EARTH-BASED SPIRITUALITY - EQUINOX
Equinox happens twice a year (usually September and March) and it is the time of year in which night and day are approximately of equal length determined by where the sun crosses the equator. On March 20, we prepare to welcome the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Autumnal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and so marks the beginning of these two seasons.
In the Northern Hemisphere, we are celebrating Ostara, preparing for our emergence from our winter slumber. It is a perfect time to start new projects, to bring things out into the world in the same way the Earth begins to show and the flowers begin to bud and the days get progressively longer.
In the Southern Hemisphere, we are celebrating Mabon, preparing to go inward from our heated emergence and outward directed energies. The energies here are marked by a shedding as we prepare to go back into ourselves and the days get progressively shorter.
There are several goddesses sacred to the time of the Vernal Equinox, and many are goddesses of fertility, pleasure, sensuality, love, and procreation, because the Spring Equinox is an energetic celebration of all these things! It's a time for reawakening the body to the pleasures of the sun. Buds are blossoming, hives are reawakening to pollinate, the earth is singing to a new brighter tune.
The time of the Autumnal Equinox is a time to reap the abundance of the harvest. It is a time to go inward, to prepare the body and mind for introspection. It marks an ending as nature begins to fall away, to decay, to return to the Earth after revealing her immense bounty.
And although these may appear to be opposite, we are in fact experiencing the same energy of shifting into something new, welcoming a new season and a new year. The balance of the two marks the two marks the beginning of a new season. When the seasons change, we are welcoming a transition, a change, a moment to release and begin anew as dictated by the position of the Sun relative to the Earth. And no matter what part of the Earth you are in (North or South), it is a time of renewal and fresh starts.
And in order to begin fresh, it is important to let go of what is no longer serving you or to re-evaluate areas in your life that need recalibration, or need to shift to become more balanced. The energy of the equinox is all about balance. This is the main reason that we release and surrender, preparing ourselves for the polarity that is our manifesting potential, whether that is planting the seeds or reaping our abundance.
In the same way that we follow the cycles of the Moon, this new cycle, ruled by the Sun, is another opportunity to set intentions for the coming year since astrologically this day is marked by the Sun moving into Aries, the beginning of the Solar, astrological cycle. This is all part of Earth-Based Spirituality: by attuning ourselves to the cyclical nature of the year, to these patterns, to these energetic cycles, we can gain insight on what these seasons are telling us and begin working with, rather than against these natural tides.
How are you welcoming balance and connecting to this shift, this change, this balance point? Share your thoughts and rituals in the comments. I look forward to hearing about your beautiful practices.