Clearing & Cleansing for this Magical Time of year
“What the heck does the Spring Equinox have to do with me?”
The 2022 Spring Equinox is vastly approaching. The spring equinox will officially arrive this Sunday, March 20th at 8:33am PST. As I have been preparing myself for the Spring Equinox in my daily life with co-workers, friends, and family, I have been voicing how excited I am about this time of year! To my surprise, this received a plethora of responses. One of the responses from a friend particularly inspired me to write this blog post, with their response, “What the heck does the Spring Equinox have to do with me?”. Her response began to turn my wheels and made me hyper-aware that she, along with many others, probably doesn’t know much or anything about this incredible time of year!
First things first- if you are unsure of the spring equinox, I will go into a bit of crash course review. On the Summer Solstice day, the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere is closest to the Sun, also the year’s longest day. As we begin shifting towards the Winter, we will notice those days become shorter and shorter, and once the Northern Hemisphere is at the farthest point away from the Sun, we have approached the Winter Solstice. As we again approach those warmer months, the earth will continue to shift on its axis, getting closer to the Sun. The Spring Equinox is the incredible time when the world is almost perfectly centered on its axis. It is not directly pointing towards or away from the Sun. The earth is virtually balanced.
We may notice that we may be more tired and sluggish during the winter than in the summertime. This is a time of rest and recovery to renew ourselves from the active and eventful summertime. Ideally, we should not make drastic life decisions or experience significant events in these colder months. Instead, it is a time of reflection, rest, and recovery.
The spring equinox is the time of rebirth. As we emerge from our winter hibernation, this is the time of growth and change. We may forget that we are not only part of nature, but we ARE nature. All sorts of flowers, plants, and trees begin to flourish during this time.
The spring equinox is a time to begin setting your intentions. Some people believe that New Year is optimal for these intentions and goal setting. However, the winter should be our resting time; we should make no new life choices or big decisions. Starting with the Spring equinox is a time of planning for growth. We do not have to immediately begin shifting into a “full speed ahead” mode. Instead, it is our time to reflect on the past year and look upon the year ahead. What goals do you want to make for yourself? What do you want to accomplish for the rest of the year? Further than that- What do you want to do in your life?
Before we can begin to flourish, it is helpful to make space for this time of growth. I am almost sure you have heard of the term “Spring Cleaning.” Some rituals and routines can assist us in clearing and cleansing not only our physical space but also our mental space.
Here are some tips and rituals to assist you in cleaning and clearing our spaces to prepare for this spring equinox:
Start by tidying up your area and physical space, whether it’s your home, safe space, workplace, altar, etc. It is essential to get rid of anything that no longer serves you or brings you joy. We can do this by tidying up the space and donating or recycling those you no longer need.
Towards the end of every day, it is good practice to clean and put away anything in the sink or kitchen before you finish your day. This is a simple task to ensure you don’t bring anything from the day before into the next; Start fresh and new.
Clean your space. Clean anything that could be considered “dirty.” Clean the floors, windows, bathrooms, countertops, etc. Clean with a gentle and eco-friendly solution, something you find that has a delightful scent. Finalizing the cleaning, by creating a ritual of sage smudging. Smudging in a counter-clockwise motion while setting individual intentions in each area/room of your home is an easy way to cleanse any harmful or unwanted energies in your space so you can begin fresh and clean.
Create your space. Make the area YOURS! Make it someplace that you enjoy being in. This can be very simple and economically friendly (swapping/recycling materials with a friend, finding beautiful secondhand or thrifted items). Possibly incorporate colors that you love by painting walls or doors. Create or acquire artwork to the space. Adding colors or enjoyed textures by incorporating rugs, pillows, or blankets. One of my favorite things to do is add photos of the people, animals, and other things that bring me joy, into my space.
Tidy up your mental space by spending time outside. Spending time outdoors could be just taking a walk or finding a peaceful place to sit quietly or meditate and journal your intentions or feelings for your upcoming journeys.
Incorporating your favorite trinkets, crystals, oils, incense, or candles can help carve our way for positive beginnings.
Meditate or quietly take a few minutes for yourself first thing in the morning before looking at technology (if possible). By challenging ourselves to do this more often, we set ourselves up for more pure intentions based upon our true selves and what we need.
Play uplifting and empowering music when getting yourself ready for the day. This could help bring confidence and motivation into this beautiful time of growth.
Some of these ideas may seem silly to some, and that’s okay! These are just simple tools and suggestions to help you make the most out of this time of year. You can create your own rituals that may resonate with you better! The Spring Equinox is a powerful time of rebirth and transformation! How would you like to transform this life into something POWERFUL? What could this upcoming season of warmth and growth bring you? What does your new beginning look like? We all have the power to transform and create what we want to see in the world, but you have to find out what that looks like to you. These simple tips and rituals could help you see what that looks like. My hope for you is that you set lovely intentions and you can prosper and embrace this beautiful time of year!
With Gratitude ~ Jamey
Meet Jamey Graves - Heart of the Valley Intern
About Me:
Hi! My name is Jamey, and I currently reside in Reno, Nevada, with my dog and partner. We just moved here within the last nine months from the east coast. As a family, we sought change and an adventure to experience more of the country! We moved from a lovely space with lots of land and family nearby to starting a new life here in the west in a small travel trailer with our 90-pound Labrador and wouldn’t have it any other way. Moving far away from a place we called home for 25+ years of our lives to a place where we know no one and having to start fresh was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.
I have been on a spiritual journey for most of my life. Even throughout childhood, I have always felt the greater call to being a healer. Ever since I was very young, I have always been the person in my family and communities that feels the need to stick around and care for others. I am still on the journey of living out my most authentic self and a greater purpose. I have many years of experience in the healthcare and fitness industry but still searching for that space of my most authentic self and healing of others. I am currently a 200-hour yoga teacher certified by Yoga Alliance with additional QiGong and Prenatal Kundalini Yoga certifications. I enjoy dabbling in freelance writing in my spare time and learning and diving deeper into the Holistic Healing Realm to continue my journey of helping others.