‘You Must Believe In Spring…’

You must believe in Spring…

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” Anais Nin

The Cycle begins again…

Birth. Emergence. Becoming. Newness. Freshness. Blooming. Budding. Moving. Ascending.

Spring time:

For many decades now, I have come to live in harmony with natures seasonal changes and create rituals around them.  I suppose my interest started at first as a child because I was always very observant to nature and what was happening in my outside world. Now, even the years that I am not quite as attentive, I still feel a buzzing in my body come late March that continues through to June. To me this sensation is spring….

I also feel there are some philosophical and spiritual lessons to be learned by the seasons, as well as mental and bodily lessons. Living in alignment with nature seems to compliment all physical, mental and spiritual growth. Like going to church and hearing the same biblical passage repeated from time to time, so I’ve grown to experience seasonal change. Life lessons and themes are repeated, and each time I live through them I learn, and then takeaway, something new, and my life becomes fuller and richer in doing so.

As fresh and as new as ever; here comes spring. Each year I look in amazement at the budding of leaves on the trees, the sprouting of small plants from the earth’s soil and all the colors that start to enfold as the days grow longer as if it were the first time witnessing this beauty. Like the spring something in each of us bursts forth childlike with wonder and awe at all of nature’s miracles playing out in front of our eyes, forever appearing unprecedented.

Every culture has different traditions that honors the seasons.  European alchemy places air as the element of the spring season. Air warms in spring and we get some windy days (Hellooo March!) and then some wonderful warm breezes that start in late spring. Certainly, the quality of air changes as the moisture of rain and the smells of earth’s growth fill it. Air is also symbolized with birds and we find now, birds busy having babies and or building nests.  Feathers and eggs are wonderful symbols for the spring, and, various cultures, have used them in prominent spring celebrations such as Easter and Nowruz (the Persian New Year).

In the Chinese tradition, wood is the element associated with the spring season. The wood temperament is boldly moving upward, clearing a new path in its way. Think of a baby oak tree bursting from its seed and moving through the soil, or, sometimes even moving through rock or cement to reach the earths surface and the warm of the sun.  This is the perfect time to clear out anything old, falling apart and unused. Create space for novelties and neoteric items and freshen up the quality of your home and yard.  When you clear your space, you create more air to breath and space to grow. Adding elements of Feng Shuai to your home may also bring beautify your space. Perhaps in the spirit of growth, adding a jade plant which symbolizes growth and renewal, or ivy which helps cleans the air and was believed in Egypt to symbolize eternal life.

Spring time is associated with the eastern direction. A good place to place a plant, a green or turquoise candle, a piece of carved or drift wood, or flowers is on the eastern wall of your living room or bedroom. This area, which is energized by the wood energy, attracts health and wellbeing of the family.

Celebrate the Spring season with the Signs:

In early spring, start a work out regiment or practice utilizing the strength and fight of the Aries energy. Drive and determination are on high now and this can help you create habits for the upcoming months. Under the Taurean sun of mid-spring, clean, brighten and beatify your home and detox your body for a bigger dose of healing. Gemini’s late spring is time to hang out with friends and family, take short trips, and throw parties or attend social gatherings. It is also an ideal time to start a creative project that engages your unique voice.

In every tradition: Spring time is a time to act. All the seeds and plants that were laid down in the winter need momentum to reach their potential. Literally NOTHING gets done without action, no matter how good the intentions. Seize the day and go and DO. Of all the things springtime urges us to be is ACTIVE in our lives. Moving, cleansing, communicating, creating, changing, becoming and being spur us forward on our paths. The time to dream is over. Spring is the warrior energy-the go-getter energy.

In both ancient eastern and western healing traditions, the time of Spring is ruled by the liver, making this is a great time to cleanse the body. The liver is the organ that literally cleans the blood. During spring season, cleanses and detoxes are most effective because, for most of us, the liver is strongest now and able to really rejuvenate more rapidly. I like to do a 5-day juice cleanse having only juice and one meal per day, but there are various cleanse options available. If you have never done a detox or cleanse before, you may want to seek the advice of a health coach or nutritionist.  Be sure to detox with lots of green, leafy vegetables as they are especially good for flushing the liver of toxins and free radicals (which cause oxidation and aging). Dandelion leaves or dandelion tea are also great aides in cleaning the liver, and if you have an organic yard- you may just have a surplus!

Word of warning: watch for the emotion of anger.

The Chinese healing tradition associates different emotions with each season and anger is believed to be strongest in the spring. That said, they have a very neutral view on anger; they see this emotion as neither good nor bad.

Think of the sort of “anger” one has when playing a sport, or the “anger” one has when playing a game, or the burning sensation that one might feel when a highly valued project or endeavor hits an avalanche of an obstacle.  It’s the sensation of being so alive and so on fire that only a blood curdling cry can truly demonstrate the depth (like the NZ Maori’s war dance, the Haka). It’s that kind of anger that runs rampant during these spring months.  If this anger is felt and understood and then, most importantly, let go of, it is useful in allowing us to forge ahead. It gives us resilience and strength despite our possible uphill battles. However, if this anger is nurtured and feed, it can become a noose around our necks and follow us everywhere we go. Not relinquishing its hold can poison even the most tender of moments, even the sweetest of relationships.

Spring is meant for excitement and happenings. It can feel a bit jilting as the energy is so high in contract to the gentle mode of winter but if we use it wisely it can waken us up to our own unbridled potential.

May you reap the blessings of spring and grow in miracles ways!

Be Blessed

Be Safe

Be Well

Be Happy

&

Be Love

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