A ceremony of soft emergence at the spring equinox.
a collaborative ritual guide from Lyndsay & Lauren to celebrate Ostara and honour the turn of the season.
Today is a collaborative post, between myself and , an offering from Holding Stories as we reach the threshold between seasons, with a foot in each world. We have co-created A Ceremony of Soft Emergence in spring, it is filled with gentle guidance, oracle and omen, prose and poetry — inspired by cues from the living world, the celestial skies, goddess mythology, folklore and more… in the form of music, meditation, written and spoken word, as we welcome the tipping of the light at the spring equinox and the celebration of Ostara.
“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also”.
—Harriet Ann Jacobs.
Our intention with this guided ritual is to hold space for your tender heart as we move through the portal of transition from winter to spring, and provide you with a moment to pause, to reflect and to slowly welcome the return of the light, both outwardly and within.
"The deep roots never doubt spring will come."
—Marty Rubin.
While the spring equinox officially takes place at 3.06am on 20th March here in the UK, please know that this ritual can be taken at your own pace and that the energy of balance and equanimity will continue celestially until the full moon in Libra on 25th March. You might like to carve out half an hour or so to immerse yourself in the whole ritual at once — or you might like to dip in and out to enjoy micro-moments of connection woven in your daily life within this season.
As always, take what you need, and make time when you can.
Bring your notebook, light a candle, find a quiet moment to create a sacred and soothing space, and if you can — take this moment and savour it.
It is an honour to share this with you.
Celestial balance at the spring equinox.
At the spring equinox, night meets day in eggshell equilibrium of (nearly) twelve hours of light and twelve hours of darkness everywhere in the world, before here in the northern hemisphere, we yield to the growing strength of solar power1.
According to The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2024 by
, the equinox presents a moment of balance between light and dark, masculine and feminine, conscious and unconscious, rest and action.It is the tipping point when we move from our inner world of dreaming towards taking gentle action, with the growing daylight hours and strength of the warm sun to support us in our endeavours.
Sweet spring renewal playlist.
We have created this playlist to help you connect with a rise in energy and expansion as the season shifts.
We have placed this soulful musical offering at the beginning of our ceremony as you may like it to accompany you as you immerse yourself into the rest of the ritual. Otherwise, simply listen as you move about your day or — if you feel called — invite your body to guide you into any movement that is stirred by the music.
The return of the light — written & spoken word.
Some words about the spell cast by the returning light written and read by Lyndsay… you may choose to conjure some light-filled words of your own.
The return of the light is palpable. It started as a trickle and then began to pour, like golden runny honey from a spilt jar, into my living room — lingering on surfaces and scattering pale shards of sunlight into dancing shapes around the room.
The year rolls forward in a slow-motion somersault. The sunbeams eagerly offer warmth and the living world starts to stir, drawn towards the light. The gentle inward promises and soft shimmers of Imbolc become fulfilled in the first outward signs of abundance at Ostara. A watercolour wash of colour emerges from obliging branches and the spring blooms that are pushing through the earth.
*How does the light look and feel to you today?
*How does it feel for you as we move into expanding light at the spring equinox (or dwindling light at the autumn equinox in the southern hemisphere)?
*What needs to be illuminated in this season? (Or what was illuminated in these past growth seasons in the southern hemisphere?)
Nurture — an oracle card for the spring equinox.
Our card to celebrate the season is taken from The Whole Woman oracle deck created by .
Take a moment to tune into the card for yourself, and see what surfaces, before diving into the prompts below…
Nurture - tend / amend / flourish
What does the word nurture mean to you in this moment?
What seeds, dreams and visions are you planting into the soil of this season?
How can you nurture these seeds to ensure they grow sustainably?
What parts of your own wellbeing need to be tended to?
How can you create an environment around you that will support you to flourish this season?
*Is there a word that could be your own guiding light as you sense into what you need this season?
Ostara — goddess guidance for spring awakening.
As well as the name of the spring equinox festival, Ostara is also the name of the Germanic goddess of fertility, spring-time and dawn. Sometimes called ‘Eostre’ from where the words ‘East’ and ‘Easter’ are derived, in reference to dawn and the sun rising in the East, Ostara has a warm, dynamic and nourishing energy.
According to Jacob Grimm (one of ‘The Brothers Grimm’), “Ostara, Eástre seems therefore to have been the divinity of the radiant dawn, of upspringing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing”. Ostara’s energy is imbued in the first warm spring winds, the buds, the blossom and the flowers. As the goddess embodying spring energy, Ostara guides us into new projects, a renewal of creativity and ideas as the light grows around us and within.
We can go forth to seek inspiration, acting on the dreams and visions that surfaced in the darkest months, fully supported by Ostara as she reawakens the earth after a winter of dormant ground and dimmed light.
*Have you noticed a shift in your creative energy as the light grows? Or perhaps not yet, there is no rush…
An omen from the living world — butterflies emerge.
According to ‘Nature’s Calendar, The British Year in 72 Seasons’, 16-20 March marks the moment that butterflies emerge. Brimstone butterflies have evolved to flourish in early spring, when the primrose is in flower. Other butterflies including peacocks and small tortoiseshells overwinter in a form of dormancy called ‘diapause’, where most life processes are shut down to conserve energy. Others including small whites, commas and speckled woods overwinter as caterpillars or chrysalises and hatch in response to warmer conditions.
For each of these butterflies their emergence is perfectly timed within the conditions they require to thrive.
Butterflies inhabit a significant place in ancient folklore and mythology of many cultures around the world. In ancient Greece, the word for butterfly, ‘psyche’, literally translated means ‘soul’, often depicted by the goddess Psyche who has butterfly wings. Native Americans considered butterflies as symbols of transformation, hope, and rebirth. In Celtic tradition, it is thought that butterflies are able to cross into other realms.
Seeing butterflies in early spring feels cheerful and optimistic, it speaks of magic, wonder and of warmer light-filled days to come. Butterflies are the quintessential symbol of rebirth, transformation and of delicate power.
*What does the butterfly mean to you?
*How does seeing a butterfly make you feel?
*What conditions do you need to thrive?
A poetic meditation for spring renewal.
To conclude A Ceremony of Soft Emergence, we hope you are able to find some stillness to listen — perhaps outside or with a view of a window — to the gentle words within Lauren’s poetic meditation for spring. A transcript of the poem is also included below…
Sweet Spring Renewal by Lauren Barber.
A glance, a look, a moment in time that will never be captured again.
A petal, a bud, a promise of blossom.
A droplet of rain, hanging delicately from a branch like a diamond dripping from the sky.
A breath of air whisking the scent of damp earth across the skin of her face.
A comforting hum whispers in her ear as the sounds of new life rise up from their slumber.
This season meets her heart with an embrace like no other.
A hope. A wish.
A beautiful tender kiss from nature's sweet, sweet lips.
This is her renewal.
This is her rebirth.
Each petal, so unique.
Each leaf, its own pattern.
Each stem, a different shape.
Each root reaches down into the earth along a completely individual path.
The blossoming in nature unfolds at its own pace, on its own gentle journey.
It does not compare. It does not race.
Seasons shift.
Internal and external light rises.
We bloom, we brighten, we unfurl piece by piece.
Take time, have courage, breathe in and exhale.
Follow the glimmers of light as it dances
As spring is emerging, so dear are you.
The chapter of winter is closing behind us.
Have faith, look up and then look to your heart.
The season of beginnings has come to its start.
We have really loved creating A Ceremony of Soft Emergence together and hope that you find both comfort and inspiration to allow a slow unfurling at the spring equinox. We would love to hear if anything landed within your spring heart and any thoughts you would like to share.
If you would like to join us for more in-depth seasonal ritual, ceremony and contemplation, we are co-creating the Holding Stories half-day creative retreat and spring gathering in a beautiful sanctuary space in London on Saturday 20th April, more details here.
Don’t hesitate to send us an email or a message with any questions, we would love to gather with you in spring-time.
With love and soft spring wishes,
Lyndsay and Lauren xx
On the equinox, the length of day and night are only nearly equal. This is because the Sun appears as a disc in the sky, and the top half rises above the horizon before the centre. As well as this sunlight is refracted by the Earth's atmosphere. The Sun, therefore, appears to rise before its centre at the horizon, giving more daylight than you might expect (12 hours 10 minutes on the equinox).
The equilux is when day and night are equal and occurs a few days before the spring equinox, on 17th March 2024. Information from the Met Office.
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Thank you for the playlist and your sharing of ceremony.
Really enjoyed your invitation to journal on ‘nurture’ and it was a nice way to round off an evening of reading some of my favourite Substacks. I haven’t felt quite so connected in this space lately but I’ve enjoyed my long overdue catch up and felt that sense of togetherness tonight ✨