April’s Wind Moon and the Magic of Spring

Also known as the Seed Moon

Correspondences

• Bright primary colors– red, yellow, and blue–and their many combinations–are associated with the ongoing spring season.
• Gemstones– quartz, selenite, angelite 
  • Leave stones outside on a windy day to absorb the energy of the elements.
• Trees– hazel, forsythia, lilac, and willow, 
  • Represent the beginnings of new life for the coming summer.
• Gods and goddesses– Ishtar, Tawaret, Venus, Herne, and Cernunnos 
• Herbs– dandelion, milkweed, dogwood, fennel, and dill 

The element of air is strongly tied to this month, because of the winds that may pop up out of nowhere to surprise you.

Magic for the spring season

April, and spring in general, are associated with rainy weather so now is a perfect time to stock up on your rain water for different magics. 

• Rain that accumulates during a soft, light drizzle can be used in rituals for calming and meditation. 
• Rain in the middle of a late-night, thunder-and-lightning deluge is going to have a lot of energy in it–use this for workings related to power, control, and assertiveness.

Magic for new beginnings are often worked during this time; conception, adoption, new love, the fruition of new ideas, etc.

Planting magic:

• Plan your garden
• Get your seedlings started
• Conduct a Beltane planting ritual (included below)

Wind magic:

This is a good time to explore the winds that blow from each of the cardinal directions

• North Wind
  • Associated with cold, destruction, and change and not always the good kind of change. If you’ve got some bad stuff looming on the horizon, now’s the time to work through it. Do this not just by changing yourself, but also the way you respond to other people and to events that are taking place in your life.
• South Wind
  • Connected to warmth and the element of fire, which in turn is associated with passion and power. Fire is a destroyer, but it also creates, so if there is a passion that you’ve lost in your life–whether it’s romantic or something else–work on doing what you need to do to rebuild it.
• East Wind-
  • Associated with new beginnings 
    • Focus on new careers, education, or other aspects of your life that are related to communication and your intellect. 
• West Wind
  • Tied to the cleansing and healing powers of water, so if you need to get rid of things that are causing you heartache or pain, let the wind blow them right out of your life.

Beltane Planting Ritual

What You’ll Need

• Packets of seeds, or seedlings if you have them started already
• Water
• Pots of dirt or garden
• Gardening tools

There is no need to cast a circle to perform this ritual, although it is fine if you prefer to do so. Plan on taking some time with this rite, though, and not rushing through it.

The Ritual

To begin, you’ll prepare the soil for planting. Use your shovel or tiller to loosen the soil as much as possible. As you’re turning the earth over, and mixing it all up, take time to connect with the elements. Feel the earth, soft and moist beneath your feet. Take in the breeze, exhaling and inhaling calmly as you work. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face, and listen to the birds chattering in the trees above you. Connect with nature, and with the planet itself

If your tradition includes a deity of agriculture or land, now is a good time to call upon them. For instance, if your tradition honors Cernunnos*, a fertility god, you might choose to use the following:

When you have finished turning the soil and preparing it, it is time to plant the seeds (or seedlings, if you started them earlier in the spring). While you can do this easily with a shovel, sometimes it is better to get down on your hands and knees and really connect with the soil. If you’re not limited by mobility issues, get as close to the ground as you can, and use your hands to part the soil as you put the seeds in place. Yes, you’ll get dirty, but that’s what gardening is about. As you place each seed into the ground, offer a simple blessing, such as:

May the soil be blessed as the womb of the land

Becomes full and fruitful to bring forth the garden anew.

Cernunnos*, bless this seed.

After you’ve gotten the seeds in the ground, cover them all up with the loose dirt. Remember, this could take a while if you’ve got a large garden, so it’s okay if you want to do this ritual over the course of a few days.

As you’re performing all the different actions of gardening – touching the earth, feeling the plants – remember to focus on the energy and power of the elements. Get dirt under your fingernails, squash it between your toes if you don’t mind being barefoot outside. Say hello to that worm you just dug up by accident, and place him back in the ground. 

Finally, you’ll water your freshly planted seeds. You can either use a garden hose for this, or you can water by hand with a can. If you have a rain barrel, use the water from the barrel to start your garden.

As you’re watering your seeds or seedlings, call upon the deities of your tradition one last time.

Hail, Cernunnos*! God of fertility!

We honor you by planting these seeds.

We ask your blessing upon our fertile soil.

We will tend this garden, and keep it healthy,

Watching over it in your name.

We honor you by planting and pay you tribute with this garden.

Hail, Cernunnos, master of the land!

You may also wish to include a general Garden Blessing.

Once you have completed watering, take a look through your freshly planted garden one last time. Tidy up any loose ends, and then take a moment to savor the knowledge that you have planted something new and wonderful. Feel the sunlight, the breeze, the soil beneath your feet, and know you have connected once more to the Divine.

*Cernunnos is used as an example in this rite. Use the name of the appropriate deity for your tradition.