Planetary Happenings, The Spring Equinox

By Robin DuMolin

Spring holidays have been celebrated back to very ancient times. Spring happens when the earth is tilted so that the sun is right over the equator. This day is also called the vernal equinox. Equinox means “equal night”. On this day night and day are of equal length.
People in olden times weren’t certain that springtime would return after a cold, harsh winter. As an insurance policy they held festivals to honor their gods who they believed determined the sun and it’s warmth would return again in the spring.
Cultures and places all around the world celebrated the coming of spring in their own unique ways. In Mexico, people gathered at the great pyramid. The Mayan priests prayed to Mother Earth and Father Sun. Everyone then put their attention on this certain stairway on the pyramid. As the sun got closer to the horizon, a shadow in the shape of snake seemed to glide down the steps. At sunset the shadow finally merged with the stone carved snake at the bottom of the pyramid. They believed this was symbolic, when the shadow merging happened they knew spring would be here.
Native Americas also honored spring. The Cree did so by honoring the first berries of the season by placing them in a bowl and then Manitou, The Great Spirit was thanked for this gift. Then the sun was called on to ripen the berries. Next, the thunder was petitioned to send the needed rain. Lastly, the earth was asked to send forth fruit for her children.
In Japan Shumbun-no-hi is a national holiday on the vernal equinox. The celebration is in honor of nature and all growing things. Families visit the family cemetery to experience happy thoughts and feelings about those who have departed. Picnic foods are brought with them.
In ancient Rome people worshipped Flora the goddess of flowering plants. To make sure she returned each year at springtime, they held a festival in her name, Floralia. Dancing, sports events and plays were held in her honor. One of the most important events was a foot race for young men. Each contestant tried to be the first to put his wreath on Flora’s statue. The winner was believed to have good luck for the following year.
In Greek mythology Aphrodite was the goddess of love and fertility, she was also the daughter of Zeus and Dione. She fell madly in love with Adonis who was very handsome. She hid him in a box so that no one else could see him and keep him to herself. She gave Persephone, Queen of the Underworld the box to hide for her. Persephone opened the box and also fell madly in love with Adonis. Persephone refused to return Adonis to Aphrodite. Aphrodite went into mourning, grief stricken. The land then became barren because she was no longer energizing it. When Zeus saw this, he tried to solve this problem. He decreed that Adonis would spend one third of his time with each goddess. In the spring, he returns to Aphrodite, in the winter he returns to Persephone, the other third of the year he spends alone.
The focus of these old myths or rituals is that something is resurrecting or returning, be it the sun and it’s warmth or a god or goddess. All the hope and faith people demonstrated through the winter manifests itself in spring as renewal. It is also no coincidence that Easter is in the springtime, it being the ultimate resurrection story.
What makes spring so unique from the other three seasons of the year? It all has to do with energy. The energy that keeps this whole planet going is called life-force energy or Christ force energy. The love and life giving energy of the Supreme Being is circulating differently during each season. In the fall, it starts leaving the surface of the planet heading down toward the center of the planet. We begin to feel its absence (lack of energy). During winter, it hits the center of the planet and then begins to reverse direction. We reflect on the past year during this season and put our attention on what we want to experience in the coming year (our mockups or goals). In the spring, this energy breaks through to the surface of the planet again and we feel it. We feel renewed, inspired (in-spirit). What we had put our attention on in the fall and winter, we are now experiencing. Our mockups manifest as surely do the spring flowers. 

Sources: Ancient Ways by Pauline Campanelli, Easter and other Spring Holidays by Gilda Berger, The Spring Equinox by Ellen Jackson.