Today is the day to celebrate the Spring Equinox, when day and night are of almost equal length. In our southern hemisphere the Spring Equinox is an exciting time of great promise and potential. When people lived closer to nature, they would hold ceremonies to mark the journey of the sun.
On 22 September we should be outdoors, acknowledging the prospect of new life. Smallholders will be drawing pleasure from the tentative green shoots, noting signs of the sap rising and giving thanks for warmth. We can buy seeds or seedlings and plant vegetables and flowers. In fact, you can place some beans between two layers of wet cotton wool, just like you did when you were a child and watch with pride and pleasure as they sprout and grow into plants.
A time to plant
But, before you plant anything, take time to think about your plans for the next few months. Now is the time to look forward and set goals for new projects, be they in your home, on your plot, in your relationships, in your creative life or at work. Then when you plant your seeds or seedlings you will be planting your intentions for the future. As the plants grow, hopefully so will your programme unfold. For today is a day of hope and promise.
Now is the time to consider the power of growth and how we can grow in different aspects of ourselves.
Celebrate
You might wish to have a family feast, sharing spring vegetables and fruits. Sitting around a bonfire is another way to celebrate the equinox. Tell stories, dance, sing, beat drums, play music and celebrate that which is still to come.
The September equinox occurs the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s Equator – from north to south. In South Africa this will take place at 21h22.
So it is a day when things are in balance. Perhaps we can use this opportunity to consider our lives and what is or is not in balance. How do we use our time? What aspects of our lives receive a disproportionate amount of time? Are there people in our lives who do not get enough of our attention? Do we allow time to be alone, to just have some “me time”?
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