Spring Equinox Heralds Growth
The Herbalist's New Year
I have always had a deep connection with the spring. In fact, I was born in the spring, to be specific at the end of May during a tropical storm. As a self-proclaimed lover girl, there is something about all the fresh spring blooms and watching nature come back to life after hibernation. As I age, I find myself enjoying spring more as my body defrosts from the New England cold.
"I Am Brave" by artist Tanielle Childers
As winter’s stillness gives way to spring’s growth, the equinox marks a time of rebirth and new beginnings. Winter is for gestation and self-reflection, while spring is the time of birth and action. I often think of winter as the time to rest and create the plan, with spring being the time to implement.
This year’s spring equinox is March 20th. If you’re reading the day this publishes, then tomorrow.
It is also what many of my fellow herbalists and I consider the New Year. The New Year is a time for new beginnings, following the pattern of nature. We are no longer in a state of survival, but rather rebirth as new growth emerges from the earth and new life is born with early spring wildlife births.
If you’re a gardener, chances are you’ve been planning your gardening during the winter months for the spring. Maybe you’ve even started some spring seedlings in a greenhouse or under a grow light inside a cramped apartment.
If you’re a forager, maybe you’ve been planning what to forage and where. Taking inventory of what herbal medicine you already have or need to make more of next year.
I know I have, trust me, I’ve been craving dandelion and nettle, counting down the days until they’ll sprout.
The Spring Equinox is also a time for balance when the daylight and darkness are equal. This brief moment of equilibrium reminds us that balance is not a permanent state but a point of transition.
You don’t need a big ritual or elaborate plan to honor the changing of the season. Sometimes simply noticing the shift is enough. But if you’d like to mark the moment intentionally, here are a few simple ways to welcome the season of renewal.
Simple ways to celebrate:
Walk barefoot and practice grounding (if the dirt is thawed)
Choose a new plant to work with this year that grows locally, visit its habitat and introduce yourself
Plant something new and bury a written wish with it that will come true as it grows
If you haven’t yet started your summer seeds, do so before it’s too late, you can start them inside a sunny window
Participate in a local environmental clean-up or start your own