Spring Equinox, the arrival of light

Spring is in the air, but it will be a few more weeks until the snow is gone. The downside of life in the north. While I wait for nature to awaken, I celebrate spring inside. My cats and I enjoy the sun as it floods over the floors and walls, and I’ve repotted some plants and started growing seeds for the garden. It feels nice to get soil under my nails again.

Oh, who is Finn, you might ask? He’s our newest family member! He moved in with us at the beginning of March, and we fell in love with him right away. He is half Maine Coon, half farm cat, and has a great personality. He is quite chatty and super social, always following us around, wanting to be where we are and see what we are up to. It took Luci a couple of days to get used to him, but now they play together, groom each other, and sleep together in front of the fireplace. It really warms my heart to see.

Spring Equinox and Ostara

I was reading up on some history and folklore about the predecessor to Easter the other day. As with most religious holidays, they are based on old folk traditions (more ‘pagan’ traditions if you will) and have since been converted to Christianity as well as commercialised. With that, we have lost an important part of what the older traditions were helping us with: staying grounded, in tune with nature, and following the seasons as they change. Because living with nature is so important for our well-being. And it used to be vital for survival as well, knowing when to plant seeds, when to harvest, and how and what to store over winter to ensure we always had food available. Knowledge and a mindset that are lost to the modern world.

Easter has its roots in Ostara (named after the German Goddess of Spring), a pagan solar holiday honoring spring’s warmth, light from the sun, and the awakening of the earth. The lore of an Easter bunny (that was actually a hare, ‘Osterhase’ in German) and eggs has many old traditions, mainly in Germany. There is a legend that the Goddess Ostara, at the end of winter, found a wounded bird, and in order to save it, she turned it into a rabbit. But the transformation did not fully become complete; the hare was still able to lay eggs. He brought these as a gift to the Goddess after painting them in bright colors.

Isn’t it interesting that we now see bunnies, eggs, and feathers sold everywhere around Easter, partially as a symbol for the holiday, but also just pieces in the game that is consumerism? Yet another theme to push hard in stores to get people to buy things they don’t really need…

Celebrating the arrival of light and warmth

Planting flowers and seeds for your garden is a great seasonal activity to do right now, in preparation for summer. I also intend to get a sourdough starter from a friend, and this feels like a good time to do so. I look forward to caring for it and getting into the habit of making bread again. Another good way to celebrate the season is by doing some spring cleaning. It does not have to be hard work or intense; we have shaken and hung a lot of rugs and bedding outside and started to keep windows open on warm days to get fresh air into the house. Do what’s manageable and enjoyable for you.

Spring cleaning and celebrating also need to happen on the inside. It’s important to take some time for yourself to reflect on the winter that has passed. How did it affect you, and what did you do to battle the darkness? For me, this winter was especially hard. We moved to a new house, and I felt the season hindered me from fully exploring the surroundings and really landing where we are now. I also did not spend enough time outside, and I did not really work out to keep my body active and strong. So, I shall reflect on that while gratefully appreciating the arrival of spring, promising to make the most out of enjoying the season ahead of us, and by planting and planning for what will grow in the garden. So far, I have planted some herbs and tomatoes. We will mostly focus on growing edibles and flowers that are good for the pollinators.

this is marketing for my own business

In celebration of Mother Nature coming alive after a long slumber, I am also launching my brand new print shop today! My hope is that some of the magic I have experienced in nature can be brought into your homes to decorate your walls. This is a very exciting step for me, and I look forward to carefully and intentionally printing each of your orders by hand at home in my studio, packaging them, and shipping them off to their new homes. Hopefully, you find something you like. As a small business owner, I’d be honoured to have my work on display in your home and very grateful for your support.

Do you know much about older folk traditions and beliefs? Do you find it interesting? And, do you feel that you are intentionally aware of the seasons as they shift, and how it affects your life?