Spring Equinox

The light returns and the earth awakens 🌷

Mar 19, 2024

In March the earth remembers its own name.
Everywhere the plates of snow are cracking.
The rivers begin to sing. In the sky
the winter stars are sliding blades away; new stars
appear as, later, small blades of grain
will shine in the dark fields.
And the name of every place if joyful.
-from “Twelve Moons” by Mary Oliver

Welcome the Vernal Equinox ~

As day & night meet in perfect balance of light, the earth awakens from its slumber like a trembling fawn greeted by a new dawn... The time has come for us to emerge from our cocoon to watch the earth bloom.

The promise of Spring offers us such an infallible hope. That we may always begin again, anew and refreshed. The turning of the wheel is an influential time, granting us a swell of renewed energy to bestow our dreams unto the waking realm ~ to flow forth, permitting us the willpower and courage to create something from nothing.

I feel as though, I’ve just blinked my eyes and Spring is upon us and it seems that this year, March may not be so wholly dreadful after all and will be harvesting the fragrant leaves of lemon balm sooner than I thought.

And as we cross the threshold into the Springtide, may we feel renewed with the promise of new beginnings, count our blessings and let go of what no longer serves us.

Let us give thanks for the time of rest.

And let us celebrate this rebirth with a simple ritual ~ Go for a walk and greet each bloom. If there are plenty, take a few with you to place on your table, inviting the spirit of new life into your home.

Our intentions are much like the seeds we sow…they need tending to and fertile soil in which to grow. Some of our intentions may be planted deep within us, needing longer periods of germination or otherwise, needing more time for inner reflection. Some may be closer to the surface and ready to begin it’s cycle of life. If we neglect our seeds, they do not grow, and even if they sprout, they will not flourish. Tend to your inner gardens, water your seeds and they will become beautiful flowers. Remember this for moons to come.

Springtime Nourishment…

Nourishing herbs are emerging all around us now, beckoning to be picked. We can add these herbs to our salads & meals as well as making simple infusions with water or ACV. (See my blog post on Herbal Vinegars) (Just be sure to avoid land close to the road, driveways or where dogs play)

Here are a few medicinals you can find right at your doorstep with each day to come…

Chickweed
Stinging Nettle or Dead Nettle
Violet
Dandelion
Red Clover
Cleavers

Lymph Loving Herbs:

Calendula
Red Clover
Chickweed
Dandelion Root & Leaf
Cleavers
Burdock Root

A little note on some energetic themes of this season…

The beauty of Aries is it’s burning desire to get things done.

Aries has a fire burning at its core so heed with caution, especially if you have Aries in your chart, don’t be surprised if you’ve been feeling a little heated lately. You may be prone to anger, frustration, tension, impatience as things begin to heat up within & without of us. Consciously create outlets for these excesses with movement & exercise. Breathing exercises & movement along with digestive stimulation will help to cool us down and give us healthy outlets for our sudden abundance of energy.

If we are lacking that innate energy in our lives, then we might need to help it surface with some hot, spicy & aromatic herbs to get things moving for us. Otherwise, if we have the fire already burning within us we may need a little help to cool down with herbs that are cooling & moistening to our constitution.

*The herbs listed above are mostly cooling & moistening*

Other cooling/moistening herbs would be…

Lemon Balm
Oatstraw/Oat Tops
Marshmallow Root
Hawthorn/Rose (Heartspace is a great medicinal for that heat excess)
Blue Vervain *A marked herb for fire excess ~ grounding, very bitter, lovely nervine*
Oregon Grape Root (and actually most bitters are cooling)

Some hot/spicy/aromatic herbs are…

Cayenne
Ginger
Rosemary
Hyssop
Mugwort
Thyme (Dreamweaver tincture or tea is a nice warming/stimulating medicinal)
Calendula

Obviously, these lists are very limited but give you a basic idea of what we’re looking at.

Homemade Magnolia Perfume

🌸 Go out a find a beautiful blooming Magnolia tree & pick about a handful or more of the blossoms…
🌸 Add to a small mason jar & cover with high proof alcohol (like vodka or everclear)
🌸 Let sit overnight
🌸 The following day, mash the blooms
🌸 Let sit for a week, then strain, bottle & enjoy spritzing yourself with the enchanting fragrance of Spring.