Spring Equinox this year falls on23 September 2023 at 23 September 04:49:06 PM AEST. If you are in another time zone – you can check o the exact time and date for the equinox in your area of the world here.
Both spring and autumn 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 it can be useful to examine what is happening in your life right now and identify where you can create greater balance. 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 like weeds, holding the garden (you) back and preventing the germination of the “good” plants. Those weeds (behaviours) are best pulled out and removed all together. Is there anything in your life you can discard? Do you need to spend some more time on nurturing and caring for the seedlings that you want to develop? These are some good reflections you could use for your journal around this time of the year.
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. If you’ve read the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, you will know that “habit stacking” is a way of setting yourself up for success when you want to promote a beneficial behaviour and in reverse – removing the prompt for the undesirable behaviour (a way of weeding) can prevent the habitual choice- just because it’s there.
Spring Equinox is a celebration of the time of year that brings forward more light. I’m always coming back to the fact that we are cyclical creatures and there are benefits to all parts of the cycle, but for the part of the cycle 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.
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. 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? – there is no yang without yin. The equinox reminds us of the importance of balance between light and dark.
If you are looking to create your own celebration, follow along on my social media feeds to get some great tips and ideas to personalise your own event.
If you are in Brisbane I have a beautiful way of celebrating this Spring Equinox – with a group Energy & Sound Healing session to cleanse and clear your body, mind and soul. To find out more click here