On Spring Equinox: Seeds to plant for intention

The Vernal (Spring) Equinox, which occurs between March 19-22 will, in 2024, be on March 19th. The length of day and night on both the Spring and the Autumnal Equinox are the same on only those two days each year.

When we were little, we may have been told that the sun starts moving north of the equator bringing longer days. And that in the fall, it moves south of the equator – hence shorter days.

Well, not quite, of course.

Our Sun does move in space, but we know that it is our little Blue Planet that moves around the sun. Did you also know (well, so say scientists, and who am I to say they don’t know what they’re talking about?):

1. Our Sun and planets were formed around 4.6 billion years ago. (UChicagoNews)

2. Our little planet Earth has been hurtling through space at 107,000 kms/hr. ever since. (space.com)

3. When it was a young planet, Earth was hit by a big mass – Theia. (Astronomy)

4. That direct hit from Theia formed our Moon and gave our Earth a tilt and a wobble.

5. This tilt and wobble have remained in place because of gravitational forces of the Moon, Earth and Sun. (Washington Post)

6. And yes, Earth’s journey around the Sun, combined this tilt and wobble, gives us the Seasons. (NASA)
   

Neat, right?

As Spring sets in, we notice the days get longer, sunrise is earlier; the sun feels warmer and seems brighter; sunset is later in the day. We start to see what looks like green fuzz on trees as leaves start to bud. And it’s not just the physical changes we can notice. With the days getting longer and warmer and, well, just plain nicer, many of us also feel a change to our psyche –more feelings of positivity, of elation. And with all those positive feelings, we may think that perhaps this will be THE year to get done what we’d been ‘intending’ to take action towards.

The Spring Equinox marks a time of new beginnings, new intentions, of promise. Many of us may now begin to more seriously plan our living spaces for the year. Whether we are avid gardeners or not, some of us may be well into planning gardens this year – flowers, herbs, crops. We may have started our seeds in egg-cartons, in windowsill boxes, in planters. Or perhaps we intend this to be the year we book that holiday we’ve been talking about for years. Or this will be the year we give in and hire that tradesperson to repaint our house so we can have the living space – both indoor and out – we’ve been dreaming and talking about, ad nauseum.

For many of us this may mean finally accepting the reality that it is not enough to just wish a thing into reality. It takes being intentional about getting done what we say we want to get done. For some of us, these intentions may entail making or starting to follow through on plans. Maybe this will be the year we reach out to mend a fractured relationship and if it doesn’t work, well, we will accept that it was not to be.

Intentions to start, or for a do-over - that is the possibility of Spring. Some of us may not get around to doing anything, and it’s all good. A thought/seed of a plan, even if it doesn’t happen this year or the next, could be planted in the ears of a child or grandchild – and the planet still gets the benefit of your intention through them, even if generations later.

Why is it, many of us wonder, we start the year so well-intentioned – and things just unravel into unintended consequences? Is it only you? Why does this keep happening? Perhaps the answer to the question “How do you take fullest advantage of the most fabulous feast ever?” might help: "One bite at a time." Take a small step, celebrate your success. Then take another…one step at a time.

Many of you will remember the words of the song that came from the King James Version of the bible, made popular in 1965 by the singing group, The Byrds. The song, "Turn, Turn", expresses the reality of an ever-changing and ever-turning world in which there is a time and place and space for everything: to be born, to die; to kill, to heal; to break down, to build up; to plant, to reap.

Perhaps it is also this Spring, with gratitude and intention, that we will each look for ways in our daily lives, the baby-steps we can take to incorporate our WORD in what we want to have, be, feel.

What are you planting this year? Literally or figuratively, what seeds have you started germinating, or are intending to bring to fruition at this point of your own cycle of life within the Universe? The Equinox and Solstice are nature’s invitation to us: (1) to pause and reflect; (2) to plan our future – our next days/weeks/months/quarters/years; (3) to celebrate our victories and learn from our defeats. It is a cyclical process for us, following the sun and the seasons.

The importance of this cyclical and yes, admittedly repetitive process, is illustrated on our 4WW Roadmap. We practice the practice! And then we keep practicing. Because. It is meaningful. It is transformative. It gives us lives we love.