The Festival of the Spring Equinox: the Preamble
The next of the major festivals celebrated by the Regency took place at the spring equinox. Here is Chalky’s preamble on the subject, giving his account of the origins and meaning of the festival.
The last four paragraphs of this section touch on ideas and images that were central to his meditations and his view of the universe: the spiral, the maze, and the lattice, or web.
Preamble
The ceremonies of the Spring Equinox relate to those of Easter, though they do not coincide as to date. Easter is basically a Jewish full moon festival (Passover), with Christian usage added and some pagan accretions from the Anglo-Saxon, such as the very name Easter which derives from the Old Goddess of Spring, Eostra, whose festival was probably originally celebrated at the Equinox.
March 21st. or 22nd. is the Equinoctial date when the daylight balances the darkness. Now the Waxing Sun God reaches His full strength. The remnants of Winter are driven from the land, and the Goddess appears as flower maiden, and celebrates Her betrothal to the God.
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