Spring Equinox

My favorite times of the year are fall and spring, October and April. The Spring Equinox is tomorrow in the northern hemisphere. The ground warms as Gaia awakens and begins anew. Spring flowers are everywhere, and on a neighbor’s pasture, new baby goats frolic about while their mothers patiently watch.

I sat at my outside altar next to the pond and meditated before looking at the cards. The birds were noisy and bullfrogs surfaced to investigate what I was doing. Pots normally full of flowers sit empty until temperatures are warmer. I had blended some incense yesterday and burned some today on a charcoal while meditating. I brought a set of runes with me along with the tarot deck in the event I wanted to explore what they had to say as well.

 

There are several interesting things happening astrologically on the day of the Spring Equinox. We have a New/Dark Moon that’s also a Super Moon, and a total solar eclipse which will bring all kinds of energies to bear. So drawing The Moon as the significator for this spread was interesting. I typically pull the significator after the other cards from the bottom of the deck which I did again today. I like for everything to gel on its own, without any beginning influences. Following The Moon are the influences of The High Priest, Ace of Cups and The Chariot. Three cards from the Major Arcana surround the Ace of Cups, one of the most beautiful cards from the Witches Tarot deck I love so much.

The Moon represents Hecate, Goddess in her Crone aspect. She resonates as the knower of hidden truths. She’s the protector, the observer, the wise woman who uses her power and awareness with authority gained through years of experience. Her influences in the spread are the following.

The High Priest (Hierophant in other decks) indicates union of self and a mastery of worlds. His influence allows the Goddess as Crone to balance the offer of wise counsel with allowing others to find their own way. The High Priest sits as the focal point between worlds, suggesting alignment with the Higher Self as he expands the Crone’s intuition and awareness.

The beautiful Ace of Cups represents the Holy Grail, the blessings of the Goddess, the Feminine Divine. Relationships, healing, and new beginnings are the focus of this water element card. It represents our creative force from which all things flow. It’s a reminder to embrace the promise of the Maiden from whom creativity and imagination flow.

The Chariot represents personal control that reflects a balance between projective and receptive energies. The Goddess as Crone knows when to involve herself and when to stay aligned in her own resonance, understanding true power begins in our alignment with Source within. The Chariot’s wise counsel of self-discipline and focus influences positive outcomes.

Life is cyclical. In it’s simplest definition, the Triple Goddess represents the three phases of an individual’s life. In reality, Maiden, Mother and Crone energies are more than that. While there may be the unavoidable differences we experience as our bodies age reflecting the passage of time, we need a more nuanced view of the Triple Goddess. As I think about the broader picture, I keep coming back to the Ace of Cups surrounded by the other cards from the Major Arcana. As winter ends and spring begins, we move from the Crone aspect to the Maiden aspect of the seasons. On either side of the Ace of Cups sit cards stressing balance. We’re in a time of awakening, and evidence of how out of balance we’ve become is on display in all its ugliness. With the Spring Equinox, where day and night are equal, we can move forward, co-creating in a way that reflects balance and unity.

At this point, I had to draw some runes.

I love these delicate flourite runes. Beginning in the eastern quadrant of Elemental Air, Inguz as the seed invokes energies of expansion and growth. Sowilo aptly defines Elemental Fire in the southern quadrant of the spread. Illumination is it’s influence, and as the rune of the will, Sowilo strengthens spiritual energy and magickal workings. Mannaz blends rationality with intuition adding to the flow of harmony brought by Elemental Water in the western quadrant. It reflects the emotional resonance of humanity’s oneness. Elemental Earth in the north quadrant brings a balance of earth energy expressed by Gebo, another focal point between the physical and nonphysical aspects of self. Wunjo sits in the middle as significator blending illumination, expansion, harmony, and joy in unity of purpose.

A common theme between the two divination methods is balance and alignment, in this case, the Goddess as Crone, balancing receptive energies with the Maiden’s projective energies of new beginnings. We can always choose to begin again. As we reach the equinox, the day equals night, creating a still point at its transition. We can view it as a point of beginning, of rebirth. The Spring Equinox offers us a time to leave behind everything that no longer serves us, and allows us to move forward blending the wisdom of the Goddess as Crone into the Maiden’s new beginnings. We begin as extensions of Source. Represented by the Ace of Cups, we flow into this physical form as a physical expression of the Feminine Divine. As we stay in our own balanced resonance with Source, that creative flow continues. As Goddess blessings flow unhindered, all things are possible.

~ Blessed Be the promise of the Spring Equinox!