Today is the Vernal Equinox, also known as Ostara! It's one of only two days in the year when we have equal times of light and darkness. Today we celebrate the coming of Spring and the beginning of new life and rebirth. It's a time to get out your seed catalogs and start planning your garden, where annuals represent new life and perrennials represent rebirth. I'm amazed every year at how my Peonies come back to life once again. I can't wait til they bloom!
And speaking of blooming, we must remember that nature's seasons are a metaphor for our own life cycles and transitions, our own return to 'blooming'. People who live in northern climes everywhere in the world are celebrating the return of the sun. It's been a long winter for many of us! Here in Minnesota, we were enjoying an incredible week of warm weather. Last Sunday, I sat on a retraurant patio in Lutsen and enjoyed lunch with friends in the sunshine. How incredible is that? If you're not from MN, that's almost to the Canadian border!
Spring's arrival and its sense of renewal have been celebrated in many ways over the millenniums – pagan festivals, solemn religious rites, Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring," painting eggs, planting seeds. The most interesting ritual I read about includes burning socks! I think I'm going to add that to my to-do list for this week – I'm ready to start wearing sandals again!
Whether you are buying, selling, or just enjoying your current home, I hope you use this fine weather to your advantage – Think Spring and brighten your own home with some flowers. Better yet, brighten someone else's home with a spring bouquet.
Being a believer in 'there's a song for every occasion,' here's a link to John Denver's hit: Sunshine on my Shoulder! Happy Ostara! Enjoy!
Click here to listen & watch! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zx27dP1mTg
