What is an Equinox?
Tonite at 11:49 ESt is the Spring Equinox. It will be the earliest occurrence in over a century. Commonly the equinox occurs on the 20th or 21st.
What is an equinox? We have two a winter and spring, and they mark the exact date when the daytime equals the time we spend in darkness—sunrise to sunset.
So basically, the beginning of Spring. In ancient times an essential day for People at the time. It was a time when early man interrelated all life experiences with their sense of religion. Pagans as we call them- Lovers of Nature- non-Christian.
Science and Religion
Mankind has always intertwined the past with the future. Most religions in ancient man revolved about the earth and nature because that is all primitive man knew. As religions developed from nature gods to multi gods, to one god, man tended to adapt what they know to meld with the new religions.
The nearest old religion is know as paganism. This is the last pre-christian religion where the divine was recognized in nature. Some modern people still practice a form of this religion today. Pagans also call this holiday Epostre or Eostre- after a Germanic pagan goddess who brings the light- Spring. The story you can see HERE
The Easter bunny is related to this folklore/Goddess as the hare or rabbit was known as her sacred animal.
Christianity also used this century-old traditional time frame to mark Spring. Christians have Good Friday and Easter during spring. This holiday time signifies the greatest renewal for Christians- – the rising of Jesus from the dead.
Judaism has a couple of holidays in this time of March & April- Passover, Purin. Hinduism, Arab, and Muslim cultures also have holidays related to the season of Spring. See HERE
But no matter the religious or cultural context, this time is seen by all as a time for renewal and regrown.
My Renewal Activities in The Age of Covid 19
I spring clean by rearranging furniture and painting walls.
Spring usually would have been my time to get out there and go. I would go to multiple garden centers for floral and veggies. I would dig up the dirt and plant until I hurt and get up and do it again the next day if able.
I have to add the caveat if I am able now due to my development of an inflammatory autoimmune type of arthritis with some lung involvement. And I am also a person of a certain age. I am retired, and so that makes me one of the vulnerable in this time of crisis.
I hate being classified as “a vulnerable,” but I had self-isolated myself two weeks ago. As a retired RN, I am well aware of the concepts of community spread and germ theory.
I am generally not a chicken little: “the sky is falling” person, but as we all know, these unprecedented times.
I want to go out and buy my plants, dig in the garden, go see my grandchildren, have lunch with friends but have to forego this activity until it is safe. Sometimes I think it looks like an episode of the Zombie Apocalypse shows my kids were so into a few years ago.
So I ask all to care for yourself and others. I can still go out and mess in the garden a bit. Finally clean it up and do a bit of weeding. Thankfully my local grocery store has online order and pick up. Remember to wash your hands and heed your state’s recommendations. Perhaps when we come out the other side of this, we will be a gentler, more kinder nation. That would be the silver lining in this nasty cloud.
Take care all. Let me know how you are coping. I am happy to chat with anyone feeling vulnerable and lonely.
Wash your hands
Talk soon
Take good care
Dara
