Celebrating Spring Equinox

Blessed Spring Equinox!

There are many ways to celebrate the Vernal Equinox, which is when daylight and night are exactly the same. Imagine how happy the ancients were for the lengthening days and warmer nights! Our plants and flowers continue those celebrations, even while we humans artificially expand daylight and warmth.

There are eight solar-oriented holydays each year, the major ones are the two solstices and two equinoxes: winter solstice and summer solstice and spring and fall equinox. The winter solstice brings us the longest night of the year while summer solstice brings us the longest day of the year. Spring and fall equinoxes are, of course, half-way between the solstices and offer an equal length of day and night. They are 16 weeks apart. Minor holydays fall in between these four to round out the turning of the wheel of the year. More on other holydays in future posts.

The Vernal Equinox is a perfect day to celebrate balance. As I wrote before, I am seeking to find balance within myself, my family, my work, my world. Tonight, my family will spend time talking about how we are going to try to establish balance in ourselves and within our family; we've gotten quite out of balance recently.

Spring is also a time of fertility and growth. While I've not tried it yet, I understand that if you place an egg on its end on the Vernal Equinox, it will stand up because of the balance of the earth's tilt. Try it. Another name for this holyday is Ostara, the derivative of Easter, in celebration of OEster, the goddess of fertility. That's why we celebrate Easter with eggs and chicks and bunnies: fertility.

So I am celebrating new growth with the equinox.

I wish you wondrous new growth within balance this season!

Peace,

Kate