Today at 10:28 UTC (5:28pm CDT), the Spring Equinox will occur.
An equinox occurs twice a year (around 20 March and 22 September), when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth’s equator. The name “equinox” is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, night and day are about equal length.
The amount of daylight and darkness became equal over the past few days (on March 17, here) and soon daylight will extend ever deeper into the evening and the early morning hours.
Spring is about hope and new beginnings and the sheer joy of being outdoors in the light and the warmth. Here is some (light!) kidding around as we celebrate this year’s Spring Equinox.
(Place your cursor on the photos to read the hovers*)
Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’ ~Robin Williams
The vernal equinox or Ostara is one of the eight pagan festivals or “sabbats” from the Wheel of the Year. It is a “quarter day” along with the solstices and the autumnal equinox.
This festival celebrates the Goddess returning to her Maiden aspect.
The Maiden represents “enchantment, inception, expansion, the promise of new beginnings, birth, youth and youthful enthusiasm.” She is depicted by the waxing moon in this drawing of the Triple Goddess:
Lisa Thiel – Ostara (Spring Song) – from Wheel of the Year
Praise to the Spring, Praise to all living things
Praise to the Maiden and the joy that she brings
Praise to the Earth let all her creatures now sing
Hope is renewed with the coming of the SpringWe turn from the darkness and the wise Crone within
We turn to the Maiden and creation begins
It’s a time for things growing and time now for flowing
A time now for sowing the seeds of your dreams.(Chorus)
The heart fires are stirring with the new life returning
Its time now for learning what rebirth truly means
We honor ourselves and all the faeries and elves
May we dance and ring bells for the coming of the Spring!(Chorus)
So open your heart to natures wondrous art.
Its time now to start the Healing of the Green.
Young rabbits abound and there’s flowers all around
The air is filled with the Sound of the Coming of the Spring!
To all my pagan friends, “Bright Blessings on Ostara!” And to everyone: plant the seeds of love and caring so that your harvest will be worthy of your spirit.
(Hover quotes courtesy of Quote Garden. Place your cursor over the photos to read the verses*.)
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This post is a rerun, with revised dates, because the holidays – and their celebratory posts – are on an infinite loop … or more precisely, the Wheel of The Year! ;)
*Hover text for those on tablets and smartphones:
Row 1:
-“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ~Proverb”
Row 2:
– “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. ~Margaret Atwood”
– “Awake, thou wintry earth – Fling off thy sadness! Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth Your ancient gladness! ~Thomas Blackburn”
Row 3:
– “A little madness in the Spring Is wholesome even for the King. ~Emily Dickinson”
“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson”
Row 4:
– “Hoe while it is spring, and enjoy the best anticipations. It is not much matter if things do not turn out well. ~Charles Dudley”
– “The front door to springtime is a photographer’s best friend. ~Terri Guillemets”
Row 5:
– “Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke”
– “I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout”
Finale:
– “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’ ~Robin Williams”
~
(Crossposted from Views From North Central Blogistan)
Happy Spring and Blessed Ostara to all!
Thanks for this, Jan! Love the goats—will I ever forget the time a priestess from California insisted on bringing her goats with her to Witch Camp in Maryland? The goats participated in the nightly rituals by trying to eat the fringe on our shawls!
It’s a really bright day here in NoVa, makes me want to get out and plant things. Not yet, though–no planting until all danger of frost is past! :)
Thank you, JanF – the goats are cute. But then baby anythings are cute (well, maybe not snakes or gila monsters). And their sproinging around in the Springtime gives us all the Energy that comes with laughter.
The Maiden is also the curious side that wanders around finding new paths – a trait usually frowned upon by the Powers That Be, but very useful when all the known/traditional paths are blocked (or held by “the enemy”). So I ask Ostara, as I ask the Maiden Moon, to find us a path out of the putrid messed we’ve gotten mired in.
Thanks Jan……the baby goats will always make me smile. And listening to Lisa Thiel sing us into a new season is a moment to treasure.
Thank you, JanF!
I grew up on a sheep ranch (so our springtime was full of lambs) but my mom also had a sizable milk goat herd. They were dainty with big, floppy ears. The baby goats were as adorable as the lambs, but way smarter. Thank you for the good memories :)