March 21, 2018 marks the Spring Equinox. This is the day the sun hovers closest to the equator.  It is a shift in the seasons and this is the signaling of our Spring. So, I wish you all a very Happy Spring on this day we all herald as the start of Spring.  Mother Nature is still doing her thing on this day and in many parts of the world it may not appear to be in alignment with the day on the calendar.

ReFRESH yourself and begin anew!  It is a perfect time to use this season for ReFreshing, renewing, balancing, clearing and cleansing.  This can apply to our eating, our thinking, our being, and our choosing. The arrival of spring signals a shift all on the planet and in nature and in humanity can feel and sense the changes. In many cultures, this time of the year is celebrated through ceremony, rituals and festivals dating back for centuries.

It is a time for spring cleaning, decluttering and refreshing our home, our personal space, cars, closets and any area of our life that needs that newness.  We open the windows for fresh air and we may have our very own ritual of how we intend to bring the spring into our lives.  We often hear the saying “spring fever” indicating a change in the experience of hormones.  The darkness of the winter gives way to lightness of spring.  Are you preparing for Spring?  Are you ReFRESHING your life with a very special ritual?  Perhaps you are taking time for a long luxurious bath or a candlelight dinner to mark the beginning of your personal ReFRESH to Spring.  I hope you are choosing to find a way to incorporate Spring inside and out!

There is a sacredness surrounding the onset of spring.  Let’s discover together simple ways to invoke the energy of this transformative season. This is a beautiful time of introspection, spring symbolizes GROWTH, fertility, bringing the reemergence of light, longer days of sunshine, warmth, plants, birds nesting, animals in their activity. This is also a time for us to birth new idea, fresh perspectives and huge heartfelt dreams into the world.

We all get to welcome this gorgeous season of cleansing and clearing. The onset of spring represents a symbolic shift

From the ancient Egyptians and Romans to Hindus in the East and Pagans in the West, for centuries these civilizations and more have honored the spring equinox through ceremony, ritual and festivals celebrating the abundance of sunlight and crops as well as the themes of revival, redemption and rebirth.

Today, a number of faiths celebrate holidays during this time of year, including: Holi, the Hindu festival of colors; Purim, a Jewish Holiday observed in late winter/early spring commemorating the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia; the Pagan tradition of Ostara, marking the arrival of spring; and Easter, the Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There are even more sacred ways to recognize the spring equinox and invoke its energy for growth, rejuvenation and blessings in the next cycle ahead—and beyond.

Spring is all about starting fresh, and the act of making time to declutter your home will do wonders for balancing the energy in and around you. So, start by doing some spring cleaning, if that speaks to you, making sure to bag up old clothes and other items you don’t need or want, and donate them to your local homeless shelter, Goodwill or another charitable organization of your choice. Then, once you’ve cleaned house, seal the clearing in with a smudge to diffuse any stagnant or lingering energies from wintertime. This can also be done with the opening of doors and windows for the sunlight and fresh air of the new season.

No matter your location, it means that the season is beginning to shift. Whether subtle or dramatic, the landscape transforms.  Birds and butterflies begin to migrate in response to the change in daylight. The path of the sun changes too.  In some places, the trees and flowers bloom and poke their heads out of the ground. In others, the plants go dormant, and foliage drops to the ground.  In the North, animals start to awaken from their long winter naps. In the South, they start to contemplate hibernation.

This change influences all of us. Studies show that seasons affect hormones, skin cell moisture, and even hair growth. Spring is Springing!

In nature, it’s the time of renewal, of shaking off winter, and coming out of hibernation.
A time to RECONNECT

Let’s discover together simple ways to invoke the energy of this transformative season.

• Connecting to your intentions
• Seeing a big vision
• Plugging into the changes in Mother Nature – get outside
• Choosing to engage in Creative activities
• Tapping into your heart and your spirit
• Embracing love
• Being present and choosing to be totally engaged
• Becoming committed to your life’s vision and purpose
• Empowering yourself through clean eating and walking
• Play your favorite play list and dance
• Get out a journal you have not written in and begin writing, drawing and expressing
• Diffuse doterra for Spring 6 drops Lavender, 3 drops Geranium and 4 drops Wild Orange

The important message is CHANGE, SHIFT, GROW and get into the FLOW of spring. Be your sacred version of YOU for the Spring Equinox.

As always,

Choose JOY
Helen Mitchell, CMP, MA
The JOY Expert