It’s the spring equinox this week here in the southern hemisphere!
That means it’s time for another post about the lessons that nature has for us, specifically as it relates to early spring and the spring equinox.
Spring in South Australia
I’m writing this outside on a day where the sun is out warming up the backyard, the blossoms look a vibrant pink on the nectarine tree, and the last few big caterpillars munch on whatever they can find before they cocoon up.
Yesterday it was a windy and rainy day, very overcast and there was even some lightning. At this time of year, early September and early spring here in South Australia, spring is springin’ but winter’s clingin’. Some days are still very wintery and if I didn’t know what time of the year we were in seasonally, I’d guess we were in mid-winter.
But for people like myself who love winter and aren’t fans of summer (but big fans of fans in summer), this suits me just fine, having this contrasting weather transition.
Last week I shared some of the flowers that were blooming in my little cottagecore garden and it’s been nice to see the bulbs emerging, especially the freesias with their lovely scents wafting through the windows. The lavenders are out, the bees are certainly out on those days that are more spring than winter, and the roses are coming out with their deep red leaves signalling new growth.
From all that I’m seeing in nature in this time of early spring transitioning from the cold winter months, there’s a sense of new growth (literally and figuratively), coming out again, and especially as Mercury retrograde is upon us and we have three and a half months left of the calendar year, a time to review, reset, renew, all those “re” words.
Particularly relevant to me is the idea of a spring launch, having finally launched my blog that I’d worked on over autumn and winter, and now promoting the website (this makes me very nervous – it’s one thing to write, it’s quite another to have other people read it).
So here’s a little snippet about the spring equinox that’s happening this week to signal that it’s officially spring, and then I’ll dive into what lessons early spring has to teach us.
The spring equinox and the lesson of balance
At a basic level, the spring equinox occurs when the northern hemisphere gets the same amount of light during the day that the southern hemisphere is getting and when there’s an equal amount of daylight and night time.
That’s very simplified and there’s a whole lot of science and interesting stuff to look into, but that’s not what I do.
The biggest lesson we can learn from the spring equinox is balance. As there’s an equal amount of light for both hemispheres, and an equal amount of light throughout the day as there is darkness at night, it’s important to maintain a sense of balance in our lives.
Balance is going to mean different things to different people, so you can apply it to your own life, balancing however first springs to mind for you.
The Lessons of Early Spring
1) Strength, flexibility and groundedness
While writing this particular section of the blog post, we’re back to a wintery day. There’s a strong wind that’s accompanied by rain at times. Watching the shrubs and trees swaying and bending in the breeze that’s here one day and gone the next in early spring, it reminds me of how we could learn a lot from the way that trees are so adaptable.
Above the ground, we see the erratic wind’s effect on the trees and shrubs as it twists and throws branches around and tosses the leaves off. What I see from the trees and shrubs when this happens is that they go with it; there’s not so much resistance that they snap off at the base because they refuse to move, but they’re not such pushovers that they’re going to bend so far that the wind has complete control over them.
This reminds me of my own life, and how external forces may be quite strong influences on me, but the lesson from the trees and shrubs from early spring is that to protect the new blooms, the emergence and ‘coming out’ authentically and new growth that’s happening, I need to be strong and flexible at the same time. Not be so rigid and resistant to external forces but not be a pushover with no strong foundation and general strength either.
Below the ground, trees (and shrubs included) have a solid and intricate root system that grounds them in the harsh weather conditions.
Their branches may fall off or be snapped off, or drop off of their own accord, but the tree keeps growing, expanding, and thriving because of that strong root system and groundedness.
We could all learn from this to be more grounded and have a strong root system or grounding foundation. This grounding foundation and root system to me looks like my support system of people in my life (family, friends and other loved ones), my spiritual and hearthcraft practices, and my values (and living by those every day staying in integrity).
With these in mind, I’m able to stay solid, in integrity, grounded, and be able to deal with the weather and seasonal changes of life.
2) Bloom – be authentically you
In late spring, we see so many different flowers blooming, and we love each in particular for a variety of reasons.
The pink blossoms bloom once a year and look and smell wonderful.
The roses aren’t yet in bloom but are preparing the way for the beautifully perfumed blooms that we love by growing dark red leaves.
The freesias are in full bloom with their perfume and their unfolding of multiple flowers up their stems.
The lavenders are wonderful at attracting the bees, as are the calendulas.
All of these flowers are doing their own thing, and doing the thing that they are created to do. They’re not trying to compete, and they honour their own seasons and cycles and express themselves as they authentically are in each season.
I’ve said it before in the autumn lessons post that I don’t know where humans got the idea that we needed to be blooming and working all the time. I mean, we have the means to be productive all year round, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea (and it’s really not a good idea to try and be productive in all seasons of your life).
This is true for spring as well; early spring is a time for the daffodils, jonquils, freesias, and other flowers that will fade in the coming months and allow the sunflower, the bougainvillea and the nectarine fruits to have their time.
Flowers bloom when it’s their time.
There’s a divinely inspired rhythm in nature that we as individual humans could take into consideration for how we live our own lives (and therefore how we as a collective species live our lives and structure our societies).
What is also particularly striking about early spring flowers and flowers all year round is that they express themselves as they authentically are. The lavenders aren’t looking with envy at the brighter orange calendulas. And the roses aren’t jealous that the freesias are out blooming and fragrant and they’re not yet. They know their time is coming when they’re ready. (At least I haven’t heard any arguments in my garden lately.)
Each flower and plant blooms when it’s their time, and blooms authentically and beautifully. So in early spring bloom! Be authentically you, and come as you are. How can you be anyone’s favourite flower and bring joy to yours and other’s lives if you diminish your unique beauty by trying to be someone else?
3) Deal with the weeds and embrace the new growth
Over winter the weeds have taken over some areas of my garden.
And how fascinating that it’s what we consider weeds in the garden that seem to bloom and be productive all the time in all seasons and weather. Think about it.
But early spring is a reminder to me that while there’s all this new and exciting growth and coming out authentically and launching new things that’s happening, one must be ever-vigilant about the weeds that crop up and try to sap the nutrients and energy of the other flowers you actually want growing in the garden.
So I deal with the weeds in my garden and deal with the weeds in my life – anything that’s sucking the life out of my blooming projects needs to go (people too if possible). Anything that’s taking up room in my life and mind that’s distracting me from the projects and work I’m passionate about needs to go.
Once the weeds are cleared, and they’ll need constant maintenance over time, then new projects and new growth will fare better.
Final Thoughts
What is nature in early spring whispering to you?
What do the flowers seem to be saying?
I’d love to hear your quiet and curious thoughts and your experiences with this time of the year, the early spring, whatever hemisphere you’re in.
Much love and spring equinox blessings,
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