Fire Ceremonies and Folk Tales: Inside a Spring Equinox Party in the Scottish Highlands
When Hugo Macdonald and James Stevens, founders of the Edinburgh-based gallery Bard, mentioned that they were going to host a house party for Ostara—the pagan festival honoring the Spring Equinox—I cleared my schedule. My excitement doubled when I learned it would be at Boath House, the Greek revival villa in the Scottish Highlands owned by partners Steve Mayne and Jonny Gent of Sessions Art Club fame.
The purpose of the 24-hour gathering was to bid farewell to winter and usher in the warmth of spring with fire, food, and festivities. “The more virtual our lives become, the more appealing it feels to reconnect with nature, weather, seasonal shifts, and thresholds,” says Macdonald of the event’s design. “It feels invigorating to honor old celebrations with primal concerns, such as the return of light and warmth. Connections to each other and to ideas that are older than the internet are life-affirming and enlivening.”
The event took place this past Saturday—a rare sunny day after a streak of rainy weather. As though the gods themselves had received the invitation asking for “spring fling” dress, clear blue skies shone as my friend and I loaded up her Jeep to make the three-hour drive north. And as we pulled down the drive to Boath House, we were transported into a scene from a period drama.
