“From you the clouds flow forth, the wind takes flight,
the stones their moisture hold,
the waters rivers spring,
and earth viridity exudes.”
– Hildegard of Bingen “O ignis Spiritus paracliti”
Happy Hildegard Viriditas Easter!
The Spring Vernal Equinox has passed, the full-belly moon has begun to shed her girth, and that means Easter is upon us!
Easter Origins
Though the debate goes on, many believe the origins of the word Easter are traced to ancient Germanic words associated with ‘dawn’ or ‘east’, which derive from the Germanic-Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre, the divine bringer of love and fertility. The root remains, as it is still part of the German word ostermonat, or ‘Easter Month’.
This time of resurrection is a great opportunity to embrace the many ways you can renew your faith, invite joy and blessings into your life, and foster optimism in the coming period of growth.
Hildegard’s Creativity (Viriditas)
For Hildegard, spring was a natural time to invite viriditas, a central theme in her teachings on creativity, growth, and the divine light. If you celebrate Easter, consider how the resurrection can inspire you to create growth in your life, to encourage the greening of Hildegard viriditas in yourself and those around you.
Celebration
Even if you don’t celebrate Easter, the beginning of spring is a time to celebrate. A time for spring soul cleanse.
We celebrate our own resurrection from the forms that no longer serve our purpose, the resurrection of the divine within us, and the sharing of our own radiant light with the world.
Abundance, Healing Light and Energy
This time also allows us to focus on what we choose to carry forward, and to contemplate the coming abundance, the healing light and energy of the growing sun.
New and invigorating ideas growing inside of us, and planting the seeds of faith in ourselves that we will eventually harvest to sustain us through the coming year.