It’s Spring!
I swear it is. Even here in the Northeastern US where we’ve had 4 major snowstorms in the past 3 weeks of March. (Full disclosure: The most recent one missed me.)
But the energy of spring isn’t just about the weather systems. It’s about the energy inside us. See the seasons are a cycle, from birth, to maturity, to aging, to rest, ever turning onward, never ending. The springtime part of the cycle is where we start again. Rebirth. New beginnings. All things new again.
I feel it bubbling up inside me. My energy is rising. I’m waking earlier, and seeing that it’s already light outside, and noticing at night how it’s staying light later, and how the hours of light outnumber the hours of darkness now.
What lies beneath…
Deep inside, our mother the earth, Gaia, is feeling it too. Roots are unfurling and greening up. Sap is flowing heavily in the tree trunks, and buds are beginning to expand on the tips of every branch.
Underneath the snow, she’s stretching and yawning, as the sun, her mate, wakes her with his warm caress.
What lies above…
The pattern of the stars has shifted. The night sky in spring is very different from the night sky in winter, and those who notice these things notice that. We also notice that the wind blows just a bit warmer, melting the snow with its breath. And that the sun is shining brighter and warmer than before.
The old myths believed the Sun God, newborn at the Winter Solstice, is an exuberant boy now, well on his way to his full power at adulthood in June. He’s stronger than Old Man Winter, whose time is ending now.
What lies among us…
The forest dwellers know spring has come. The birds who migrated last fall have returned. The bunnies are out and active. Skunks and porcupines waddle about. Bears are awake and active. Deer can find patches of actual grass where the snow has melted to reveal it.
Everyone is feeling it. And any who aren’t, just aren’t paying enough attention.
How I observe the return of Spring
I write. All my seasonal rituals involve a lot of writing. No surprise. I start thinking about all the growth I hope for in the coming warm months of the year. Now is the time when my true planning begins.
I think about what books I’ll be writing. It’s always more than any human could do in a year, but I put them all on my wish list anyway.
I mull on what plants I’ll be planting. I’m going to make islands of flowers all around the lawn beside the stream this year, inspired by the incredible landscaping at Bob’s Barbecue in Homer, NY.
I ponder what new habits I hope to implement this year, that I can begin doing right now. I want to walk more frequently, meditate more consistently, and really get into yoga.
I imagine what new personal styles I might want to try out, hair (highlights!) clothes (flowing and bright!)
We discuss what changes we’ll make to the house. A stone backsplash in the kitchen. Fresh paint in the living room. Maybe we’ll finally get that front porch made into a sun room.
Spiritually, it’s so much more, and so much deeper. There are new revelations, new ways of looking at things, new depths to my understanding, new methods of sharing what I’m experiencing with you.
The key to embracing the newness of Spring
The real secret to welcoming all this newness is to release the old. That’s what winter was for. Mulling, reviewing, culling, releasing. It’s gone. It’s over. Everything is new again. You are reborn, and so is the planet. This is the time when it’s not only okay to let the past go, it’s kind of required. You can’t fly while holding onto an anchor. So let the past cycle remain in the past, and open your arms to absolute rebirth.
Look, nature doesn’t hold onto last year’s growth. The winter has covered it, and it has rotted away. Imagine if old dead daffodils, or crocuses, or tulips were forever! Instead of bright fresh yellows, and purples and reds we’d just have brown. You must release the past to enjoy fresh growth. So let it go. No guilt, no regret.
It’s a fresh start, as if you were just born. Make the most of it.