In the Northern Hemisphere this is the first day of spring and it occurs when the Sun crosses the equator line, heading north. The word equinox comes from the Latin words for ‘equal night—aequus (equal) and nox (night).
This turning point in the year is also known as Spring Quarter Point, Oestar, Ostara, and festival of balance and awakening.
In wiccan calendars, it is one of the eight festivals in the wheel of the year, and its energy is about fertility and manifestation. It is time to activate the ideas, plans and dreams which have been incubating and developing over the winter.
As the sun gains strength, so do we. The days will get longer and warmer, fueling our own bodies and minds, enabling us to put our biggest ideas into action.
The Spring Equinox is one of the only four times of the year when people are allowed to visit the actual stones of the Henge at Stonehenge (festivities start at dawn and rituals commence as the sun rises over the stones). Pagan and Druid groups sought this access under the Religious Freedom Act because they consider the stones a place of worship.
There are Saxon and Celtic gods and goddesses associated with the Spring Equinox, including Ostara herself, the goddess of spring and dawn. The Horned God, or Pan, is also believed to emerge at this time as her consort to represent hunting, dancing, and wanton partying. Sounds great!
You’ll notice fresh greenery. Trees, shrubs, and flowers are sensitive to temperature and day length, too, so you will notice daffodils and bulbous plants poking up.
Birds are migrating north. Animals are coming out of hibernation. Worms and grubs will emerge too. The March Full Moon is called the worm moon for this reason.
Weather will be warmer too. The heat will rise so you can wear fewer layers and outer clothes, and spend longer outdoors in the light and air. Let the sun’s ray penetrate your body, feel it warm your bones. Get a boost of natural vitamin D.
How to celebrate the Spring Equinox
You don’t need to be a practicing wiccan or pagan to enjoy marking this turn of the wheel of the year. In fact, you could call it a form of seasonal mindfulness, to stop and acknowledge the shift in the environment, the change of natural forms all around you.
Here are some ways to mark the moment:
- Look for ancient pathways, ley lines or animal tracks. Spend time in ancient burial, ceremonial, or habitat grounds, absorbing their residual energy and power. Much comes to life at this time of year, beyond what is obvious to the naked eye.
- Plant seeds – herbs, fruits and vegetables. Share seeds and plants amongst friends and family. Decorate plant pots with bright, happy pictures and patterns. Create a little nursery for your fledgling plants.
- Give spring cleaning real intention and meaning as you clear specific areas with a specific purpose in mind. Smoke cleanse your rooms (with all the windows open) to shift the stagnant and heavy energy that will have built up in your home throughout the winter.
- Have a big clear out and give away anything you haven’t used in the last year or so. Lighten your load, be free of whatever is weighing you down in terms of clutter and stuff.
- Place cleansing and purifying crystals (opal, clear quartz, rose quartz, emerald, selenite) in windows and doorways to boost the positive, welcoming energy of your home.
- Make flags or kites, or any flying object, to run with down a hill in the wind. Write little prayers, ideas or dreams onto them and let them carry these wishes to the skies.
- It was traditional among those who celebrate the changing of the seasons to drink Dandelion and Burdock. The bitter herbs were thought to be an invigorating tonic to wake the body up after the hardships of winter and a remedy to cleanse the blood.
- Plant your own personal development ‘seeds’. Start a journal which lets you write down the things you want to do, goals you wish to chase, places to visit, people to catch up with etc.. and tick them off as you embark into spring.
- Bring flowers and plants into your home, line each window sill and make your space feel more alive and aligned with nature.
- Introduce more fresh fruit and vegetables into your daily diet with warm soups, plenty of green salads, seasonal veggie snacks, vibrant fruit salads and smoothies.
- Egg races, egg hunts, egg eating and egg painting are also traditional activities at this time of year. This began in pagan times when druids would plant eggs in fields to attract abundance to the crops.
Kerry King, the tarot queen, uses tarot and star sign wisdom to create inspiring forecasts and insights, with over 25 years fortune telling experience, and many happy clients all over the world. You can book a personal, written reading, which comes as a beautifully illustrated brochure, through Etsy or join her new Tarot Club and get weekly forecasts and more for £5 a month.
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