It is hard to believe that April is upon us, finally bringing full circle a year of great turbulence and upheaval. A year ago at this time, most- if not all- of us were in the early stages of being cooped up inside our homes, uncertain of what was to come, lording over our toilet paper hoards (or rationing what was left of it) and wiping down our groceries with hand sanitizer like hypochondriac dragons. I don’t think any of us thought that this new, hermetic, way of life would last as long as it has, or that the virus that brought about this change and wreaked havoc on our entire planet would be as severe as it has been. Thanks to poor decision making on the behalf of some world leaders and avid proponents of “free-dumb” over science, the winds of change certainly blew in April of 2020, and now they are blowing again, although this time in a better direction.
However, it is not just proverbial winds that are beginning to blow, for in many places in the Northern Hemisphere, the thunderstorms of March are slowly tapering off as the midpoint of April arrives, and the physical winds begin to pick up, carrying seeds wherever the breeze takes them to be germinated in new and unfamiliar places. Life springs up all around, budding and blossoming fruit trees hum with bees, Daffodils and Tulips bloom in the warming rays of the sun, birds begin nesting in preparation for the arrival of their offspring. Much like March, this is a time of conception, fertility and new growth, however the magical correspondence most strongly resonating with this month is new beginnings and fresh starts.
Due to this month's association with the wind, now is a good time to explore the winds that blow from each of the cardinal directions. Each of them has a connection to the different stages of rebirth and renewal, starting with the North Wind, which is associated with cold, destruction, and change – and not always the positive type of change. If you've got anything negative looming on the horizon, now's the time to work through it. Use this wind energy to change not only yourself, but also the way you respond to other people and to events that are taking place in your life. Sometimes referred to as “The Wind of Death and Change”, this wind is associated with the color black and the God, Boreas. It is a wind to which many pagans attribute the power of the elimination of bad habits, of letting go, and releasing that which does not serve. It is also a wind of level headedness, so when the North wind blows, it is time for rituals and spell work for financial management, organization, improving health, growth, prosperity, creativity, birth, grounding, wisdom and teaching, and anything else that requires a clear mind.
The winds of the East are often associated with new beginnings, particularly new careers, education, or other aspects of your life that are related to communication and your intellect. This wind is referred to as the “Wind of Renewed life and Intellect” and is associated with the God, Eurus, the bringer of rain. Rain is generally thought to bring cleansing and favorable change, making this wind symbolic of improvements and renewal. Attributed to the power of dramatic improvements and intellect, the color white, and the hour of dawn, winds that blow from the East are perceived as transformative and ideal for the new beginnings April represents. When easterly winds blow, use the time to practice spell work involving all things new and fresh, such as writing new spells, creating a new ritual, or finding new avenues in your chosen path in magic, life or career; anything involving new beginnings and creation.
The South Wind is connected to heat and the element of fire, which in turn is associated with passion and power. Fire is a destroyer, but also a creator, so if there is a passion that you've lost in your life–whether romantic or something else–work on rebuilding it. This wind is a hot and fiery wind that is commonly attributed to bringing negative works to fruition, the color yellow, and the hour of noon. This association with cursing, or acts of deception, is interesting, considering purification is another attribute, making it useful for both positive and… less positive… types of spell work. Winds that blow from the south are commonly associated with spells for love, lust and passion, giving us vitality, and making it an ideal wind for spell work to banish jealousy and selfishness from ourselves and others.
Finally, the West Wind is tied to the healing and cleansing powers of water, and thus ideal for removing things that are causing you heartache or pain, and blowing them right out of your life. It is a wind of love and fertility (can you say “April vibes?”), and is associated with the God, Zephyrus, who, in many old legends, is depicted as bi-sexual, making its energy useful when dealing with dualities in situations. In Wicca, the color blue, and the hour of twilight are linked to the Westerly wind, as is the practice of cleansing and healing rituals. Intuition in the natural Witch is enhanced during these winds, so take advantage of this and practice spell work involving using your inner strength to its full capacity.
A simple way to remember the basic associations is this excerpt from The Wiccan Rede by Doreen Valiente:
"Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
lock the door and trim the sail.
When the wind comes from the South,
love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the Moor wind blows from the West,
departed spirits have no rest.
When the wind blows from the East,
expect the new and set the feast."
Rain is another gift from nature that is almost synonymous with April, since April does tend to be a wet month in much of the Northern Hemisphere. We have all heard the phrase “April showers brings May flowers,” right? Well, here in California, April tends to be our very last opportunity for moisture before fire season, and our last possible (though unlikely) salvation from drought, and when it falls, it always makes the usually golden grasslands stay lush and green and awash with rainbows and wildflowers until May. It is a truly magical sight to behold, though short lived, and thus the rains that fall on our soon to be parched soil hold immense magical energies to us. Collecting this rainwater for use in magic and spell work is something we do, and something that we believe should be a common practice in all witches playbooks. It is a simple process, simply leaving a few clean glass jars outside during a rain to collect water, which can then be used for a multitude of different magical purposes. Rain collected during a soft, light drizzle can be used in rituals for calming and meditation, whereas rain collected during a late-night thunderstorm is going to be charged with energy and can be used for workings related to power, control, and assertiveness. This rain water can also be given an extra charge by infusing with crystals, or used to water indoor plants, or plants in your garden which you want to enhance with additional magic once the rains have subsided.
No matter what your goal is during this time of new beginnings, whether it is to develop new relationships, conceive a child, adopt a child or animal, grow professionally or emotionally, or begin new projects, April is the time to plant the seed and help it germinate with magic. This month's full moon is known as the Seed Moon in many traditions, so as the name suggests, now is the time to germinate seedlings, plan out your garden, and generally sow seeds of all kinds, whether, literal, spiritual, or metaphorical. It's the time to stop planning, and start doing. Take all those ideas, dreams and goals that you've had brewing for the past couple of months, and bring them to fruition. In the weeks leading up to Beltane, which falls on May 1st, perform a planting ritual to get new things growing in your garden and within your life as a whole. The very act of placing a seed into moist soil, and beginning new life from seed, is a ritual allowing us to watch magic unfold before our eyes.
April ends with the Eve of Beltane, which lands on May 1st, one of the most important of the Sabbats, celebrated with ritual and fire. The word 'Beltane' originates from the Celtic God 'Bel', meaning 'the bright one' and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire. To honor the bright one (the Sun) bonfires would be lit, intended to encourage the support of Bel and the Sun's light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community. Traditionally all fires in the community would be extinguished, and a communal bonfire was kindled for Beltane, known as the “need-fire”, or Tein-eigen. Fire is a purifier and healer, and revelers would have walked around and danced by the fire, even jumping over it to represent cleansing of the old and bringing in the new. It was believed the smoke would purify, cleanse and even promote fertility. Cattle and other animals were driven through the smoke as a cleansing and protection from disease and to bring fertility, before being put out into the fields. At the end of the festival, the villagers would take some of the flames from the need-fire to start their hearth fires anew.
Beltane is also the time of the union of the Goddess as Mother Earth and the God of the Greenwood. It is a popular time for pagan weddings or handfastings, a traditional betrothal which would typically last 'a year and a day' after which the betrothed couple could either choose to stay together or part ways. Today, the length of commitment is a matter of choice, and is often intended to be for life, but these handfasting ceremonies are unique to each couple. Most include common elements, predominantly the exchange of vows and rings, and of course a cord to bind them symbolically. The term 'tying the knot' originates with these pagan handfastings, and is typically laid in a figure of eight, symbolizing infinite and eternal connection. Since no one wants to live their lives physically tied together, there is eventually an “unbinding”, at which point the two remain together of their own free will.
Whether handfasted or not, both young and old would go “A-Maying”, an act in which couples spent the night under the stars in the woods and meadows, and made love; returning in the morning with armfuls of the first May blossoms or hawthorn blossoms to decorate their homes and barns. Beltane was once considered the only acceptable time to bring Hawthorn into the home, any other time it was considered unlucky. Young maidens would gather the morning dew to wash their faces, and would make Flower Crowns and May Baskets to give as gifts. All members of the community were free to re-enact the Sacred Marriage of Goddess and God, leading to many Beltane babies arriving 9 months later.
The main theme of April and its grand finale, Beltane, is the joy and revelry we can find in casting off the darkness and celebrating the light of new and exciting beginnings. It is a time for celebrating fertility, both in the context of our biological functions as well as our own creative energies, the fertility of our creative community. Use the month of April to prepare and consider what you need to have born into your life, and what you need to release, and plan out your actions to achieve these goals. When April ends, use the cleansing smoke and fire of Beltane to release your old ways and habits, and leap over the fire, emerging reborn as a newer and better you.
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