Spring is (almost) here!

Here in the Northern hemisphere, we are approaching the Spring equinox. There are 2 equinoxes each year, fall and spring; as there are 2 solstices, winter and summer. In the fall, the equinox marks a time of growing darkness as we approach the winter solstice. At the fall equinox, we celebrate our harvest - those things we may label success. We prepare for the time to go within, to allow the ground of our being to lie fallow and rest so it may rejuvenate.

Well, the winter solstice came and went. Given the holiday craziness that accompanies the winter solstice, it sometimes doesn’t feel like a time of rest. However, the shorter days ultimately force our submission.  Now the Spring approaches. Where autumn and winter are the cosmic inhalation, our energies draw inward; spring and summer are the cosmic exhalation - our energies release and work magic. We may also consider the equinoxes as pauses within the cosmic breath; day and night being of equal length. This year the spring or vernal equinox comes March 20th. Then, ahhhhhhhhhhh, the exhale. Seeds take hold, sprout and push through the ground no longer fallow. We witness budding, flowering, fruiting - renewal, and rebirth.

Whereas intention is always a good thing, spring offers a perfect time for ritual around intention given the ground is perfect for planting. While pondering intention and goal setting, perhaps think back to the fall harvest of 2024. What seeds bore food for the soul and what seeds never took hold? What or who fertilized our garden? What or who halted its growth? This isn’t a time for judgment or berating oneself for what didn‘t work, rather a time for gentle reflection. Contemplate with an inquisitive mind, a learners mind, a beginner’s mind -  "shoshin”. This allows those experiences to guide us as we plant our soul-garden this spring.

You may find, as I have, struggles arise around this time of preparation. Birthing is work. We often find change difficult. Personally, I’ve been stressing for 2 seasons over my business launch. I’ve felt a tremendous amount of pressure around not moving fast enough or efficiently enough. The result came as a heavy-duty cold that knocked me on my butt and forced me to reset. I’m still purging and still resetting. I notice others are having similar halting experiences. If we recognize these setbacks as part of the birthing process, maybe we can smile into the struggle which can only release it, if even a bit. Change is coming. Yes, it’s scary, but it’s so exciting!


Early Spring by Rainer Maria Rilke

Harshness vanished.
A sudden softness has replaced the meadows’ wintry grey.
Little rivulets of water changed their singing accents.
Tendernesses, hesitantly, reach toward the earth from space,
and country lanes are showing
these unexpected subtle risings
that find expression in the empty trees.

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