Working with the wheel of the year has been a regular spiritual practice for me for over 20 years. The timing of connecting with a new holiday every six weeks, feels just about right to me. That must be why I have continued to use this practice for more than 25 years. I appreciate the opportunity to check in on my spiritual life, reassess and make adjustments relative to the current season. This remaking of my spiritual practices every six weeks works for me. If I have fallen off track or gotten busy with other parts of my life, this check in point around the wheel of the year allows me to drop back into my personal spiritual practices.
One of the ways I enjoy working with seasonal practices is by paying attention to the energies of each season and replicating those energies in my life. This time of year is a great moment to begin something new. Spring Equinox is the beginning of the astrological calendar and this year(2023) it coincides with a new moon. Here are some energies to consider when you are planning your celebrations.
Energy of the season:
joy, happiness, gratitude, excitement.
Colors of the season:
lavender, light blue, green.
Working with crystals and stones are another way to work with the energies of the seasons. You can put these crystals on your altar, on your desk at work or even wear them as amulets or talismans.
Crystal of the season:
clear quartz, rose quartz, lapis Lazuli, amazonite, garnet.
Many witches work with herbs and plant medicine. Including herbs in your teas, or even just having these flowers on your altars can increase your feeling of connection to a season.
Herbs of the season:
Roiboos, lavender, thyme, lilac, lemon balm, rose hips, chamomile.
Crafting magical items is another way to spend time, contemplating the seasonal change. This time of year we see lots of secular as well as Christians celebrating spring with dyed eggs, images of bunny rabbits and lots of green! Its easy to find pre-packaged egg dyeing kits, stuffed animal bunnies and other imagery that invokes a feeling of abundance, new beginnings and the promise of spring. I like to recommend people research natural dyes for egg dyeing as it is more environmentally friendly and safer for our bodies and the environment. Here are list of crafts to consider for your spring equinox celebrations!
Crafts for the season:
Dyeing Eggs- using natural dyes
Egg hunt
Sprout seedlings in egg shells
Egg Rattles
Connecting with earth in a conscientious way this time of year can be soul nourishing as well. Find a place to enjoy a Sit Spot. A Sit Spot is a place in nature that you can return to over time that begin to develop a relationship. Find a place where you can sit and observe nature for around twenty minutes. Here are a few other nature connection practices you might try.
Nature Connection Practices:
Listen to the wind
Collect water from a natural well
Questions to ask yourself about the land around you:
What Spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom where you live? Is that different with recent earth changes?
Name seven common trees in your area. Which ones are native? For the others, how did they get here? Why were these trees brought?
Which indigenous peoples inhabited your region before you? What are their stories that they want you to understand about them? What are/were the First Nations names for the place you live, or elements of this place (such as a mountain)?
However you decide to celebrate, give yourself the gift of connection. Honor the passing of Spring Equinox in the way the is most nourishing to you. A wise one once said- Don't let perfect stand in the way of the good. Do something to honor the season. It may be a simple lighting of a candle and a pause or it might be a whole day celebration including a feast! Or somewhere in between. Enjoy your spring equinox!
Karin Olsen is a healer, a seer and a teacher. Her experience includes studying plants for more than 20 years, owning an herb shop and metaphysical store for 15 years. She has been a massage therapist for over 25 years. Karin learned her psychic medium skills from her mother and sees clients via zoom. She teaches classes on earth-based spirituality through Moonhill Mystery School in the Salish Sea area. In 2021 she earned a Master of Ecopsychology from Naropa University. Go to www,moonhillmysteryschool.com to learn more about her classes and events.