Ostara blessings ๐ฐ + Equinox magic ๐
I don't think I've ever been more ready for the season of light + rebirth
Dear you,
I have been thinking about this Spring Note for a week now. Feeling so excited about sitting down to write to you. Iโm gonna do my best to not make this an epically long post, but there is just so much to notice + celebrate right now. I have so many thoughts and so much energy I want to share with you. And, honestly, as cheesy as it sounds, I feel a bit giddy. I blame nature for making me feel so alive and inspired. ๐
So, the old, ancient wheel of the year is making another turn. That means, weโre entering a new season - spring for those of us above the equator and autumn for those who live below the equator. For those of us up north, weโve been waiting, hoping, and slowing waking from the long, dark, cozy winter months for a while now. And, even if the weather doesnโt really feel like it in some places, there is still no denying that the seasons are changing and spring is on its way. Have you noticed anything where you are?
The seasons will continue their slow shifting + unfolding, but today is a special day where I think itโs appropriate to pause for a moment and soak it all in. Today is the Spring Equinox and the festival of Ostara for those of us in the northern hemisphere. And, oh, there is so much to remember, honor, and celebrate today as the rhythms and cycles of life march on. With the shifting of the seasons, the stagnant, deep, inward energy of the dark months gives way to light and life. So, my friend, welcome to the season of rebirth.
I need to share something with you which is foundational to my reasons for following the seasons so closely. There are days that I feel so overwhelmed at how everything and everyone is connected. That we are all individuals, yet also possess the same love, energy, divineness, possibilities, needs, wants, hopes. And we are so tiny, yet so significant, as we go about our lives on this planet. Everything we are + do affects one another, and also the earth. But, the earth also affects and changes and holds and guides us too. As does the cosmos, the universe, the sun + moon + stars.
And I realized the other day how looking to the skies, to the universe, to space, to science, helps me understand the earth, and in turn, myself. Itโs all just one beautiful cosmic, stardust, earthy, spiritual, scientific dance. And all I want is to bask in the fact that we all are a part of it - and let it inspire my life.
That brings me to today - the Vernal (Spring) Equinox. This is the day that the earth literally balances on her axis giving the planet equal amounts of daylight + darkness. Equinox literally means โequal nightโ. Equi - equal, nox - night. This is the day that officially ushers in spring (at the autumn equinox we experience a similar pause of equal daylight + darkness). From now until the autumn equinox in September, there will be more daylight hours than darkness. How freaking amazing is that?! Bye bye darkness. ๐
And, honestly, this year, I am more excited and ready for the light half of the year than ever. Now, I am a dark, cozy, moody, autumn girl in my soul; but this year, right now, I crave the energy of light and life and hope and free-spiritedness. I welcome the season of rebirth - perhaps because I feel my own need to be reborn, to begin again, to shake things up, to emerge from the past few years and step into something new.
But, more about the deeper meanings of this season in a bit.
The spring equinox is also known as the festival of Ostara - one of the 8 sabbats (festivals) on the wheel of the year. It is an ancient festival celebrating natureโs rebirth and Oestre, the goddess of spring and the dawn. The Christian celebration of Easter actually gets its name from the ancient goddess, as both Ostara and Easter are celebrations of resurrection, life, and rebirth. No matter what or how we celebrate, this is the time of the year of the earthโs reawakening. New life breaks forth all around us. The sun grows stronger and warmer with each passing day. We literally see the earth come alive. And, I suspect that is also what is happening within me. In following and aligning my life with the seasons, I, too, am awakening to new life and energy. I suppose I even feel that I am experiencing my own inner resurrection.
The message of the season for all of us (humans, plants, animals) is clear: renewal, hope, rebirth, revival. Today we enter the life-giving, hope-filled, bright energy of the year.
I do believe there is also a deeper meaning to all that we see + feel + experience in nature, though. This day, this season, has much to offer our souls as well.
For one, I find the equinox, the one day where day and night are equal, a powerful symbol of balance. And the perfect opportunity to pause and feel a sense of calm, aligned, wholeness. Sometime on the equinox I like to find time to journal and to give myself a little bit of time to ponder how balanced I am, or how I might bring more balance to my life as I step into the season of spring. What feels out of balance? When do I feel completely balanced and aligned?
Springโs energy of renewal + rebirth also inspires me to think about new beginnings. With everything coming back to life all around me, itโs easy for me to turn inward for a moment and ponder how I am being renewed or reborn this season. Am I being called to start or begin something new?
This day, this season, welcomes me into a new season with new energy. I feel the shift. And I find myself wondering if spring 2023 is an opportunity to emerge from the past few years and step into something new. I hear a quiet whisper telling me that itโs time to shake things up, that a new era is dawning.
Iโve actually felt energy and excitement growing within me for a few weeks now as the sun has risen earlier + earlier each morning. Lately I have focused that energy and excitement on preparing my home and soul for the coming season. I suppose Iโve been celebrating the coming spring for a while.
Now, let me be clear, I donโt think that thereโs any right or wrong way to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Nor do I think that there are specific rituals that one should do on any specific day - hence Iโve been doing โspringy thingsโ for a few weeks now. The whole purpose of rituals and traditions, in my opinion, is to remember, to celebrate, to honor, to slow down, to align, and to connect - with your soul, with one another, with the earth, with the cosmos, and/or with the rhythms of it all.
So, hereโs what Iโve been doing lately as the energy has grown and I found myself wanting to celebrate the coming spring season.
journaling - I just write what I feel, whenever I feel it.
cleaning, reorganizing, redecorating my home space - fresh energy at home is a huge energy boost.
observing, noticing, documenting, experiencing nature (even in my urban setting)
pulling oracle cards to tap into my own intuition
meditating + practicing kundalini yoga
As the season moves on, I intend to bring more flowers into my home, decorate with eggs, bask in the light + warmth of the sun, explore and dream and plan, plant seeds of intention that I hope will grow + thrive so that I can harvest them in the end of 2023.
What about you, my friend? Are you ready for the shifting of the seasons? What are you most looking forward to? What do you need this spring?
I think that I simply need to soak it all up. To just keep being present, to enjoy the light + life as it emerges from the earth, and to be open to whatever new path lies ahead as the season unfolds.
Thanks for being here, love. Wishing you the most blessed Ostara and the most magical Spring Equinox. Iโll write again soon.
xoxo. liz.
Hi Liz! I'm so happy to discover your blog. Reading your post was like taking a break from the hustle and bustle and all the hecticness. What a peaceful read it was. Thank you!
Wishing you a wonderful Spring Season ๐ Greetings from Poland
As for me I feel so ready to shift the season. It's still cold here in Poland but the freshness of the air gives such an energy boost. That's amazing! I'm looking forward to accepting the life with all its challenges. That sounds like really big words, but I don't want to postpone my life anymore.