Embrace the Equinox

By Marguerite H Griffin 

On or about March 20 each year, daylight and darkness are nearly equal in all parts of the world. In the northern hemisphere, we embrace the vernal equinox as the beginning of spring. It’s is the time for spring cleaning and for letting go of the old and embracing the new. As temperatures gradually rise and spirits become buoyant, we recommit to New Year’s resolutions made in the darkness of winter and imagine moving forward to a brighter future.

PREPARATION

In ancient civilizations, clocks and calendars made use of the sun’s

light to mark the seasons for sowing seeds and harvesting crops. Today, we may reflect on the seeds that we’ve planted and the work we’ve done in the gardens of our relationships, our families, and our life’s path. We can contemplate things lost and gained and consider how to make room for new growth.

• Examine those areas in your life where you may feel challenged, inert, or stuck.

• Consider first your external environment. Imagine how you’d like to make space for abundance, clarity, or simplicity.

• Consider your internal environment—your personal habits, practices, and proclivities. How are your dreams coming along? What would you like to have or create more of as spring progresses to summer?

BEGIN AGAIN!

Beginning again may be as simple as undertaking a new activity, one that will remind you of your commitment to growth. You might decide to keep a daily journal and review it at each full moon. Or you might want to take up a new hobby, assist with planting flower bulbs in a community garden, or participate in a meditation or yoga class.

IN CLOSING

Especially at transitional times, give yourself the gift of time. Include in that gift the permission to experience a new thing each day. You can top off your gift to yourself by listing those things for which you are already grateful. As you reconnect to the rhythm of your life, be open to sharing your experiences with others!

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MARGUERITE H. GRIFFIN is a Life-Cycle Celebrant® with certification in Weddings and Funerals. She lives in Chicago and can be reached by email at meaningfulmarguerite@gmail.com or through her website, www.meaningfulmarguerite.com 

Life-Cycle Ceremonies: A Handbook for Your Whole Life 

How do you commemorate momentous events? Memorialize people who have shaped you? Draw support from those you hold dear? This primer offers methods for honoring the special occasions in your life with humor and grace. Its ceremonies help ground each day in the wholeness that supports our entire lives. Each ceremony has been vetted by a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® affiliated with the Celebrant Foundation and Institute, which offers training and support for celebrants worldwide. Visit us at www.celebrantInstitute.org.

Please direct all request, comment or concerns about our CF&I Blog to our Social Media Manager ~ Marcia Almeida, Master Life-Cycle Celebrant. at  celebrantsocialmedia@gmail.com    Or to the Celebrant Foundation & Institute’s director, Charlotte Eulette at: charlotteeulette@celebrantinstitute.org 

call us at (973)746-1792.  

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