Notes on Alban Eilir by Philip Carr-Gomm from http://www.druidry.org/obod/text/lewes/druid-path/eight-foldyear.html

"Time moves on, and in a short while we come to the Spring Equinox, the time of equality of day and night, when the forces of light are on the increase. At the centre of the trio of Spring Festas, Alban Eilir [the Light of the Regeneration / Spring] marks the more recognisable beginnings of Spring, when the flowers are beginning to appear and when the sowing begins in earnest. As the point of psychological development in our lives it marks the time of late childhood to, say, 14 years - Imbolc marking the time of early childhood [say to 7 years]. We are in the Spring of our lives - the seeds that are planted in our childhood time of Imbolc and Alban Eilir will flower from the Beltane time of adolescence onwards as capacities and powers that will help us to negotiate our lives with skill and accomplishment." -- Philip Carr-Gomm

And some preliminary and exploratory notes-in-process by Ovate Padraig on the Christian parallels with Alban Eilir:

"The Parallels in the Christian Calendar with the Spring Equinox or Alban Eilir are not at once as evident or explicit as those with Imbolc. Nevertheless, once we begin to examine the period of mid-March in Christian calendars, many striking similarities emerge.

"As our Chosen Chief Philip has noted above, the time of Alban Eilir is a time of balance, since the period of light and dark are equal. It is a time of balance and harmonious interaction. Mid-March is, for both Eastern and Western Christians, always during the Great Fast, or Great Lent, the 40-day preparation period for the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ, which we will consider in connection with Bealteinne at the next Festa.

"In English, the name "Lent" itself comes from and old word for "Spring," and Byzantine Christian hymnography often refers to "the Lenten Spring." Properly understood, especially in Byzantine mystical theology, the Ascetical practices of Lent -- Public and Private Prayer, Fasting and Abstinence from certain foods, and loving service of others and of creation (Philanthropia) -- all point to the balancing of the "passions," or powers within and around us, reaching the state of "apatheia," most assuredly not the modern "apathy," but rather the ultimately peaceful but also infinitely empowered "passionlessness" and "watchfulness" spoken of in Buddhism.

"The Lenten journey for the Byzantine Christian is explicitly this quest for such balance, and for Western Christians the same should pertain, but unfortunately in the West, much of the older understanding is now submerged in the idea of Fasting as "self-mortification" making up for sin, an idea in its modern understanding largely if not completely absent from ancient Christianity. If we hearken to the original meanings of Great Lent, still alive in Eastern practice and mysticism, the parallel with Alban Eilir becomes clear.

"Another, and perhaps even more significant Feast also sounds an important resonance with Alban Eilir, that of the Annunciation on March 25 -- which would have been almost exactly the time of the Equinox 2000 years ago. Although this Feast is nowadays liturgically relatively insignificant in Roman Catholic practice, it is one of the most important in the Byzantine Calendar. It is so important in Byzantine theology that full Divine Liturgy -- the Eucharistic Liturgy -- is served on March 25 on whatever day it falls, even though weekday celebration of the Eucharist is forbidden during Lent in Byzantine custom. Even if the feast falls on Great (Good) Friday, normally a day when Eucharist is strictly forbidden, Divine Liturgy is served. It is also fully commemorated if it falls on Pascha (Easter) itself, for none of the events of Great and Holy Week would have taken place if not for the "Yes" of Mary.

"The reasons for the importance of this Feast also reveal its connection to the themes of Alban Eilir. This is the commemoration of the Incarnation of The Word of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary, when the Angel Gabriel comes to ask her if she will be the Mother of God (Luke 1:26-38). It is placed exactly nine months to the day from the Nativity of Christ (25 Dec) at the upcoming Winter Solstice, suggesting the perfection of this divine and human event.

"In this encounter, we see many of the aspects of complementarity and balance illumined by the Spring Equinox: male and female, divine and human, created and uncreated. In fact, in the Christian understanding, the Uncreated Creator waits upon the "fiat" ("Let it be,") of the Creature (who is the Divine Icon) for this union to take place. The Divine Feminine is the Icon of the whole Cosmos in the person of "The Unwedded Bride," "The Virgin Mother," Mary. In her, "all Creation rejoices," sings the Byzantine Lenten hymn to the Theotokos (God-Bearer) sung during Sunday Eucharist.

"Unlike Roman theology, which has focused on the Augustinian themes of redemption through the Atonement on the Cross, Byzantine theology sees the restoration of the balance and unity between Cosmos and Creator in the Incarnation which takes place in the womb of the Theotokos on this Feast. Thus Salvation (=health) is restored, the balance -- which is one of the meanings of the Greek word "Logos" -- of the Great Dance of Creation resumes, a perfect and Divine Icon of the inner life ("Perichoresis" = Great Dance) of the Holy Trinity

"Even though in a linear fashion, the Annunciation is part of a cycle which finds its fulfillment nine months later at the Nativity of Christ, because of being part of the Spring Festa, we can see that it is also very powerfully linked to Imbolc and Bealteinne, since the male/female divine/creation light/dark aspects of the One Life which are revealed to the world on 2 Feb in the Feast of the Encounter are now in perfect balance, allowing the union of the Uncreated Light with its own Image in the pregnant and living darkness of the Womb of the Theotokos. The full force of that identification will be experienced at the outpouring of Pascha (Easter), which we may surmise, has powerful connection to the unstoppable and abundant overflowing of the generative force of pure and indestructible Life celebrated joyously at Bealteinne.

"It is so basic as to almost escape our notice, but the identification of Alban Eilir with the Direction of East is a further important link between Druid and Christian practice here. Alban Eilir is the Season of the East and all of its allied elemental meanings of air, etc. For many ancient traditions, the Spring Equinox is the beginning of the year, as it was in old Rome. Christian Temples, similar to almost all of the Temples of the Western Mystery Tradition are "oriented," i.e., the Sanctuary or head of the Temple is in the East of the building.

"Although this orientation is often disregarded today, and many people use the very verb "to orient" without its true meaning (one hears it said "the building was oriented toward the south..."!), still the wise and mystic Christian architect still "Orients" a Temple so that the structure of the Temple is a microcosm of the Cosmos, looking toward the Light of the East, at Alban Eilir. All Christian prayer and worship properly begins by integrating the balance and Uncreated Light which Alban Eilir represents in the Circle of the Year.

"Thus, the Druid and Christian calendars, which at first seemed to have no similarities at the time of Alban Eilir, are revealed to be celebrating complementary aspects of the Wheel of the Cosmos. The Ancient Wisdom continues, unabated, as it always does."

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