TechnoDruid

Spring Equinox 2008 was my second ADF ritual, and third Pagan ritual overall. As with Imbolc, we did the ritual with Stone Creed Grove at West Shore Unitarian Church in Rocky River on March 16th 2008. In attendance with me was my wife, Sara and son Ari.
There was a period of socialization, getting things ready, dressing the alter with flowers, seeds for blessing and other such wares, and egg decorating. We each decorated an egg for the blessing and put them at the alter with the other eggs. We didn’t bring seeds this time. Everyone cleansed themselves at a table setup for that purpose in our own time.
We started with a Two Power Mediation, which I largely missed as I had to take Ari out a couple times as he was restless at the moment, then proceeded into the hall singing “Come We Now as a People”. The ritual itself was a Celtic rite to honor Áine as the Earth Mother, and Manannán mac Lir, Stone Creed’s Keeper of the Gates. The Gods were invoked and sacrifices made, all of which seemed shorter to me than Imbolc. While others offered songs, we offered some incense that we brought, including Ari. The offering period seemed shorter as well, perhaps due to the number of children on hand, and I was distracted through the whole thing by holding Ari, or attending to him, so in all I didn’t fell as connected to this ritual as I had Imbolc. Ari joined in several of the chants and was fairly attentive to the ritual itself. The ritual was closed and everyone went to feast.
EDIT: I forgot to mention the omen, which was deemed to be a good one. They were Ruis, Straif and Tinne (going off Sara’s notes). I found one site during a rather quick serach that seemed to have some interpretations. I will take it as an end of strife and guidance/courage.
Overall I found it to be a very good experience, and I need to learn to focus more on the ritual on hand and worry less about Ari so long as he behaves, as he largely was during the ritual. It was a nice close to a very long weekend that stared Friday with a Bringing Back the Snakes party with Stone Creed Grove, an Ostara ritual at our house led by some friends, and finally the Spring Equinox ritual.