How to Celebrate the Spring Equinox
Happy Almost Equinox! Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the first day of Spring.
And it’s also the Full Moon! Double power!
(Of course for those friends south of the Equator tomorrow will signal the beginning of Autumn. You might want to read this one: 5 Rituals to Celebrate Balance and Invite Renewal at Autumn Equinox.)
Whether you are welcoming springtime or the fresh breezes of Autumn, this is a day when the light and the darkness will be perfectly balanced. There is a magical power and energy with this that can be harnessed through ritual, or just simple quiet time and observing of this miracle of nature.
And whether it’s Spring or Fall, Equinox time is ideal for doing a bit of internal detox and cleansing—on both the physical and emotional levels. Next week I’ll share some tips on this. But today’s missive is all about celebrating the Equinox.
Also known as the Vernal Equinox, this day marks the third celebration day (or Sabat) in the Pagan Wheel of the Year. As I noted in my post on Winter Solstice, ancient and modern-day Pagans celebrate the cyclic flow of the year at eight points during the year’s cycle, beginning at the Winter Solstice and traveling through the Equinoxes and four ‘cross-quarter’ days.
These eight festivals span many more religions as well, and versions of them have been celebrated in Ancient Rome as well as in the Pre-Columbian Americas.
If you’d like to learn more about the ancient roots of Spring Equinox celebrations, check out my guest blog over on Confluence Daily. It’s fun stuff.
And here are some of the rituals from then and now if you’d like to create one of your own to harness the energy of Spring.
Some Spring Equinox Ritual Ideas
Celebrations and rituals for the pagans of Northern Europe included decorating hard-boiled eggs in honor of the fertility goddess. The egg is an important symbol of spring, with its golden sun-like yolk representing the sun god and the outer white casing associated with the white goddess. As a whole, the egg holds the power of new life and symbolizes rebirth.
Seeds are like eggs. While eggs contain the promise of new animal life, seeds hold the potential of a new plant. A seed ritual is a powerful way to acknowledge and celebrate the Spring Equinox. Such a ritual can be as simple as planting a few seeds in a small pot, while meditating on your intention for the coming months.
What do you want to nurture and grow in yourself or in the world?
I find it especially cool that this year the energy of the Full Moon and Spring Equinox are on the exact same day.
Full Moon rituals often involve releasing what no longer serves you. So, it could be especially powerful to make a list of the things in your life you’re ready to let go of—habits, behaviors, situations, even people. Read your list aloud and say a little prayer of acknowledgment that you now release these to the Highest Good. You can then burn the paper, or tear it into tiny pieces and scatter it outside.
Follow this this by writing out another list, this time of your intentions—what you’d like to manifest in the coming season. You can also do the seed planting ritual mentioned above, but it still carries weight to simply write these down and speak them aloud while acknowledging you are drawing on the energy of this magical day to magnify the power of your intentions.
You could even celebrate the Full Moon Equinox by planning a gathering that includes song, prayers and dance. Each person can take turns stating their intention for the new season as they plant their seed into the earth.
There are many ways to celebrate this auspicious day, the point is in acknowledging how the changing seasons of nature affect our inner landscapes as human beings.
Most importantly, remember to go outside and be with nature on this day of balance. Take a walk in the warm sunshine or the soft spring rain, and breathe in the new life awakening around you.
