SPRING EQUINOX IN RITUAL, A GUIDE THROUGH ARIES

Hello readers! Cosmic Lady Six here to deliver to you a ritual for the beginning of this Spring season. In this article I will explain some of where our traditions come from and how you can best welcome this new burst of energy into your life.

March is regarded as the month dedicated to Mars, hence the name March. Mars is the god of war and in Greece was associated with the god Ares. Mars also rules the 3rd day of the week, Tuesday, which was named after the Anglo-Saxon god of war; Tiu.

Besides war, Mars also rules over the following attributes: strength, health, hostility, defence, matrimony, sex, aggression, balance of light and dark, beginnings, growth, new cycles, rebirth.

Our Sun enters Aries on March 20th and marks the astrological beginning to the year. Aries, represented by the Ram, rules the 1st house of the zodiac wheel and typically begins on March 20th or 21st. In Egyptian times the Spring Equinox fell on March 20th and was dedicated to celebrating the goddess Isis.

The first house of Aries in the zodiac is centered around the self, the fire within us all that connects us self realization of our own power, identity, and ego. The Magician card is card number 1 in the Tarot and is ruled by Aries and the first house. This card represents the discovery of one's own power in the mental, spiritual, emotional, and earthly realms and that we are all infinite beings with the power to master our own realm within, above, and below.

Spring time is a time for us to be reborn, for our inner flame to be fanned, for us to reestablish who we are and what it is we need and want for ourselves in this life. It is a time to come back to the self and to find out how we can use our gifts to move forward in this new year.

Tuesday the 20th of March 2018 we will celebrate our Spring Equinox. The darkness of winter subsides and we welcome in the new growth of Spring. Honoring this process through ritual and giving gratitude to the Earth for always being abundant and providing to us another year of plenty was important to ancient traditions before us who had to work hard to survive during the winter months. Although we may have an easier time getting through winter now, the point of celebrating these rituals is to honor the cycle we are all a part of. Energetically we still feel in our DNA these rituals and customs. It is hard when the year begins in January for a lot of us to feel a renewal of the new year and that is because until the Spring Equinox, the year has not really started. In ancient times the beginning of the year was marked by the Spring Equinox.

Aside from the Equinox,  We also have our first Mercury Retrograde in Aries following us two days later on March 22nd which may cause us to feel like the rebirth is moving a bit slower, too fast, or maybe not as smoothly as we had hoped.  That is why the intentions you set and energy you put forth starting now will be important in guiding the direction of your life for the rest of the season.

Uranus is also in Aries and has been for some time now. Uranus being a part of the equation during this time will cause us to feel a lot of need for freedom of our self expression. We may feel a strong urge to change something within ourselves or about ourselves during Aries season. If you have been feeling a slow build up over the last few months, this is the time the seal may be broken and a new burst of energy within us will come forth and help us to gain some of the momentum we have been lacking. And with the planet Mars who is the ruler of Aries in the Cardinal sign of Capricorn, we will feel an even more extreme push of energy on the physical front to make things happen. This energy together enhances our need to see us achieve our goals and get serious about what it is we want.

For this Aries Spring energy I have adapted a Ritual from Starhawk, with the help of my coven sisters, into a ritual you can do to establish what goals you have for yourself not just in the physical, but also in the spiritual. This ritual is to be used to focus on what spiritual healing and inner growth you wish to embark upon as the growth of Spring is upon us. The plant that you will choose to pot will show the dedication you have to nurturing your goals. The growth of the plant will be a symbol of the growth of your goals. Take care of this plant as if the health of your spirit and life depend on the health and success of the plant.

Spring Equinox Ritual

( Adapted version to Starhawks Ostara Ritual from the Spiral Dance )

Gods and Goddesses Honored during this time:
Isis - Egypt
Sheela-Na-Gig  - Ireland
Athene, Kore, Demeter, Persephone - Greece
Minerva - Rome
Cybele and Attis- Greece and Rome

Tarot Cards associated with Aries and Mars:
The Magician
The Emperor
The Tower
King of Wands
Knight of Wands
Ace of Wands
2 of Wands
3 of Wands
10 of Wands

Supplies:

Flowers that represent earth/north,wind/south,water/west,fire/east
Plant of your choice to be planted in pot- I used Lavender for healing
Potting soil
Terra-cotta pot
Paint to paint onto pot
Paper
White candles
Red Candle
Sage
Clear Quartz, Garnet, Ruby, Carnelian
Burn bowl
Biodegradable paper to write one
Tarot Cards
Incense
Bowl of Water
Cauldron or burn bowl
Food to feast on after ritual - preferably fruit and vegetables in season with spring.
Ritual clothing - light colors or white.

Ritual Instructions

Step 1: Altar set up
You will have white candles in the center with crystals of your choice.

You will use the flowers to represent each cardinal direction- preferably flowers the color associated with each direction.

You will place incense in the south, dirt in the north, bowl of water in the west, and red candle in east.

Step 2: Do opening breath meditation for 5 minutes after bath and clear the space with Sage.

Step 3: Begin at your Altar and light your candles and incense.
Cast your circle to the 4 cardinal directions using deities of your choice.

Step 5:  Within your circle you will paint your terra cotta pot using colors that represent intentions you wish to set for the spring season. You can choose to write words inside or on the outside of the pot you wish to manifest into your life. Example words: Love, Peace, Harmony, Health, Creativity, Prosperity, Abundance. Anything you want.

Step 6:  While the paint is drying on your pot, you will do a tarot reading for the spring season. Your tarot reading should focus on what you wish to manifest during the rebirth of the spring season. You will write what your tarot reading tells you onto the biodegradable paper. This list or letter of what you hope to manifest will go at the bottom of your pot once it has dried.

Step 7: Once your paper with your wishes of manifestation is placed at the bottom of your pot you will plant your plant into the pot.

Step 8:

Once your plant has been potted you will return to your altar and write a list on paper of everything you hope to let go and release. You will burn this in the cauldron and the ashes will be sprinkled on the soil of the plant you have potted.

Step 9:

 Meditate with your plant afterwards and imagine all of your desires manifesting into reality through the energy of this plant that you will be watering and taking care of from here on after.

Step 10: Feast upon the food you have prepared for yourself and close your circle when you are ready.

Step 11:

If you are able to end this ritual with an Aura cleansing bath, draw a bath with spring herbs and do a meditation in the bath cleansing your Aura from the spine up and out the top of the head. Run white light through the body, followed by gold.

It is important that you truly focus on healing and connecting strongly to yourself during this time. Clearly establishing your goals around yourself and who you want to be to the world in this next chapter. Building a healthy and strong relationship to your ego, and your masculine polarity within yourself. Allow your spirit to be cleansed and rejuvenated.

For a weekly forecast of the astrological week you can visit my website at cosmicladysix.com

I wish you all many Spring Equinox blessings,
Cosmic Lady Six

Analisa Six is an intuitive Tarot Reader and Astrologer in Oakland, CA. She lives with her Husband and two dogs. To book a reading email cosmicladysix@gmail.com  IG @cosmicladysix