Tendra's Bloom: Festival of Waking Earth
Also known as: The Petal Awakening, The Cradle of Seeds, Day of First Fire
Region of Origin: Mountain valleys and rolling hill country, specifically NW Atlantia.
Time of Celebration: Mid-Spring, precisely three nights after the first full moon after the spring equinox, when the soil has fully thawed and the wild bees first emerge.
Purpose:
To honor the Earthmother Tendra, who stirs from her winter slumber beneath the soil, rising to bless the wombs of the world--animal, plant, and human alike. The festival marks the awakening of the land, the sowing of sacred seeds, and the renewal of communal bonds, love, and fertility.
History
The First Fire and the Nine Offerings
According to legend, one year a late frost killed all the spring seedlings, and famine loomed. A wise old herbalist named Anza, guided by a dream of a woman made of bark and blossoms, instructed her village to extinguish their hearths, make offerings of food and seed, and reignite the fire with wood from nine sacred trees. As they danced around the new flame, the ground warmed, and Tendra stirred.
By midsummer, wild grain sprouted along the rivers, and the bees returned in greater numbers. Anza became known as the "First Daughter of Petals," and her rituals became the roots of what would later be called Tendra's Bloom.
Execution
- First Fire Rite
- Seed-kissing ceremony
- Petal Procession
- Night of Nine Offerings
Components and tools
- nine sacred tree logs
- crop seeds and spring water
- food and drinks, especially fertility cakes, mead, and flower wines
- flower petals in baskets
- musical instruments
Participants
Priestess, pilgrims, and commoners. Young couples, children, and mothers.
Observance
three nights after the first full moon after the spring equinox
Primary Related Location
Important Locations
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
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