Spring Equinox 2017 – To Be Reborn

Vernal Equinox – March 20, 2017, 6:28 AM EST

Happy Spring Equinox!

The Vernal Equinox is celebrated around the world as a time of hope, renewal, resurrection, and rebirth. It is the astrological new year and is seen as symbolic of victory of the light over darkness as the Sun climbs to its celestial zenith throughout the season it inaugurates.

The first degree of the first sign of the zodiac holds the essence of pure will. This is the experience of manifestation springing forth from seemingly nothing. But the symbolism of the Sun crossing this place of the zodiac speaks to a call coming from the will and a response from the receptive world that hears it. The phallic assertion of vision, desire, and the thrust of singularly directed force unfailingly generates a mirrored response from the creative forces. The shape of the response assumes the seed qualities of the force that set it in motion. The metaphors are blatant because this is the most phallic place of the whole zodiac!

The phallic masculinity of infinite knowledge and singular focus is the represented by the Shiva principle in the vedic tradition. Infinite and undulating creativity as Shakti, complements Shiva and gives its force form, color, and sound. This is the play of creation. In astrological terms, it begins with the pursuit initiated by Aries.

As the Sun enters Aries it joins Uranus, Eris, and Venus retrograde in the sign. As the new seasonal year establishes itself, the first planetary event that colors the new year is the desire nature becoming cleansed and purified as Venus enters the heart of the Sun at 4 degrees. This shows the slate being wiped clean in terms of how one relates. The story here is strongly about relating to oneself first, which is the most primary form of intimacy. From that self-relation springs forth the response from the creative world. See this article for more on this idea.

The first moments of Spring Equinox are a time to visualize the crops you would like to harvest come the harvesting time of late summer, and to begin now to plant and tend to their growth and flourishing over the coming eventful months. These spring and summer months will demand much growth and change from all of us, and they are now spurred into action by the Sun’s entrance into cardinal Aries from today.  Beyond the summer solstice, the energy remains active and action-oriented. When there is so much energy available in the heavens, much eventfulness comes to pass here in the sublunary sphere. With much activity comes an equally important task of making nourishing self care practices a regular part of one’s routine.

Reflection and emotional processing are invaluable tools. Counterintuitively, pausing to engage in these practices actually allows for the faster unfolding of situations, as it also contributes greatly to the soul’s growth. Soul growth and allowing for it is an important theme of 2017 as Jupiter and Pluto are engaged in a tense square all year. Deeper than the surface appearances, deeper than the surface goals, deeper than the desires, deeper than the apparent questions and deeper than the developments that torment or bless us, is the quality of the soul that receives, creates, and responds to these. Allowing for regular attunement of the soul to the powerful forces of nature is a way to improve the quality of and lighten the load of the soul. This is also something to remember for the upcoming season of planetary retrogrades in April!

The day of the vernal equinox, northern hemisphere or southern hemisphere, is a day deserving reverence that transcends the particulars of faith. Today try writing by hand your most sincerely held desires, doing a ritual of growth around them, and referring back to them regularly. Honor the Sun’s life giving presence daily by opening the curtains and windows and inviting it in. Get a head massage or a facial and honor this part of the body under the rulership of Aries. Plant seeds into your mind and heart today, and again with the first New Moon of the astrological year on the 27th, and carefully tend to their flourishing.

With care,
Ichrak