That's a good round number. Hail Ostara!

Reader:
Spirits of the East, spirits of air,
Awaken us with the Spring breeze
Fill our lungs, and join us
In celebration of the endless renewal of light and life. (light candle)

Spirits of the South, spirits of fire,
Warm us with the rising sun
Quicken our hearts, and join us
In celebration of the unfolding of the Earth. (light candle)

Spirits of the West, spirits of water,
Wash us in gentle rain
Revive our longing, and join us
In celebration of boundless possibility. (light candle)

Spirits of the North, spirits of earth,
Clothe us in the finery of new growth
Support our steps, and join us
In celebration of a world made green again. (light candle)

Turn to the altar now, and address the candle for the Goddess:

Reader:
Goddess of Earth, mother of all
With love we greet you
As night and day once again
Greet each other in passing.
Be with us, complete our circle,
And help us always to see your face
In all that lives. (light candle)

Turning to the God candle:

Reader:
God of the growing light
With love we greet you
As night and day once again
Greet each other in passing.
Be with us, complete our circle
And help us always to see your face
In all that lives. (light candle)

Reader: (either solo, or pass it phrase by phrase around the circle. Thanks to Scott Cunningham for the Blessing Chant)
The circle is cast, the ritual begun.
May the powers of the Ancient One,
Source of all creation,
May the powers of the Goddess, bright lady of the moon,
And the God, horned hunter of the sun,
May the powers of the guardian spirits,
Rulers of the elemental realms,
May the powers of the stars above and the Earth below,
Bless this time, this place, and all who gather here.

Ostara the friutful, we welcome you.

All:

Blessed be!


Okay, now we have a little bit of casting to do. Select one person to be Hades, lord of the underworld; another to be Demeter; and another to represent Persephone, her daughter. These are all speaking parts. The Reader gets some lines here also. Again, if folks are comfortable, share the wealth. The more people who wish to participate, the more powerful the ritual. Staging can be as realistic or as stylized as you wish. As long as you identify your characters, it is enough to place them at the points of a triangle, perhaps with the Reader in the middle. The rest of the group can sit around the outside of your circle. The ending of this section gets pretty tricky, so make sure people are familiar with their parts. Rehearsal ahead of time is great, if you can make the necessary arrangements. While everyone is getting into their places, the Reader or another narrator can begin with the following.

We stand, as ever, at a point on the wheel
Remembering that we begin each journey
Only when we are brought to our first step

We wake each morning
Because we have slept through the night


We rejoice in the burgeoning springtime
Because we have waited, in the arms of the Mother
Through the season of darkness and cold

Reader:

Winter is for bedding down.
We watch the days grow shorter,
and feel the chill that heralds the first snow.

All:

Let there be joy in the cold and the dying.
The seeds of new life are borne on the winter wind.

Hades: (to Persephone)

I, the lord of all below
Have watched, enraptured, as you go
About the fields, you twirl and shine
Persephone, you will be mine

My chariot awaits, my love
To take us from the world above
Now put an end to childish play
I claim you for my bride today

Reader:

We feel January in every joint.
We insulate, and isolate
and strain to believe that the darkest days are behind us.