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Wisdom Teaching #18
March 22, 2002
Spring is here!! Can you feel it
in the air? Spring arrives when the earth is tilted
and the Sun is then positioned directly over the equator.
Wednesday, March 20th was the official arrival of spring
called the Vernal Equinox. Vernal means
spring, equinox means equal night. Thus,
day and night are the same length, each lasting exactly
twelve hours on this day. The vernal equinox marks the
first day of spring and the movement of the Sun into
the astrological sign Aries.
In ancient times people held mythic beliefs
about the seasonal changes. The goddess of spring was
called Eostre. She symbolized the passage of
time, spring, fertility, new growth, and rebirth. Once,
when the Goddess was late coming to the season, a little
girl found a bird close to death from the cold of winter
and turned to Eostre for help. Because the little bird
was wounded beyond repair, Eostre changed it into a
snow hare. But this was no ordinary cottontail; this
long-eared rabbit could also lay eggs! As a sign of
spring, Eostre instructed the little girl to always
watch for the snow hare. Eostre’s name was also
believed to have come from the word “east”
which is used to describe the direction of the sunrise.
Some think the word Easter also came from the same source.
What is the Wisdom of Spring?
The main symbols for Spring are the egg;
for new life or new beginnings, and the
rabbit or hare, for fertility. The
changing of any season provides us with a time
to reflect. Nature provides us with the key to
understanding
what we should do at any particular time. The Wisdom
of Spring is Change. Dramatic change always
occurs during this season. We are coming out of the
cold of winter into the warmth of spring.
This is a big
change. The Wisdom of spring indicates that this
is the season to, “DO SOMETHING!” Change!
Clear out the
old and embrace the new. Have you been wanting to start
something all winter but have felt stuck? Do you
have a project or an idea that you would like to initiate?
This is the best time to do this. Do it now!
Embrace the season! Spring into spring!
To change one’s life;
Start immediately
Do it flamboyantly
No exceptions
~ William James
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