Celebrating the vernal equinox

Celebrating the vernal equinox 

The vernal equinox, also known as the spring equinox, is a special time. An equinox is a day where the sun is directly above the equator, meaning that there is the same amount of daylight and darkness in a 24 hour period. In astrology, it signifies the start of the zodiacal wheel, with the sun entering Aries. Many cultures around the world have festivals or celebrations marking this sacred time of year. That’s why I’ve put together a list of ideas for celebrating the vernal equinox.

Plant something

Spring is a time of new life and new beginnings. On the vernal equinox, you could plant some seeds, work in your garden, or bring a new house plant into your home (I love pothos because they’re really hard to kill!) If you want to be really creative, you can paint a flower pot (or make one out of clay!) You could also do something magical like add a sacred crystal to the soil of your plant, or create moon water at the next full moon to water it!

Light a fire

Cultures worldwide incorporate fire into their vernal equinox celebrations. To mark this occasion, you could have a (safe and controlled) bonfire, burn a log in your fireplace, light a candle, or even burn incense. You could take this opportunity to let the fire burn away your past worries and mistakes, and spend some time setting new intentions for the coming season. If you’re having a large fire, you could even burn things that are symbolic of the things you want to let go of.

Spring cleaning

This option isn’t quite as fun, but it can be a powerful way to mark the beginning of a new season. Witches have incorporated cleansing rituals into their practices for a very long time. You could do something as simple as sweeping your floor or tidying your altar, or you could clean your entire home. To make it special, you could listen to a witchy podcast or playlist (Spotify has tons!), burn incense as you work, or light a manifestation candle when your work is complete. Some kitchen witches like to incorporate meaningful herbs and essential oils into their cleaning products as well, so do what works for your practice!

Spend time outdoors

On the vernal equinox, it can be very powerful to spend time in nature. Some people like to get up and watch the sunrise. Others might enjoy going for a walk in a nearby park or a hike in the woods. Look at the natural world around you and observe the ways it is beginning to come back to life after a long winter. What is starting to sprout? If you live in a place where you don’t have access to nature, even finding a single tree to touch or an outdoor patio to sit on counts as connecting with the earth.

Meditate

Meditation is an important mindfulness practice, and can feel really significant on this day. If you Google it, you’ll be able to find guided meditations for the vernal equinox, or you can just put on some relaxing music. Find a place where you can feel comfortable or grounded–for me, this usually means laying in my bed or sitting so that my bare feet can touch the ground–and spend some time meditating. You can reflect on your upcoming goals or what you hope the next season will bring for you, or you can just focus on clearing your mind.

I hope some of these options feel like a meaningful way to mark the vernal equinox. If you have other practices you’d like to share, please let me know in the comments below!

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