Spring

March 20th is the Spring Equinox, and we are at the height of the season, at Mid-Spring. The first half of Spring, from the beginning of February until today, has been a time of clearing out the dry leaves and twigs from last year and preparing the ground for this year’s sprouts. And now comes the surge of the robust and relentless energy of growth.

The growth energy of Spring breaks over me in waves. Each day a new set of daffodils unfold their brilliant yellow leaves, a bright reminder that the time is nigh. I find myself in these last few days rushing about gathering up bits of detritus, pieces I do not want to bring into this year’s growth. But that moment is quickly eclipsing, replaced with the keen surge of growth.

Today at the equinox we experience the brief moment of balance on the earth, when day and night are virtually equal. At this brief moment of balance, consider your direction, in a personal and global sense, both the individual you and the you that is one of the beautiful threads in the tapestry of our cosmos. Breathe in the revitalizing growth energy of Spring, nourishing your individual self. Then reach out and join in this moment of global balance, and breathe out your love and compassion.

And get ready to be swept into the heady and glorious flood of new life.

Brightest Blessings at the Equinox -- Anne



A bit about the Spring Equinox: The Spring Equinox is the height of Spring. Equinox means “balance”, and this is the point when the dark and light of the day are most at balance. On a global scale, the equinoxes are at the points of the year when the entire world is in balance, with both Southern and Northern hemispheres receive almost the same amount of light. The equinox has another important feature as well: it is the only point during the year that the Sun rises in exact east and sets in exact west. For while the Sun “stands still” at the solstices, the Sun moves very rapidly across the horizon at the equinoxes leaving only one day to calibrate to the directions (see http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html for an animated demonstration of the Sun moving across the horizon). The Mid-Spring festival is also called Ostara (Germanic in origin). Astrologically, the Spring Equinox may be calculated as the date the Sun is at 0° Aries, which currently Falls around March 19-20. This is the beginning of the astrological year in the Tropical system.

thoughts on the approach of the equinox

It feels to me like the first half of spring -- feb 3 until march 21 -- is a time to finish the "ground prep". For me, that means getting rid of all the stuff that keeps things from growing, so weeding, pruning, clearing away. And then from Spring Equinox on, it just feels like an unrelenting surge of growth. So just a few more days to prep the space before the wild ride starts. I feel like I'm standing in line for a roller coaster ride.

Today is the first day of Spring

Today is the first day of Spring, the mid-point day between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. I call this day the “Greeting of the Light,” the day when Winter passes and Spring emerges and we begin to notice the longer days.

This is the beginning of the end of the dark season, the end of hibernation. It is a good time to reconnoiter and plan. What else do you need to do in these days of quiet? What do you need to do to prepare for the burst of spring growth that will accompany the Spring Equinox – which is only 6 weeks away? What do you need to clear away so that the new growth can emerge? And there is planting to consider. What do you want to grow this year? What areas of your life need to be tilled up or weeded to make way for your intentional plants this year?

So let’s take advantage of the end of the season of the dark. Listen deep within the earth – listen deep within ourselves. Be open to new plans, new growth, and be willing to clear out what doesn’t serve us anymore.

Bright Spring Blessings to all, without exception-- Anne

tarot readings...

On Wednesday, January 20th, I'll be at Small Planet Trading from 5:00-8:00 reading tarot. Donations for the readings will be going to support local Hood River nurse Amanda Kohlwey's upcoming medical mission to Bolivia. It's girls night out in Hood River -- come by and see what the cards have to tell you!

Winter Solstice Greetings

Winter Solstice was on Monday December 21 at 9:47 am PST. Though I missed the day to send out this greeting, we are still now in the depths of Winter. Winter Solstice is at the height of Winter, when the days are shortest and the nights are longest. These long dark Mid-Winter eves afford us the time to luxuriate within our homes, within ourselves. This is a time of contemplation, a time of being – a time to sit and settle in our bones. The solstice is the time when the sun is “still”; it rises and sets in the same place for these few days, hardly moving even through these few weeks.

Some years these Mid-Winter days are times of self-exploration, dreaming, planning, pondering. But for me this year, it is a time of being still -- still in the sense of not seeking, still in the sense of accepting and being.

In whatever way these days draw you, yield to their guidance. Savor these long velvety dark nights, for the light of Spring is on its way, and this moment will pass.

Blessings to you all at Mid-Winter – Anne


A note on dates: Mid-Winter is also called Yule (originally from the Scandinavian). Astrologically, Mid-Winter may be calculated as the date the Sun is at 0° Capricorn (in the Tropical system), which currently Falls around December 21-22 (This date range applicable to U.S. time zones. Other methods for determining the cross-quarter days and charts showing the date ranges for the seasons can be found at: http://www.archaeoastronomy.com).