“Mid-spring on the fourth, spring hues mark balance.
In green fields stroll moon, blue sky dotted clouds.
Swallows one by one, petals drop by drop.
At night missing wife, hear not singing voice. ” ~ Xu Xuan (916-991 CE)
Spring equinox, or Ostara as it is sometimes called in Anglo-Saxon pagan mythology, occurs in the Northern Hemisphere on Monday, March 20, 2017.
Spring equinox is the celebration of fertility, longer days, new crops, and new ideas. Winter has served her purpose, as an incubator of dreams, and now we shed her cloak and step bravely into the future.
Energetically speaking, spring equinox symbolizes new beginnings. Many cultures gather meaningful strength during the equinox, as it marks the Iranian New Year, celebrated widely in the Middle East; Vernal Equinox Day in Japan, a public holiday; Chunfen in China, a spring festival that bears great importance to farming and folk traditions; and the beginning of the Bahai’i calendar.
I like to include all these celebrations in my spring equinox blessing ritual to honor the fact that all people find joy in the promise of new life. We are all united in this powerfully simple hope.
The word “equinox” is from Latin, meaning equal-night. It occurs when the sun passes over the celestial equator, and night and day are approximately the same length. It is a virtual balance in the changing heavens.
During the equinox, the Earth’s axis is pointing neither away from nor toward the sun. This is true for both the spring and autumn equinoxes, as the Southern Hemisphere celebrates the opposite seasonal cycle of the Northern Hemisphere.
I find spring equinox extremely mystical because it shows how all things can find balance for a moment as they continue on a never-ending journey through the cosmos.
The magic of spring equinox is available to each of us, and we can harness it to ground us in love, in life’s purpose, and in our deepest spiritual longings.
Our ancestors, who lived by the movements of the planets, saw the sun as the source of all life, and it inspired great awe in them. Even as we make ourselves busy in a technological work and we find ourselves disconnected from nature’s influence and beauty, we are still sustained by that great ball of fire.
In my Wise Woman Tradition, I believe that we are made of stardust. I learn from the planets as I participate with them in a beautiful dance. I observe astrological and astronomical events with reverence. After all, who can deny being humbled by a midnight sky dotted with constellations?
This spring equinox, we can use this opportunity to lie down under the blanket of stars and contemplate our place in the universe. After we find stillness, we may discover a new awareness of the interconnection between our spirits and all that is. There is no separation, once we leave behind our thinking minds.
Spring equinox is the time for boldness and heightened emotions. We’re feeling hopeful and are perhaps falling in love with another or with ourselves. Now that we have found our balance, ideas easily pour forth. We stand surefooted and grounded, ready for the sewing of seeds.
The Rest Here: https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/03/spring-equinox-the-astrological-new-year-begins/
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