3 Magickal Ways to Honor the Equinox, No Matter the Hemisphere
As a wayfaring witch, I never know which side of the world I will be on for the vernal equinox. Most years I have spent this time in the northern hemisphere celebrating Mabon. However, the last 2 years, I've been in the southern hemisphere celebrating Ostara. I find it awesome that I have the privilege to experience this time differently depending on location. And, fun fact, I was born on the vernal equinox. Not many people can say that they have experienced the day of their birth as the first day of autumn and as the first day of spring!
I thought I'd make this list of a few things I do in honor of the equinox, both autumn and spring. This way, no matter where you find yourself, you'll have some witchy ideas up your sleeve.
1. Hit Up Mother Nature
Collect elements of nature that are already showing signs of the season. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, it's a great time to collect leaves just beginning to turn colors, or show other signs of decay, to decorate your autumn altar. It's also a fabulous time to collect fallen branches to take home to debark and carve into customized wands. For those in the southern hemisphere, fruit may be beginning to ripen and fall from the trees. It's a great time to scoop up some of this bounty for later spellcrafting. I have been collecting lemons from our lemon tree to use as a means of purification within the home. The equinox is also the perfect time to prepare, place, and nurture your garden whether you're growing vegetables or botanicals. The flowers here are gorgeous and, because of birds and insects disturbing flowering bushes and trees, the ground is littered with beautiful flowers and, bonus!, you may even find some feathers. All of these things can become ingredients for spellwork or can adorn your spring altar.
2. Move That Energy
No matter which season you're ushering in, autumn and spring are both pivotal times for energetic shift. The northern hemisphere welcomes the energies of internal craft - like working with and healing our shadows (those things that we don't like to admit we are but that give us depth and richness of character). The southern hemisphere invites the energies attuned to experiential revelry which accompanies warmer weather - like making more solar magick such as infusing herbal waters by the heat of the sun. The equinox represents the flipping of an energetic coin. This is an excellent time to declutter and organize your living space to then give it a thorough spiritual cleansing through the art of magickal housekeeping. Sweep your home anti-clockwise, or from back door to front door, to get rid of old energy. Mop your floors with a Florida water for cleansing, protection, and peace. Open your windows and use Sage or Palo Santo to cleanse the air. Witch Tip!: Be sure to clean your baseboards and get into the all the nooks and crannies to ensure no stagnant energy remains. This process clears your space to allow for the energies of the new season to nurture your upcoming growth.
3. Refresh Your Witch Cabinet
Because the vernal equinox is a time of newness no matter the season, it's a great time to refresh your witchy cabinet with seasonal ingredients. Every witch is different but most will tell you that they tend to use certain ingredients more in the spring than the autumn and vice versa. For me, I love to use Lemongrass and Lemon Balm in the warmer weather and I only start using Cinnamon and Pumpkin as it cools down. For me, these are seasonal ingredients unless I'm called to preform a particular magick that requires an out-of-season ingredient. I use more candles staring in autumn. I incorporate more incense in the spring. So, take a look at your witch supplies and take stock of what you think you'll be needing this season and set to find, craft, or purchase the items you need to stock up!
No matter which side of the world I'm on, these three go-to methods prepare and welcome the changing of the seasons at the vernal equinox. The equinox is a time of refreshment, restarting, rebirthing, and celebrating the cyclical nature of nature, your practice, and your life!
