Spring Has Sprung?

Aries, Aries, Aries. This season began with a 💥 and a 😭 and a ton of shifting energy.

I know I've been feeling it a bit since Daylight Savings: a bit tired, a bit frustrated, a lot over it, and a lot ready for what's next. Then the Spring Equinox arrived, followed immediately by our entrance into Aries season and the first new moon in Aries (we'll have another at the end of Aries season). We've had Saturn move into Pisces and Pluto move into Aquarius. There's a ton of personal and collective energy swirling right now. Can you feel it?

Aries season is fire. It's tiny green buds springing from the ground and trees. It's new and growth and readiness. In traditional Chinese medicine, it's wood. And also? It's grief and letting go. It's both the beginning of a new cycle and the letting go of what's done. 

There's a sense, as we leave winter and enter spring in the northern hemisphere, that earth itself is renewing. Down in New Orleans, the jasmine has been spectacularly fragrant and blooming. Many of the tropicals that browned during winter's frost are beginning to sprout green again. And, there's plenty of brown and dirt still present.

I've been feeling like life's a deck of cards, being reshuffled and reshuffled every single day. I can't say exactly when , but at some point it became hard for me to believe in and sense into synchronicity the way I used to. It used to guide my days, decisions, and hope. I would see a clear sign - an indisputable easter egg from the universe - and smile and feel fluttering in my chest and goosebumps on my skin. I would feel nourished and protected and full of hope, able to recenter on my heart's desires.

But much like those trees and plants that, suddenly shocked by the sudden drop to 25 degree weather this winter, lost their color, buds, and stamina, somewhere along the way I too began to feel only heaviness. It's taken a lot of diving deep, attempting to claw my way out, only to have to dive deeper. Though there were signs of an impending spring in my psyche, I haven't been able to fully trust, and a big reason is that my brain has been so hardwired toward expecting the worst, that it's actually more comfortable than expecting the best. Can you relate?

What can compound this type of thinking into even deeper suffering, is the sense that everything is actually fine. As in: I have a home, a job, a partner, friends, and I'm never hungry - so shouldn't I be super grateful? This time of year is a beautifully somber yet hopeful reminder that feeling our anger, sadeness, and resentment can actually be the path toward feeling gratitude, connection, and presence. 

Aligning to seasonal energy has helped me immensely. By paying attention to what is here (the weather, plants, fruits, temperature), I can de-identify from the suffering my ego so loves to stay stuck in. I can re-identify with what's here - emotionally, physically, and spiritually - and give myself permission to let go of what's keeping me stuck in the past or grasping for the future. 

It's a beautiful time of year to, in equal parts, recognize what can be cleared or composted, and what can be welcomed into the space we've made. I'm leaning into the complete unknown, clearing space for trust and hope and joy, and practicing allowing what is here to simply be here so that it can be metabolized instead of stuck in my energy.

If you’re into it, check in with yourself for a few breaths. Maybe you can name one or two or a thousand things that have been ready to be cleared from your path. Maybe you can lean into some other intentions you’re ready to plant like seeds. Know that I’m with you on the ever changing, ever winding path and sending you so much love.