The Balance of Spring Equinox: Reflections, Renewal and Growth
Spring Equinox or Ostara: celebrating rebirth, renewal, and fertility. Reflections, a playlist and journal-prompts
Dates: 20th - 23rd March
Direction/Element: East and the element of air: the mind, vibration, communication and connection
Themes: balance, new beginnings and nurturing growth for the year ahead
It’s Spring! And I’m feeling relieved, if I’m honest. I love the cosiness of winter to a point but there always comes a point where I am longing for the return of the light, for longer days and for the opportunity to shed a few layers (literal and metaphorical) as I make my way through the world.
Hello and thanks for being here. I’m Laura, a counsellor, therapist and an ecotherapist. I’m also an initiated Pagan Priestess, although I prefer to call myself a space holder. Today I’m sharing have been reflections about the Spring Equinox. For an overview of The Wheel of the Year you can check out this post.
Ostara and Equinox celebrations: honouring balance and the renewal of life
The Spring Equinox, also known as Ostara, is one of the eight festivals on the Wheel of the Year. It usually falls around the 20th or 21st of March, marking the moment when day and night are equal in length, with balance between light and dark. As we step into the Equinox this year I’m reflecting that the liminal space between winter’s end and spring’s arrival has felt like it’s lasted longer than usual. We’ve had a gloomy start to 2026 so the last few days, where the sun has been shining where I am, has felt like a gift.
I love the sense of hope and expansion that comes with this Equinox. It’s a turning point; life begins to rise again, encouraging us to stretch, to plant seeds (literal and metaphorical) and to open ourselves to new beginnings. The sun’s strength grows every day and from the point where the clocks change later this month, we won’t see a 7pm sunset again until October.
Many modern pagans refer to this festival as Ostara, a name popularised in the 19th century by the German scholar Jacob Grimm, who suggested it derived from Eostre, a possible ancient Germanic goddess of spring and dawn. While there’s debate among historians about the historical evidence for Ostara’s existance, the name has been adopted in some contemporary Pagan and Wiccan traditions. I personally prefer to celebrate the Spring Equinox, as it connects directly to the natural event itself; the turning point in the solar year that we can all observe, regardless of cultural or tradition.
The Foundations of this Season
The Wheel of the Year honours the changing seasons, as well as the four compass directions and their associated elements. This time of year aligns with the East, the direction of dawn, new beginnings, and illumination. The element of Air is connected to this direction; clear skies, fresh winds and the breath of inspiration. Air might connect with awakening, dreaming and speaking our intentions into being.
Archetypal energies associated with this time include The Maiden or, for a non-gendered equivalent, The Initiate. These archetypes symbolise curiosity, vitality and potential, as well as creativity, joy and the courage to begin again. This archetype represents the energy of emergence, the first steps of a journey and the delight of discovery.
In my Patreon, where I we explore seasonal and archetypal themes more deeply, we’ll be connecting with the themes of:
Balance: as the light returns, how does this impact or influence you? Do you feel energised, or do you miss winter's darkness and containment?
Alchemy: how can we transform our our winter experiences into clarity and direction? What is ready to be alchemised?
Planting Seeds: what intentions are you sowing, and how will you tend the soil? What aligned action supports their growth, and how can you release control, trusting the timing of what you’ve planted?
However you’re experiencing the energies of the Equinox, it’s an opportunity to honour rebirth and to move from reflection into action. It also reminds that, even after the darkest winter, the light always returns.
For a full list of Pagan festivals and their meanings, you can check out this post.
Embodiment, Somatic Meditation and Nature Connection Practices
If you’re looking for an embodied and grounded way to explore the energies of the Equinox, and Spring in general, I’ve shared some Somatic Journeys below.
Leaning Into Darkness is the perfect practice for anyone feeling unresolved energy from the past season. As we transition from winter into spring, it supports you to explore darkness as a space you can fully inhabit, inviting you to surrender to the dark.
The Slow Awakening invites you to take a guided walk in nature, to notice what's shifting around and within you, and to connect with an experiential understanding of the changing season season.
Old Stories To Ash invites you to consider who you are when your story begins to change. This ritual practice is perfect for letting go of the past season before stepping into a new one. Release your old stories to the fire, so new ones can emerge.
The Blooming Self is a more inwardly focussed practice that invites you to step into the energy of Spring’s arrival, through slow, embodied movement and gentle awareness.
These somatic meditations explore themes of emergence, awakening and curiosity, through embodiment, felt sense and connection. You can buy the individual practice below, you can check out other practices here, or join my Patreon for access to my library of practices.
Planting New Seeds
This a time for beginnings. In nature we can notice buds unfurling, shoots breaking through soil, and birds building their nests. This is a time to plant seeds. What are we ready to grow? What ideas, dreams, or intentions are we ready to nurture?
You might like to plant physical seeds as part of a ritual, holding an intention as you place them into the soil. Or you could write your intentions on small pieces of paper, placing them somewhere they’ll be touched by sunlight each day.
As you connect with the intentions that you might be planting, you’ll find some prompts below to explore.
Here are some prompts that you might wish to reflect on as part of your practice:
How do you feel about stepping into Spring?
As we reach the equinox, take a moment to reflect on what’s light for you right now? And what’s dark?
What seeds are you planting? What needs to be brought into fruition?
Where do you need to find balance?
Where can you connect with joy?
