The Vernal Equinox calls us out of the darkness into the awakening of new life and balance. As the light returns, we can feel the life force begin to move through us. The Equinox brings hope and new birth, yet it can also be a time of confusion.
Although March is the official beginning of Spring, we can feel nature seeking balance, moving wildly back and forth between warm, sunny days and snowflakes falling. It is a time of experimentation, stretching into the new while still holding on to the old.
In my garden, tiny crocus have emerged. I have watched as cold days have caused them to contract and shiver while warmer days have allowed them to open and dance in the sun. I worried they would not make it through the radical shifts in sun, rain, and winds, but I admire their courage and pluckiness as they seem to face whatever trials they are offered.
How is it that the new growth knows when the time is right, making its best bet with the vagaries of weather, human interference, and random luck? I feel the courage of my little yellow crocus, of the blooms that mistake a February heat wave for the coming of spring, or the little flowers that somehow find a way to grow out of the cracks of sidewalks or out of big boulders.
The life force is strong and is programmed to live and propagate. It is good for me to remember in times of darkness that I also carry that life force, a gift that comes to me not as a reward but as a grace that loves me and holds me as I wander through a world without a map. I know that I am made to grow and share my beauty, just as are the springtime flowers, and I lift my head to the sun.
Still, transitions can be difficult, and moving quickly from darkness into light can be unsettling. Finding a new balance requires that we be gentle with ourselves as we feel the internal and external changes that we are experiencing. Even as the light returns, we may need to move slowly before rushing into the new. Balance takes time, and we need to be patient with ourselves.
As the sun passes directly above the equator on this Spring Equinox, I think about how to help bring balance to my life. Nature teaches us about cycles and rituals, and today is a good day to bring special attention to this time of new beginnings.
Meditating on these four areas can gently support us as we move into this new season, helping us, like the little crocus, find our way into the fullness of this new chapter.
Four Equinox Meditations
- My Body – This is a time to contemplate our bodies. What is stirring? Where is the energy? Where is healing required? Where is pleasure?
- Letting Go – What am I holding on to that no longer serves? What needs to be cleansed in my physical, spiritual, mental, or emotional states?
- Gratitude – How can I find ways to bring more gratitude into my life and share that energy with others?
- Intentions – What seeds do I want to plant in the coming months?
Happy Spring! May the seeds that you plant thrive and bring nourishment to you and all beings.