A Journey in Homeschooling

BARBARA HEDGEWITCH

Spring 2000

It has been a long, cold, wet winter on our farm. We joyfully celebrate the growing strength of the sunlight. Ostara tips the scales from longer nights to longer days. On the actual Equinox, we carefully stand raw eggs on one end. With gentle fingertips, we can feel a shift within them, and we gingerly take our fingers away. The eggs remain standing! I've heard scientists say that this can be done at anytime of the year, however, this is when we try it, and this is when it always works for us. Perhaps Ostara is the only time I'm granted enough patience to accomplish this, rather than the eggs doing a bit of Equinox magick. This would be a good family science experiment: to test whether or not one can stand raw eggs on end at any time.

I offer my son a chance to show me how strong he is. At 12, he thinks he's a real tough guy. I hand him a raw egg and challenge him to squeeze it in one hand until it breaks. He can't do it. He wanders off with his intact egg, intent upon making an impact-resistant package for it. He wants to see if he can get it to survive a fall from his 2nd story bedroom window. He is eventually successful.

At 4 1/2, Raven is more interested in the eggs left by the Ostara Bunny on Ostara morning. She is thrilled by the process of the hunt for eggs, and is an expert at finding them all. Her basket full, she is generous with her treasure, offering candy eggs to all. Indeed, it is the hiding and the hunting and the finding that appeal to her much more than the eating. She spends a happy morning hiding the eggs again, and hunting for them.

The children and I play an old game which we reserve for holidays. We hide a small rabbit figurine, about 1" tall, in plain sight. The finder gets to hide it the next time. We enjoy this simple game at almost every holiday, changing the hidden object to reflect the holiday. For some holidays we use a magnet, which adds a special twist to things. I remember playing this as a child with my dad, we played it any old time, and used a thimble.

We eagerly look forward to Mayday. Our Maypole has stood, dressed with its lovely woven pattern of ribbons all through the summer, autumn and winter. The crown of greenery long blew away, but the ribbons remain, faded, but still pretty. Soon we'll gather in the meadow with our friends, the Maypole taken down and "hidden" and the old ribbons removed. The men will march off in search of the pole while the women prepare and bless the hole.

Soon the men will appear triumphantly carrying the pole, the women will "ooh" and "aah" over it, attach new ribbons, and crown it with a new garland of greenery. We'll help the men plant the pole in the Earth amid many mirthful comments. We'll form two circles, the women facing Widdershins, the men Deosil, and all will hold a ribbon. The dance begins, weaving over and under, until the pole is gaily decorated in a colorful plaid pattern of interwoven ribbons, a lovely monument to fertility.

May this Spring bring you balance in your lives, and fruitfulness in your endeavors.