Emerging from the Shadows: The Wisdom of the Spring Equinox
Emerging from the Shadows: The Wisdom of the Spring Equinox
As the wheel of the year turns, we step into the Spring Equinox—a time of balance, transformation, and awakening.
The Equinox, arriving in mid-March, marks the moment when light and darkness stand equal, a cosmic threshold where we shift from the depths of winter into the radiance of spring. The Earth, in its celestial dance with the Sun, tilts toward illumination, ushering in longer, brighter days.
This seasonal shift is not just an external phenomenon—it mirrors the cycles within us. With the return of the light comes renewed energy, clarity, and the momentum to take action.
The Growth Cycle: From Stillness to Motion
Each phase of the year carries a unique energetic imprint.
- January’s Moon was about discernment—determining who we trust, who we walk beside, and who we choose to build with as we step into a new cycle.
- February’s energy crystallized our visions, bringing clarity to the dreams we wish to manifest.
- Now, March arrives, carrying the energy of emergence. It is the season of action, where the thawing earth births new life, and the first green shoots break through the soil.
Like nature itself, we are invited to step forward, to implement, to grow. Whatever seeds of intention we have planted—our goals, our aspirations, our desires—this is the time to nurture them into reality.
Honoring the Darkness That Brought You Here
Yet, before we fully step into the light, we must first acknowledge the shadows from which we emerge.
The Equinox is not only a celebration of the sun’s return—it is also a moment to recognize the darkness we are leaving behind.
This is the work of Shadow Integration—understanding the challenges, wounds, and hardships that have shaped us. Shadow work is not about dwelling in the past but honoring it as the crucible of our transformation.
A seed must crack open before it can grow.
The darkness we have endured—our trials, betrayals, griefs, and struggles—has forged us. These experiences have made us more resilient, more adaptable, more intuitive. They have refined us into who we are meant to be.
Yes, it is true: What did not destroy us, strengthened us.
But strength is not just about endurance. Growth also requires healing. The tiny acorn does not yet know it will become an oak tree. Breaking open is only the beginning. The real transformation lies in the stretching, the unwinding, the deep, intentional cultivation that allows the oak to rise.
Rising into the Light
The Equinox invites us to move through our own tunnels of growth—not by denying what we’ve been through, but by using it as a foundation for transformation.
- Acknowledge the hardships, the lessons, the struggles.
- Do not sugarcoat them. Do not bypass them.
- But do not stay there. Do not let them define you.
- Move forward. Step toward the light.
One of the ways I process my own shadows is through writing. Sometimes, I write with no intention of sharing—a raw, unfiltered purge of emotions onto the page, clearing energy out of me like smoke from an open window.
Other times, I release through movement. Today, I walked on the treadmill at maximum incline, each step a conscious act of releasing. With every breath, I visualized stagnant energy leaving my body. With every wipe of sweat, I imagined old patterns being shed.
And then, I plunged into the freezing water of my outdoor tub, the air crisp with the final breath of winter. As fog curled from my lips, I whispered my own release:
"I release doubt, I receive faith. I release pain, I receive presence. I release trauma, I receive joy. I release lack, I receive abundance. I release fear, I receive courage. I release betrayal, I receive loyalty."
With every inhale, I claimed the gifts of the darkness. With every exhale, I let go of what no longer serves me.
Not everyone has access to a cold plunge, but almost anyone can turn the water to cold for 30 seconds at the end of a shower. (As always, check with a medical professional before practicing cold therapy.) Even a brief shock to the system can be a powerful reset—a reminder that discomfort is temporary, that we are capable of more than we think.
Embracing the Oak Within
It is often the contrast—the hard things, the dark seasons—that illuminate what we truly desire.
Pain has a way of clarifying purpose. Struggle refines strength. And if we allow it, suffering can become the doorway to wisdom, connection, and spiritual growth.
This path—the path of light and shadow—is what has led me to my most profound relationships, my deepest sense of purpose, my ability to witness and experience the miraculous.
So, as we move through this season of equilibrium, let us be intentional. Let us harness the energy of this sacred shift.
This life guarantees us challenges. To exist is to experience pain, loss, and hardship. But it is also to experience joy, connection, love, and wonder.
We are not meant to remain in one extreme or the other.
We are meant to hold both.
We are the acorn and the oak. We are the dark and the light.
We are becoming.
A Final Reflection
As you navigate this threshold of shadow into illumination, take a moment to ask yourself:
- What am I releasing?
- What am I stepping into?
- How can I honor both the light and the dark within me?
Use this time to get crystal clear on where you are going and why. Bless the darkness that taught you the brilliance of the light.
And remember—you are already the oak. You just don’t know it yet.
photo credit Marky Mark on Flickr
Oh. And, join us for some pretty amazing events focused around self care and balance at my studio in Lehi, Utah.
Or learn how to follow the moons with my Moon Journal. Which you can buy here:
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