Lore24 Roundup 6
- Aelyrya Payne
- Feb 14, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 2, 2024
February 5th - 11th (Days 36-42)
Welcome to Lore24 Roundup 6!
We continue on with exploring the A'arden Calendar through the months of Rainmoot, Greenrise and Goldrise, and are introduced to Solstices and Equinoxes! All original posts can be found on my Mastodon.
Remember, all Lore24 posts are initial thoughts - they are not finalised at this stage!
Breakdown of Lore24 Roundup
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36. The Month of Rainmoot
Rainmoot is the third month of the year in the northern hemisphere and the ninth month in the southern. It is the middle of the Spring season, named after the abundant spring showers that take place, and features the public holidays of Plantingtide and the Festival of High Spring.
Rainmoot is the month within which the majority of planting and sowing takes place across both hemispheres. It is also the month during which lambing, calving, etc begins in earnest, and the countryside will feature many baby animals. On a darker note, Rainmoot is also known as The Month of the March of War. It was traditionally when armies began marching again after winter delayed war campaigns. Additionally, thunderstorms in Rainmoot are believed to suggest a fruitful harvest that year, especially in the southern hemisphere.
Rainmoot is associated with the Seasonal Aspect of Fertility; couples that wish to bear children often perform their ritual offerings during this month in hopes of greater blessings. Additionally, workings and rituals related to farming, harvests and animal husbandry are meant to be more potent. The deity associated with Rainmoot is Shareen, the Goddess of Fertility, Forests and Woodlands.
I took inspiration from a few places for Rainmoot; actual farming and gardening calendars, old Gaelic/Celtic lore and traditions, and even the old Roman traditions for March, on which this month is based (though in A'arde, Rainmoot is considered the second month of Spring, not the first). Travelling workers will begin to settle into old routines with established farmers and orchardists, settling into the rhythm of planting, sowing and splicing as required.
37. The Celebration of Plantingtide
As can be inferred by its name, Plantingtide is a celebration of the planting and sowing of the year's produce. Farmers and orchardists, in particular, observe many rites and rituals that seek blessings for their crops and produce. In cities, the celebrations are more geared toward celebrating the work and efforts of the agricultural workers and teaching those who may never have worked in agriculture about how food is grown. Many Druids choose to celebrate Plantingtide as a symbol of renewal, rebirth and fertility, and it is, by and large, a joyful experience.
Prayers and rituals are offered to the Gods of Nature, Agriculture, Farming and Harvest, though preferences as to which combination of Gods varies from place to place. These often take place at private shrines, though non-agricultural areas may gather in a temple to offer prayers for their workers, friends, family, or even just strangers, that work in agriculture. Children are gifted flower seeds and are encouraged to plant them in pots at home, and parades or parties are put on in celebration of the Gods and Spirits.
Plantingtide isn't based on any real-life festival in particular, but I decided to include it as a world that has open contact with its deities would likely make time to ask for blessings and celebrate the beginning of the planting season! I also remembered that, one year at school, packets of seeds were given out around March, and I thought that something along those lines would make a lovely Plantingtide tradition! I envision things like Sunflowers, Marigolds, and Nasturtiums!
38. The Festival of High Spring
The Festival of High Spring is a celebration of the mid-point of the Spring Season. The focus of the festival is usually on the concept of rebirth, new life, and hope, with symbols usually including daffodils, eggs, chicks, and rabbits. High Spring is a celebration of all that Spring, as a season, has to offer, and is a joyous occasion for both children and adults alike.
For children, High Spring generally involves dressing up in brightly coloured outfits, decorating elaborate hats with spring imagery and singing songs. They also take part in Lucky Egg Hunts, where egg-shaped containers are filled with treats and toys, then decorated in bright colours and hidden within an area for children to find. Adults also dress in bright clothing, but their main event is generally the High Spring Dance, which takes place in the evening.
Events are generally decorated with brightly coloured ribbons and streamers, with wreaths and arrangements featuring clover, daffodils, crocus, and tulips. Events are also decorated with ornaments shaped like spring flowers, rabbits, chicks, lambs, and colourful baskets, and painted egg-shaped ornaments are popular crafts for both adults and children.
High Spring is absolutely based around the traditions of Easter and Ostara! However, because of the way the calendar falls, High Spring does not fall on the same day as the Spring Equinox, meaning that there are essentially two festivals with similar themes. In A'arde, High Spring is considered the more important festival, and has become a major event across the world.
39. Solstices and Equinoxes
Solstices and equinoxes mark cornerstones of the year but are not actively celebrated as public festivals. Instead, some parts of A'arde will allow workers in certain occupations to take them as half-days if they wish, though this practice is not a universal one. Those who generally observe solstices and equinoxes are usually Druids, Rangers or Spiritualists with links to Nature Deities or Spirits. Witches are also common observers of these days. Solstices marks the time of year when the day is either longest or shortest (Summer/Winter), and these are considered Major Feasts. Equinoxes mark the times of year when day and night are equal in length (Spring/Autumn), and are referred to as Minor Feasts. Because of the layout of the year, one of the solstices takes place during Eadar-Amail; the Winter in the northern hemisphere, and the Summer in the southern.
Celebrations for solstices and equinoxes are usually small affairs, either taking place in family homes or within Circles or Covens. It is rare for a town or city to celebrate communally, though some villages may celebrate alongside nearby Circles or Covens.
Like in our modern times, Solstices and Equinoxes aren't considered as big a deal in general A'arden society, and they have more meaning to those who are within certain Paths, such as Druids and Witches. I looked into the various real-life Solstice/Equinox celebrations in the UK (Yule, Ostara, Litha and Mabon) for inspiration into how they would be celebrated.
40. The Spring Equinox
The Spring Equinox is the first cornerstone of the year, where the day and night are of equal length. This equinox is a celebration of the passing of winter and the coming of summer. It is an opportunity to give thanks for the lengthening of days and reflect on the hard times that came previously. Commonly known as the Spring Equinox simply because it takes place in the season of Spring, it is also known as the Rising Equinox, denoting the increasing daylight.
As equinoxes are not public festivals, the Spring Equinox is a Minor Feast most commonly observed by Druids, Rangers and Witches. Cleansing rituals are performed in both living and working environments, as well as rituals for personal cleansing and renewal. Sour and bitter foods are prepared, as they are said to create movement and flow within the body. Dancing is also very popular, as is dressing in bright colours and wearing flower garlands and crowns. Gatherings and feasts are usually small affairs between family members, though some communal gatherings may be set up amongst Circles and Covens.
Like High Spring, the Spring Equinox takes inspiration from the celebration of Ostara, though I decided to utilise the more ritualistic symbolism, rather than the bunnies and eggs! The themes of movement, cleansing and renewal popped up regularly, so I included those in my version of the celebration. Flowers, as always, are a popular symbol!
41. The Month of Greenrise
Greenrise is the fourth month of the year in the northern hemisphere, and the tenth month in the southern. It is the final month of the Spring season, and is named after the lush greenery that grows with abundance before the summer colours bloom. It features no public festivals.
Greenrise continues to be a month of planting, sowing and animal husbandry. With the early plantings beginning to sprout and requiring great care to ensure optimum yield, farmers must pay close attention to their crops to ensure no pests or disease setting on the young plants. Greenrise is also a time for tests of strength and coming-of-age ceremonies. Armies, guards, watches and other types of militia will often hold tests and tryouts during this month, while young Lords and Ladies will debut into society at balls or hold their own debut party.
Greenrise is associated with the Seasonal Aspect of Strength; spells and rituals meant to increase or enhance the strength of something or someone (including other spells), or the brewing of potions for the same purpose, are particularly effective around this time of year. The deity associated with Greenrise is Auster, the God of Spring, Youth, Physical Prowess and Renewal.
Drip drip drop little Greenrise showers...? This month was tricky for me, as there is no concept similar to "Easter" within A'arde outside of the traditions that were imported from Ostara. I figured though, considering I made this the month of Auster, who represents Youth and Physical Prowess, it would be interesting to make this the beginning of Debutant(e) season, as well as when Guards, Watches, etc would begin their tryouts for new recruits!
42. The Month of Goldrise
Goldrise is the fifth month of the year in the northern hemisphere and the eleventh in the southern. It is the first month of the Summer season, named for the increasing golden sunlight, and features the Festival of Summerrise.
Goldrise is traditionally the month when schools, colleges and academies hold their exams. This is generally believed to be because the weather at this time of year is neither too hot nor too cold, meaning that students, younger ones especially, are less likely to be distracted due to discomfort. Additionally, Goldrise is when individuals looking to enter colleges or military/guard establishments find out if they have been accepted, after tryouts the previous month. While generally busy for young people, Goldrise is a little more sedate for adults, and is considered the perfect time to indulge in self-care and mental health care. People begin to indulge in the outdoors more, be that in their own gardens, or out for walks in public parks.
Goldrise is associated with the Seasonal Aspect of Balance; if someone is looking to centre oneself, or perform rituals to balance energies, Goldrise is the perfect month to do this. The deity associated with Goldrise is Silvanus, the God of Nature and Balance.
Oh yeah! Everyone loves exam season! I knew I had to throw this in when I wrote about this month! I also decided to have the "college acceptance" stuff begin late, compared to real life. The timing worked well with the tryout season as well, so having them happen at around the same time made sense to me. I actually got my preferred university acceptance, an unconditional offer, in May, so perhaps that just brings back good memories for me about it!
Lore24 continues as usual over on Socials as we move deeper into the A'arden year, so check in to see what's what!
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