Twice a year the sun crosses the celestial equator - on both the spring and autumn equinox. The Spring equinox in the southern hemisphere fell today.
The word equinox comes from the Latin meaning ‘equal night’, which represents how on this day, the hours of daylight and darkness are almost the same.
In many cultures across the world, the Spring Equinox brings about a time of ritual.
The need for ritual around seasonal or natural shifts feels instinctive to me - though I find that I have little structure within which to acknowledge them. There is no festival or rite I grew up practicing, and many of those I observe around me feel as though they aren't for me.
Rather than simply do nothing, I considered some simple ways I could mark the equinox and cultivate more awareness around the seasonal change. Some of them are familiar things we do naturally this time of year - for me these are perfect, as rather than create tasks for myself, I'd like to cultivate awareness around what I am intuitively doing. In case you're interested, I've listed below my five new old rituals for marking the Spring Equinox.
Five rituals for the Spring Equinox
Spring cleaning - decluttering, downsizing, shedding For me this is not only cleaning my house, going through old unnecessary things, but also reflecting on what commitments, goals and projects I currently hold myself to, and deciding whether or not I wish to continue giving energy and effort to those, or if it is time to let them go.
Spring gardening, planting & planning I love how the Spring rain makes everything so green. My favourite yellow freesias are starting to bloom and everything smells so fresh and sweet. This week I spent time planting more seeds and planning out new garden beds.
Walking The weather is so changeable this time of year. The skies are dynamic, storm clouds can appear suddenly, and the sun starts to beat hot sporadically. Walking along the coast, alone or with friends, takes on a wild, unpredictable beauty.
Picking and arranging flowers With so many plants coming into bloom I’m spoilt for choice when I go out to collect a few stems for the house. I’m very deliberate about which I take, curating colour, shape and scent into little bundles that bring me joy every time I look at them. If you have few flowers in your garden, you can always pick wild flowers or foliage, forage for interesting leaf shapes, sticks and feathers. In a way, they turn my windowsill into a spring altar.
Reflect, meditate, write Whilst I’m not that keen on journaling as a practice, I do find at certain times sitting and reflecting on what I want to cultivate over a month or period can bring me a lot of clarity. It feels like listening to myself speak, with a kind ear and attentive mind. When I do this I notice things I might not otherwise. Sometimes it's helpful to see and reread the words in ink, sometimes it's better to sense through meditation.
If you have any rituals around the Spring Equinox, I'd love for you to share them with me.
As another way to celebrate the arrival of Spring, I'll include a small gift with each order made until October 31st.
