeam, and the apse is formed out of white birches on a background of yew. To the side are ‘chapels’ with various themes where you can sit and be quiet. The whole thing was planted in the 1930s, so it isn’t quite mature yet. In another 100 years or so it should be better than it is now. It has been planted with an overtly Christian intent, but the place does feel special and not unlike a sacred grove.

I was feeling quite Equinoctal when I saw plastic bags with chocolate eggs and bunnies hidden everywhere, clearly ready for an egg hunt. And indeed, after we had been there for 45 minutes or so, the hordes descended. Dozens of young children were let loose to go looking for their own bag of goodies. Their enthusiasm brought smiles to our faces. Eggs and childhood joy: symbols of spring and renewal.

So I was all ready for a ritual when I set out to Cilla’s house. It is basically the other side of London for me, but I met Andrew along the way and we had the chance to chat. One of the things we mentioned whistfully was the sun, so present the day before and missing on Sunday. At Cilla’s we were welcomed with tea and biscuits, which by now I sorely needed. There were nine of us in total: Cilla, Daniel, Lorraine, Andrew, Mark and me and three guests: Carl, Paula and Angelica. We did a talking stick round to bring each other up to date with our lives, and that turned out to be really important for the feel of the ritual afterwards.

By the time we set out for Box Hill, the sun had managed to burn its way through the haze. Box Hill is special too, with several mature yews and deciduous trees. We rejected the place where the Spring Equinox was celebrated last year, because it was now much closer to a well-used path. Eventually we came upon a secluded place, on a westward sloping piece of ground, facing the sun, that somehow just felt right. We took another minute to meditate on what we wanted to seed in our lives for this year.

The whole ceremony had a wonderfully intimate atmosphere, probably because we were sharing some really personal things in the course of it, which were then blessed by the directions and the Lady (embodied convincingly by Cilla). I found the moment where each person passed through the gateway “into the light” very moving. The whispers by the gatekeepers sent shivers down my spine and it felt as though something important was happening.

After our ritual, we had a little stroll out to a viewing point where you could see (just – it was still very hazy) out across a valley and towards the rolling hills of the South Downs. We stood and watched and chatted for a while and then all squeezed into two cars again to drive back to Cilla’s. Where we continued our chat, decided on some strategies to keep our regular meetings going, and drank more tea.

Then Cilla brought out her Deva Cards. And they were very thought provoking and gave people unexpected and deep insights into their lives. I am very impressed by the artwork on the cards, and by the depth of response they provoked in all of us. Well done Cilla.

Well done Cilla for organising it as well. Thank you so much for your hospitality and a thoroughly good day. I didn’t get home until 9.30, but it was worth it!