In 1980, workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland went on strike after a worker’s rights activist was fired. The strike was successful and led to the formation of the Solidarity movement, which eventually led to the end of Communist rule and the domination of Poland by the Soviet Union.
Shortly after the strike, a U.S. news organization (I can’t remember which one) had a feature on the role of the Catholic faith of many of those supporting the movement, drawing a link to the election of John Paul II of Poland as the first non-Italian pope in 450 years two years earlier. I do not remember whether the quote below was said by one of the strike organizers, or if it was a conclusion drawn by a journalist. But it’s been stuck in my mind for almost 45 years:
In a country where the government is atheist, the rebel goes to church.
The religion of the current U.S. government is complicated. Donald Trump plays lip service to the Evangelical Christians who overwhelmingly support him – and he gave them their greatest desire with the three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade – but he’s about as irreligious as it gets. Elon Musk calls himself a “cultural Christian” who, like Trump, finds conservative Christians to be occasionally useful but has no real faith or practice himself.
J.D. Vance is a Catholic convert and integralist who believes society should be governed in alignment with the teaching of the Catholic Church (but not of the pope – Francis is too liberal for him). So are many of the people behind Project 2025.
This strange blend of non-religious, Catholics, and Evangelicals are united around a religion of social conservativism and authoritarian government.
In a country where the government forces conformity, the rebel celebrates diversity
Donald Trump says there are only two genders. We recognize that gender is a spectrum and that some people simply aren’t the gender they were assigned at birth. Others are genderfluid, gender queer, or find gender to be irrelevant in their lives. We have no need to force people into boxes where they don’t fit. Quite the contrary – we celebrate their discovery and expression of who and what they are.
Lest we think the only enemy is Donald Trump and his minions, remember that while the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it was red state legislatures that made abortion illegal. And now some of those same legislatures are trying to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling that established marriage equality across the nation. Meanwhile, we recognize that it is love and commitment that make a marriage, and we celebrate these sacred unions whatever form they take.
Our current government says even the word “diversity” must be avoided at all costs. Meanwhile, we understand that our communities are stronger when we include different people with different perspectives and different skills. We celebrate life in all its many beautiful forms.
In a country where the government exploits nature, the rebel reveres nature
This country has no stone circles, no ancient temples, no medieval cathedrals. What it does have are some of the most beautiful and spectacular natural sites in the world. Yosemite. Yellowstone. Rocky Mountain. Acadia. Denali. Dozens of others. Our national parks are treasures to be enjoyed, respected, and above all, preserved for future generations.
Firing park rangers and support staff is bad enough. We know Trump would love to privatize the parks so he and others can “develop” them. “Drill baby drill” values only money. And while this country has never taken climate change seriously, ignoring it is now public policy.
Meanwhile, we understand that we are part of nature. Not its head and not its center, but one part of it, connected to all the other parts. We honor the trees in our back yards, the mountains and oceans that inspire and amaze us, and the countless species with whom we share this planet.
The Spring Equinox is a natural phenomena. It happened long before humans were here to notice it and it will happen long after we’re gone. We continue the sacred tradition of observing it and celebrating it.
In a country where the government builds walls, the rebel practices hospitality
This country has always had an isolationist bent to it, from Washington’s Farewell Address warning against “foreign entanglements” to the isolationists who argued against entering World War I and eventually killed the League of Nations to the America Firsters of today. And while it once invited the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” now that more than a few people who look and sound different from those already here arrived, it’s been quick to slam the golden door shut.
We understand that hospitality is one of the greatest virtues. Zeus and Odin were known to disguise themselves as lowly travelers to test the hospitality of their people. Those who were virtuous were rewarded. Those who were not received a very different reward.
We can debate the limits of hospitality (immigration is a complicated issue) but we recognize that the refusal to provide basic hospitality to those in need is tantamount to saying “I don’t care if you live or die.”
And so when we gather to celebrate the Spring Equinox, we welcome all who come in love and friendship. If they don’t believe the same things about the Equinox as we do, that’s OK. What matters is that they want to be part of our community, accepting our hospitality and practicing reciprocity in return.
In a country where the government promotes the worship of one God, the rebel worships many Gods
Oklahoma mandates teaching the Bible in public schools. Louisiana mandates posting the Ten Commandments. North Dakota Republicans proposed a bill to “acknowledge the Kingship of Jesus Christ” (the bill was defeated, but over a third of legislators voted for it). Christian Nationalism is a growing threat to religious and personal liberty in this country.
Meanwhile, we understand that many different Gods call many different people to worship, work for, and work with them in many different ways. We also recognize that some people choose not to worship any Gods. Either way, we judge people based on how they treat other people and the world at large, not by how closely their beliefs and practices match our own.
Celebrating the Spring Equinox reminds us that we are Pagans and we will remain Pagans
We don’t celebrate the Spring Equinox because we want to be rebels. We’re rebels because we celebrate the Spring Equinox.
There are ancient sites around the world aligned with the equinoxes and the solstices. We don’t know how – or if – our ancient ancestors celebrated the Spring Equinox, but we celebrate it now because it’s part of the Wheel of the Year (a 20th century invention), which helps us align ourselves and our lives with the rhythms and cycles of nature. We may call it Ostara (another 20th century invention) or we may call it something else, but whatever we call it, it’s our notice that for the next six months, the days will be longer than the nights. It’s a time when the temperatures are warming, the trees are greening, and farmers are planting their crops.
Celebrating the seasons is part of what we do as Pagans. Whether the government supports it, opposes it, or ignores it, it’s what we do.
And when we do, we reaffirm our support for hospitality, reciprocity, the diversity of life, the multiplicity of the Gods, and the sacredness of nature.
The Spring Equinox is March 20
The Spring Equinox is an astronomical event that can be calculated with great precision. This year it occurs Thursday, March 20, at 4:01 AM CDT. If this was the Pagan country some have claimed then Thursday would be a national holiday. It isn’t, and so we celebrate when we can.
Some will celebrate on Wednesday night or on Thursday. Many will celebrate the Saturday before. Denton CUUPS will celebrate on March 22, the Saturday after.
If you can, I encourage you to find a local public celebration and join in. If you can’t, get together with a few friends at a time that works for you. Or observe the Equinox by yourself, either with a solitary ritual or with some other Pagan-oriented activity.
We urgently need to celebrate the Spring Equinox. Because in a country where the government is repressive and authoritarian, the rebel celebrates the joys of life, freedom, self-expression, and the sacredness of nature.
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