(I intended to post this article on March 20, 2018 – the day of the Spring Equinox. Alas, life has been intense and overwhelming – as clients in my astrological counseling practice attest to day after day. So despite the fact that the Spring Equinox is past, and we are almost to the Summer Solstice, you may still draw some inspiration from what is written below. All apologies for not getting this to you on time! ~Michelle)
The Wheel of Life continues its turning, and with this fleeting moment of equal day and night at the Spring Equinox, we are delivered into the freshness of being, the bursting forth of life, and resurrection from the darkness and cold of the Winter just past.
As the Sun continues his sacred, life-giving journey and enters the sign of Aries, he advances higher in the sky, increasing in heat and intensity. This annual enlightenment encourages the recently cold ground to warm, the plants to push their way above the newly verdant earth, to unfurl their tender, new leaves, soon to burst with flowers and seeds… everything swells with life once more. We in the Northern Hemisphere are reminded each March that the battle between darkness and light, lost each Winter and won each Summer, stands at a truce – even if only briefly. This Spring Equinox détente delivers both relief and a promise – that as the light strengthens and warmth returns to stir and embolden us, and the glistening hues and fragrances of nature enchant and astonish our senses, we know that the descent into darkness is always rewarded with the sojourn back up into the light… into life.
“Equinox” describes that moment of equality between the darkness on one side and the light on the other. This means that we must emerge from the darkness to go into the light – to be resurrected. This idea, this symbolism of the battle between dark and light, is the source of stories passed down since the dawn of time. We witness our connection to this eternal battle via great literature, our most popular modern books and films, and from a spiritual perspective, much religious mythology throughout the world. It is no coincidence that one of the most enduring religious stories, that of crucifixion, death, and resurrection (shared by numerous deities throughout religious history), is the one many embrace during Spring – the time of Easter (resurrection of Jesus), Ostara (return of life from death), Passover (resurrection from slavery), and Isra and Mi’raj (ascension of Muhammad). There is an inherent knowledge deep within us, that the cycle of life and the ceaseless journey of the Sun, will bring us back into life and light – eternally.
Each Spring Equinox offers its own unique energy to mark the beginning of the return of warmth, life, and light. The astrological chart of the moment the Sun moves into Aries at 12:17 PM Eastern on March 20, 2018, ushers us into and provides the “background” influences for the duration of the Season. This year our first thrust into re-burgeoning life is one of mastering the challenge between impatience and passion, with the wisdom of the natural timing of belonging, of acceptance, and of healing. Mars challenges us to push forward with our desires, while Saturn and Chiron make sure we do so with pragmatism, and the experience of the time-tested. Actually, the Serenity Prayer comes to mind with this Spring energy – renew and reinvigorate your life with the serenity to accept the things you can’t change, to have the courage to change the things you can, and to call on wisdom to know the difference.
Chart for Spring Equinox 2018. Sun moved into Aries at 12:17 PM EDT.
To read all four of my Seasonal articles for the year across 2017/2018 please click below:
The Spring Equinox and the Resurrection of Life
The Summer Solstice and the Wisdom of Spiritual Action
Astrology with Michelle Gregg 