Spring Equinox: A Time of Rebirth and Renewal
Walk the Celtic Wheel: Honouring the Spring Equinox
Are you ready to emerge into your life as you feel the life force rising at spring equinox. The pulse of the land is stronger, and more alive and you can feel this within you too. We are mid-spring, and the energy of rebirth and renewal is visible everywhere.
Spring is the season for sowing seeds and preparing the land for them. At this time, cleansing, releasing, weeding, nurturing, and nourishing the ground (i.e., you) are all crucial practises.
Spring is a lovely reminder that after death, there is rebirth.
What is the spring equinox?
The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator and day and night are of approximately equal length. This astronomical event marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, usually falling on March 20th or 21st each year.
The vernal equinox, or spring equinox, occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator when day and night are roughly equal in length. This astronomical event, which normally occurs on March 20th or 21st each year, symbolises the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
What words come to mind first when you think of spring?
For me, it’s blossom, rebirth, optimism, aliveness, emergence, promise and potential.
Emergence: Seeking Light at Spring Equinox
The birds are chirping, the flowers are starting to bloom, the buds on the trees, and the flowers are patiently waiting for the warmer and longer days. The quantity of yellow daffodils at this time indicates the sun’s increasing power. Spring is emerging all around you.
The Spring Equinox and the Celtic Wheel
The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, is a change, an initiation, a doorway, and a celebration just like all the points on the wheel of the year (the Celtic Wheel).
The Celtic Wheel, a symbol of life’s cyclical nature, celebrates the spring equinox as a time of fertility, renewal, and rebirth.
We are approaching the midpoint between the reflecting Winter Solstice and the peak of light at the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a time when the promise of growth awakens dormant seeds beneath the soil, symbolising our own capacity to grow and flourish with the season.
The Southern Hemisphere, is honouring the autumn equinox and its descent towards the darkness. This is a time to be thankful for the harvests whilst also acknowledging the need to prepare for the reflective winter months ahead. The transition into shorter days and longer nights offers a pause to consider the balance within and around us.
When all the world appears to be in a tumult and nature itself is feeling the assault of climate change, the seasons retain their essential rhythm. Yes, fall gives us a premonition of winter, but then, winter will be forced to relent, once again, to the new beginnings of soft greens, longer light, and the sweet air of spring.
A Renewal and Rebirth at Spring Equinox
The path of a seed from hibernation to blossoming represents our potential longing to emerge. At Spring Equinox, the seeds we’ve sown are germinating and beginning their ascent. They will finally break free from their seed coats and reach for the light.
Often, we think about the seed that blossoms into the flower, yet we forget the process that happens within the seed. The seed is nestled deep within the earth, and without the darkness of the earth, there is no growth or movement. The seed swells with water until its seed coat splits and sends a tender stem skyward (i.e., sprouting), while a tiny root from the seed pushes down and grows, looking for sustenance in the form of water and nutrients.
We learn from the seed cycle that without darkness, we would not appreciate the beauty of light. Without our challenges, we may never grow and explore who we truly are.
Nature inspires us to become aware of where we feel this desire to move our lives forward and upward, like the seed pushing up out of the earth towards the light.
It also encourages us to consider and tend to our roots. Are we receiving and giving ourselves the nourishment we need?
At Spring Equinox, the earth is asking us to rebirth ourselves. To shed the comfort of our ‘seed coat’ and stretch towards the highest version of ourselves.
The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect movements in harmony with each other.
Finding balance in a constantly shifting world with the Spring Equinox
The spring equinox marks the first day of the year when night and day are in perfect balance and of equal length. The equinox invites us to pause and experience this moment of equilibrium, knowing that the balance is tipping towards the growing light and leaving behind the long winter nights.
This balance of light and dark offers us the space to explore balance in ourselves and our lives.
When we talk about balance, it encompasses the entirety of our being: conscious and unconscious, what we show to the world and what we hide, body and mind, action and rest, heaven and earth, expansion and contraction, etc.
Balance isn’t static; it’s always fluctuating. It ebbs and flows, responding to life’s ever-changing rhythms. It’s about becoming aware of where we stand in relation to this dance of balance. Do we find ourselves leaning too far in one direction?
To cultivate balance, we must consider where growth is needed and also where we need to let go. Awareness is always the first step towards balance. By slowing down, we bring awareness to our thoughts and feelings.
What or where do you need to grow to bring balance to your life?
What or where do you need to release or let go to bring balance to your life?
What does balance feel and look like to you as an individual?
How do you know if you are in balance?
Signs of imbalance can show up as tiredness, stress, anger, short temper, and frustration, while balance can feel a sense of flow, connection, grounding, centeredness, and peace. Embracing balance doesn’t mean you eliminate the ‘out of balance’ feelings, but rather embracing all parts of yourself and your life.
Balance also means recognising all the things we know we are as well as those aspects we tend to hide or ignore—our shadow. Awareness of where we feel closed, out of sync, or out of balance can indicate areas that are looking for release and transformation. Engaging with these aspects allows us to align with nature, life, and our true selves.
The spring wakes us, nurtures us, and revitalises us. How often does your spring come? If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year. If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently.
The Vitality Energy of the Spring Equinox: The Maiden Energy
As the wheel of the year turns, the Winter Crone (An Cailleach) takes a step back and the Maiden of Spring steps forward to renew the cycle of life. The maiden’s essence is woven with joy, innocence, boundless potential, creativity, curiosity, and the ability to dance, sing, and laugh with a carefree and infectious ‘can-do’ energy.
Yet, the Maiden also represents an early stage of self-discovery—a young woman who does not know what she wants out of life, often caught in the web of pleasing others, and her talents and strengths are not yet fully realised. This is a time of initiation, where the maiden embarks on a quest to get to know her deepest wishes and to craft a vision for her life as she learns how to find herself and her unique voice in this world.
The tales of Persephone In Greek mythology, and the Descent of Inanna in Sumerian mythology illustrate the ascent of the Goddess from the underworld as she releases the chains that keep her there. She uses her wisdom to bring her back to the Upperworld where she can share all she has learned. Through these myths, we learn:
- The dormancy of winter is vital to the blossoming of spring.
- Birth requires a period of incubation.
- To embrace the descent so we can experience the ascent.
- Trying to remain in our youth prevents us from stepping into empowered adulthood.
- Without the space to grieve, we cannot heal and move into new ways of being.
- It is through this cycle of flying, being reborn and rising that we can share the wisdom gained while we were underground with the world.
If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome
Spring Equinox is a time to:
- Embrace movement. After the chill and hibernation of winter, now is the time to move and awaken your body. Engage in yoga, brisk walks, tai-chi, or dancing freely in your house. Let each movement shed the remains of Winter.
- Harness your renewed energy. Channel this fresh vitality to forge ahead, clear your path, and align with the desires of your heart.
- Pause to listen: At this point of balance, stand still so you can quieten your mind and listen to your inner yearnings and the wisdom that emerges from within. What aspirations are coming to you? What is life inviting you to embrace? What is looking to come through you?
- Expand the comfort zone. Just as the seed beneath the earth eventually cracks open to reach the light, challenge yourself to grow beyond your comfort zone so new life can come forth.
- Renewal. This is the time to refresh your thoughts, your patterns, your dreams, your relationships, etc. What needs rejuvenation in your life? What old patterns need to be released?
- Initiate new beginnings. The air is ripe with new beginnings, fresh possibilities, and also the ‘can-do’ energy of the maiden. What new chapter are you ready to begin?
- Nurture your dreams. Let your dreams see the light of day and begin to take steps to bring them into reality.
- Assess the garden of your life. Reflect on the aspects of your life that you are putting time and energy into. Are they what you want? Identify what needs weeding or more nurturing to thrive.
- Reflect on life cycles. Explore your relationship to the cycle of life-death-rebirth. How do these transformative phases show up in your life?
- Seek balance. Explore how you balance the contrasting aspects within you: light and dark, conscious and unconscious, body and mind, heart and mind, action and contemplation, activity and rest. What harmony is needed for your well-being?
Reflective Journal Prompts for Spring Equinox
As the spring equinox marks a time of renewal and rebirth, it’s a perfect opportunity for introspection. Settle into a comfortable spot with your journal, a pen, and a soothing cup of tea. Choose any of the following prompts to explore your thoughts and feelings—remember, this exercise is about your journey, and there’s no right or wrong way to approach it.
- What emotions does the arrival of spring stir in you? Reflect on the memories, words, and images that you associate with the time of year.
- As nature reawakens, what aspects of yourself or your life are awakening?
- In what areas of your life do you feel the ‘hope’ of spring emerging?
- Remember a time when you navigated the cycle of life, death, and rebirth? What insights did you gain from this experience?
- If you were to sow the seeds of your dreams in the spring soil, what would you wish to harvest in the autumn?
- What in your life is calling for renewal? What fresh energy are you inviting in?
- What in your life is calling for renewal? Does anything need to be ‘weeded’ out or healed to make way for new growth?
- What does balance mean to you, and how can you invite balance within and without?
- How can you honour the endings or transitions that paved the way for this new beginning?
- How can you express your inner maiden energy of joy, creativity, and the spirit of new possibilities in yourself and life?
Celebrating the Spring Equinox: Embracing Life
There are lots of ways to honour the spring equinox. Choose one (or more) of the below or come up with your own way. Your intention and the energy you bring are more important than what you are doing.
- Tap into your playful inner child by painting eggs, a symbol of fertility and new life.
- Make room for new beginnings in your life by clearing out cupboards, recycling old papers, and decluttering.
- Start something new that you want to include in your life—it could be a personal project, a behaviour, a hobby, or a healthy habit—something that you’ve been longing to start.
- Revisit the seeds of intentions you planted at Imbolc. Are they still inspiring you and filling you with a sense of excitement? If not, weed some of them to create space for some new visions.
- Assemble a vibrant display with things that remind you of spring: bright flowers, eggs, bunnies, tulips, and daffodils. Consider using green and yellow hues along with representations of the maiden, symbols of fertility, and new life.
- Acknowledge and give thanks for the lessons of the darkness of winter. Give thanks for the new opportunities and balance you are inviting in now.
- Refresh your home by spring cleaning, focusing on any areas that feel stagnant.
- Plant actual seeds as a symbol of your intentions for this new season. Let each seed represent an aspect that is being renewed, rebirthed or awakened.
- Plant actual seeds as a symbol of your intentions for this new season. Let each seed represent an aspect that is being renewed, rebirthed or awakened.
- If possible, visit places aligned with the spring equinox, like Loughcrew, Oldcastle, Co. Meath
Conclusion: Embracing the Emergence and Step into Growth
The Spring Equinox stands as a symbol of balance, emergence and renewal. It’s a time to embrace the joy of rebirth that nature so beautifully displays. As the land awakens even more, so too should the dreams and projects that have been incubating within you. What is the transformation you wish to see in your life and how can you nurture it?
Would you like to take time to honor the turning of the seasons?
Take some time out to contemplate what the turning point on the celtic wheel is reflecting to you in your life through ceremony
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I'm Roseleen
Your guide to navigating those life shaping moments.
All of my work is shaped by the beauty and wisdom held within nature. We grow by learning to be relationship with ourselves and nature so you can be your most present, aligned and embodied self.
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