Spring Equinox this year falls on 23rd Sept 2021. The equinox is when there is equal light and equal darkness. Being Spring this signifies that we are heading towards longer days and shorter nights. For me I love acknowledging the major points on the Wheel of the Year and use them as a quick reminder that we are connected to the natural world around us and that our whole life consists of cycles within cycles. If we work in sync with the cycles of nature it will bring balance to our lives.
Because Equinox is all about balance I like to use it as a time to examine what is happening in my life right now and identify where I can create greater balance. If you would like to do the same, you can use a garden as an analogy for your life. During Spring, you need to keep an eye on the seedlings (ideas/behaviours/routines) you have “planted”)and decide which ones are growing and which ones are holding the garden (you) back and, like weeds, need to be pulled out. Is there anything you can discard or do you need to spend some more time on nurturing and caring for the seedlings that you want to develop?
We can use this same analogy to look at all aspects of your life: relationships, career, health, exercise, etc. Other questions to ask are:
- Are we spending enough time nurturing our creative side?
- What about our diet – is there a balance there? You are allowed to indulge in a treat every once in a while, just not every day.
- Are you continuing to grow and learn emotionally and spiritually? Or do you sit in front of the TV more often than you pick a a book to read?
- Is there a balance between work and play?
This is not supposed to be a negative experience of pulling yourself up for all the “bad” behaviours, it’s merely an opportunity to examine your routines so you can remove those that don’t serve you. It’s a reminder to work toward growing qualities you wish to have. By weeding out the things in your life that are not useful and not serving you, you allow room for the positive aspects of your life to grow and thrive.
Spring Equinox is a celebration of the time of year that brings forward more light. There is a shift in balance of light/darkness. The days are becoming longer and it might be time to shine some brightness onto areas of your life that have been neglected over winter. Now is a time when we can honour the light within us but sill acknowledge the necessity of the dark. After all what’s day without night?
Our bodies and minds are active during the day and sleep during the night but sleep and rest (in the darkness) is just as important so we can re-emerge full of energy to take on a new day. The equinox reminds us of the importance of balance between light and dark. There is no yang without yin.
On the eve of this years Spring Equinox, I just spent my evening sitting around the dinner table with my family and discussing balance in our lives. If you want to create a ritual around Spring Equinox you can checkout this FB post which gives you some ideas or alternately get in touch. I love supporting others in keeping connected with the cycles of nature.