Life mirrors the seasons. Each season has a lesson to teach us if we pay close enough attention. Summer is for fun, being social, and embracing the outdoors. Fall is for shedding our old skin and turning inwards. Winter is for stillness and reflection.
Spring is for planting new seeds, new beginnings, and manifesting goals and dreams for the year ahead. Each season is a metaphor staring us right in the face.
After the winter period of rest, reflection, and sorting out our internal world, we can bring forth the ideas we conjured up and shape them into our reality.
Spring Equinox-
The spring equinox also called the vernal equinox, will take place this year on Monday, March 19th, 2024 for those that live in the Northern Hemisphere. On this same day, the fall equinox will occur for those that live in the southern hemisphere.
The spring equinox will see the sun’s rays hit each hemisphere equally, therefore causing an equal amount of day and night.
The word equinox stems from the Latin words aequus (equal) and night (nox). After this occurs the amount of daylight will slightly increase daily for those that live in the northern hemisphere while the amount will decrease slightly every day for those living in the southern hemisphere.
Not only can you begin to look forward to longer days and warmer temperatures, but you feel in the air a sense of blooming possibilities. Like your dreams can’t be that far out of reach.
Just as nature does its job every year like clockwork without any thought, we too can embody that energy to manifest the things we desire without much force.
When you live in tandem with the seasons and harness the powerful seasonal energy just think of what you can accomplish. Today we’ll go over some ways for you to spend the spring equinox to set yourself up for success this springtime, which will in turn carry over to the rest of the year.
Worldwide-
The spring equinox is celebrated in unique ways throughout the world. In England, you can watch the sunrise and sunset atop Stonehenge. In India they celebrate Holi. This festival of light has everyone come together to throw brightly coloured powder to resemble the return of light to the earth.
Near Mexico City, the Teotihuacan Pyramid, also called the Pyramid of the Sun, people dress in all white and climb to the top. Dressing in white is believed to soak up the negative energy so that people can enter into the spring season clean and purified.
No matter where you live you can incorporate the ideas below to create a personalized spring equinox ritual that works for you, that you can return to yearly.
Wake Up with The Sun-
Today is the perfect day to embrace all of the light that’s making its way back to the earth. Fun fact, this day will see the fastest sunrise and sunset of the year. Get off your phone and put down your to-do list for the day. Take a few moments to soak in and appreciate the sun rising above the horizon.
Take some deep breaths and rejoice that you’ve made it through the darkest part of the year and can now look forward to lighter days ahead.
Let it be a reminder that no matter how much darkness you might face in life, the light will always find a way to return.
Smudge-
There’s no better time to clear out any of fall and winter’s stagnant air and energy. Especially, if you’re someone who suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
For some people, the fall/winter can be an extremely depressive time. Additionally, the financial and social obligations of the holiday season can put a lot of people in a slump.
Use ethically sourced materials and spend some time brightening up the air and energy in your home. Read this post to learn how to do this ritual safely and respectfully. After you’re finished you should hopefully feel a lot lighter and ready to enter into the spring season with a clear mind and spirit.
Meditate-
Meditating is always a good idea. Follow along to a guided spring equinox meditation to help you visualize the changing seasonal energy. It’ll help you to quiet your mind so that you can accurately depict what intentions you’d like to set going forward.
If it’s safe to do so (be careful with pets, children & any flammables) light incense to accompany your meditation for a calming and serene environment.
Write Down Intentions-
Spend a bit of time today putting your thoughts to paper and writing down your intentions. It’s recommended to use an actual pen and paper as opposed to writing on your computer as it’s a slower process and allows you to be more deliberate.
Write down your goals for the year and the steps you’re willing to take to get there. They say that when you write down your goals you are 42% more likely to achieve them.
What metaphoric seeds do you want to plant this spring equinox so that you can see the full manifested version in months to come?
Let There Be Light-
In honour of the light returning to the earth, use today to bring forth as much light as possible. Leave the curtains open and let in all the sunlight.
Wear white or bright colours. Light many tea lights and candles if you have and/or host a bonfire. Be cautious if you have pets or children and don’t leave the candles or flames unattended.
Start Something New-
Use today to begin a new project or start a new hobby that you’ve been putting off for a while. Whether that’s learning a new language, beginning an art project, or finally picking up that instrument you’ve always wanted to learn.
If there’s ever a perfect time to start something new it would be on the spring equinox.
Go Outside-
The springtime hopefully means that you’ll be spending more time outdoors. Staying cooped up inside during winter can wreak havoc on your mental state due to a lack of vitamin D.
Once the weather permits, it’s amazing for your overall well-being to be out in nature as much as possible if it’s safe to do so where you live. Aim to spend at least 20 minutes outside, either on a walk or in a park or garden. Take in all the signs you see of spring. Trees, flowers, birds, etc. soak it all in.
Plant-
Just as you use today for planting seeds and rebirth, take this in a more literal approach by literally planting seeds. If you have an outdoor garden space use it to plant produce or flowers.
There are alternative options if you don’t have an outdoor garden space. There are now many cool contraptions to begin your indoor garden adventure.
If you don’t feel like starting from scratch, bring a new plant home and learn how to keep it alive. Ground yourself today by getting your fingers in some dirt.
Spring Clean/Organize-
While it’s always wise to keep a clean and tidy home for the sake of your mental state, spring is the best time to get into the nooks and crannies and start fresh.
Begin by throwing out the old. Things that either haven’t been worn or used in the past year should be thrown out, sold, or donated. After that do a deep clean of your home.
That means moving furniture and getting into the spots you can’t usually reach. This will probably be a whole day or whole weekend affair. If you get it all done during this time it should hopefully not have to be done again for a while. Read this post to learn how to do a full spring cleaning routine.
Decorate-
Incorporate spring elements into your home to play up the energy. Bring in fresh, bright flowers, or new plants. Change your throw pillows or accent pieces to brighter colours. Get creative with ways to incorporate a spring vibe into your home in a way that’s custom to you.
Eat-
Celebrate today by incorporating in-season foods. Things that are best in spring are asparagus, leeks, radishes, artichokes, arugula, spring peas, spring onions, fennel, lemons, limes, avocados, strawberries, rhubarb, and mint.
Up your vitamin and mineral intake by eating all of the in-season produce that spring has to offer.
Conclusion-
In honour of the spring equinox, there are many ways for you to celebrate the earth’s return to the light. Wake up early, watch the sunrise, and meditate to clear away any stress or worry from the past.
Write down your goals and intentions and the steps you plan to take to achieve them. Clean and organize your space to give your home and yourself a clean slate. Smudge safely and respectfully to remove any stagnant or negative lingering energy.
Let in the light, decorate accordingly, and eat seasonally. However you choose to spend this day, spend it with gratitude in your heart, and remember that the light will always return and will always win over the darkness. The seasons always have such strong messages to teach us if we pay attention. Happy spring!
