21 Mar is the official end of Winter. Today the length of day exactly equals the length of night and as we approach summer the days continue to lengthen, days get warmer and the Earth gets more energised.
What exactly is an Equinox?
The time taken for the Earth to complete an orbit around the Sun is one year. During the orbit, the Earth rotates on a North/South pivotal axis, resulting in a 24 hour day/night cycle. This North/South (polar) axis is also on a tilt. Depending on its location in the annual orbit, this tilt means our location on Earth is either closer to the Sun or further away – resulting in Summer and Winter for locations above and below the equator. Locations along the equator are equidistant from the sun all year round.
So, during the annual orbit, for locations above and below the equator such as the UK, there is a point where the Earth is furthest from the Sun – we call this the Winter Solstice. The point where the Earth is closest to the Sun – the Summer Solstice. And two points perfectly in between the Solstices where the length of the day matches the length of the night are called equinoxes. These four events mark the seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
As markers of changing seasons they are considered transitional points of the year. Points where nature is letting go of the old and welcoming the new. This nature is amplified within us during these times of year, as such it is not unusual for old traumas, patterns and unhelpful thoughts to surface in order to be released to make space for the new.
The spring equinox is particularly powerful as we come out of winter, a time of hibernation, restoration, conservation of energy into Spring a time of renewed strength, vigour and growth. You may notice as life bursts into being all around us, fresh flowers, symphonies of birdsong, freshly born lambs, that you have a spring in your step and sense of forward momentum that seems to prioritise sorting and cleaning! The spring clean is a real thing!
It is generally accepted that the spring equinox is a time to utilise fresh energy to sort, cleanse and reorganise such that as the amount of energy hitting Earth increases as we approach summer, you have released baggage that may hold you back and you have space to act on new intentions.
Some suggestions on what to do on Spring Equinox:
1. Find methods of release for old ways of being that have come to surface.
- Meditation
- Breathwork
- Trauma and Tension Release Exercises
- Physical exercise
- Sauna
- Cold water exposure
2. Set intentions for the coming year. Consider what you would like more of in life.
- Write down these intentions and goals in the positive sense, avoid negative statements. For example “I want more… in my life” as opposed to “I want less… in my life”
- Visualise what you want, utilising all of your senses.
- Work on accepting what you want as if it is inevitable. There is no possibility it won’t happen, in some sense it’s already happened.
3. Spend time outdoors
Connect with nature and witness the changes happening all around you. Appreciate the beauty of new growth, knowing you are growing right alongside.
4. Relax
If possible avoid stress and rush, keep slow, grounded and conscious.
5. Cleanse and Purify your home.
Spring clean, sort, organise. Consider a subtle energy cleanse by visualisation, imagine a pure white light clearing your home or work space of all negative energy, this visualisation technique can be used in conjunction with burning Palo Santo, a sacred wood that is originally used by Indigenous communities of the Andes to clear stress and negativity.
Ultimately, today is about emerging from winter and feeling the changing energy, appreciating the emerging life around us and setting ourselves up for success by removing the old to make space for the new. Embracing the start of a life element in a large example of the life-death-life cycle.
