Spring Has Sprung!
Posted on 15th March 2024 at 15:52
In days gone by, winter was a scary time, and the Spring Equinox was an opportunity to celebrate the end of winter with its long nights and short days, cold wet weather. Whereas Spring heralded the fact that summer was on its way, warmth, plenty of food and long days filled with purpose.
This year the Spring Equinox falls on Tuesday 19th March, which marks the first quarter point when days and nights are of equal length and when a variety of festivals like The Awakening, or Balance or New life or First Day of Spring all occur to celebrate this wonderful time.
These festivals were important to the Celts, and they continued on for many generations, in fact through till the Industrial Revolution. When so many people moved into the towns and cities and the old ways no longer mattered.
These festivals reinforced the connection between the people and nature. There is no reason to not bring back some of these as a way to reconnect with nature now, as being close to nature will improve your mood, health and life, so why not.
You could do a little research to find out what people did and then use that to hold your own celebration. Or you could create your own activities and celebrate the awakening world, the new shoots and the vivid wonder that is nature.
It could be as simple as taking a walk in the woods and see what new shoots, wildflowers or animals you can see. Why not create a journey stick, have a walking stick (or piece of wood) and pick up fallen leaves, bird feathers and anything else you can find and use an elastic band to fasten it on to your journey stick.
You could take lots of pictures whilst out walking and show them on your social media for others to enjoy or perhaps start a journal and put your pictures in that along with notes on your walks. You may consider using this celebration to mark the start of your journey to better wellness. Spring is about wakening, as the plants wake up from a winter of dominancy, so why not join in?
The spring was also a time to give your house a thorough clean, hence the phrase “Spring clean.” In the Medieval period through till the Industrial Revolution people living in the countryside would take the first warm days of spring to give their house a really good clean.
It was the practice in these earth floor houses to seal the floor with ox blood. In spring an ox would be slaughtered, and its blood gathered, then with the house empty they would pour the blood on the floor and leave to dry. Once dry straw would be scattered over the floor and the furniture put back in.
Over the year more straw would be added to keep the floor dry, by spring it was very much in need of a clean out ready to start again, hence the phrase spring clean. A practice of giving the house a thorough clean each spring continued even after the use of blood and straw disappeared.
So, as we approach the Spring Equinox consider how will you celebrate it? Think about your ancestors and what they did and connect with them and nature in some way. If nothing else it is a great time to get together with friends, so why start a new tradition in your family and celebrate the end of a long winter and the start of warmth and the soon to arrive summer.
Either way remember to:
Tred Softly Upon This Earth!
In the meantime,
Bye for now, start connecting!
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