YAY, Spring is here! Equinox Blessings for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere – it is time to celebrate the changing Earth Cycle and embrace the energies of new life and rebirth – phsysically and spiritually!

The Spring Equinox brings forth into the physical world all the inner work that has been slowly germinating beneath the surface during the long and dark hours of winter- our desires are now ready to blossom and manifest into the outer world. Having my Birthday in March I have always felt like such a “Spring Goddess” even as a little girl(see above), marvelling at the return of flowers,  sunlight, birdsong, colors and scents.

It is a great time to create and start new projects, and yes, I feel ready. But before jumping into the next  project, it’s for some rituals to herald the transition from dark to light. I love Spring, I love Goddess energy and I love rituals. Here are just 3 of my favorites to awaken the Spring Goddess in YOU:

1. Create a Spring Altar

This is the time to celebrate the fertile Spring Goddess of Oestre and to honour Gaia – the Earth Mother as she awakens to new life once again. I like to honor these energies with fresh Spring flowers and pretty crystals. You can place them on your altar or bedside tabel or any corner where you like to keep some sacred items or just fresh flowers and plants. This can be a really joyful meditation, choosing and placing each item carefully and rejoicing in the colors and geometric forms.

I also like to smudge my space with dried herbs like sage to cleanse the air of old and/or stuck energies.

You can add other symbols of Spring on your altar like the image of a fertility Goddess  – whatever feels right for you

This is the perfect ritual in preparation for a meditation.

Create a simple Mandala with colorful flower petals (and crystals if you have some) to celebrate the Spring Goddess with the beauty of mother Earth. Choose whatever flowers you are drawn to. They all have their own language and beauty. Just follow your intuition and enjoy the sensuality of this ritual.

To learn more about crystals and how to work with them I recommend one of my favorite books: The Crystal Muse.

I got some of my favorite Spring flowers from my childhood at the farmers market for some color therapy: Primrose

and of course some tulips…who doesn’t love fresh tulips in all those amazing Spring colors?!

I always have fresh flowers at home and with their beautiful shapes and bright colors they never cease to inspire me to paint or create a collage. So here comes my next ritual:

2) Awaken the Spring Goddess with intuitive art

You do not need to be an artist or have lots of materials to enjoy this ritual of creation! Just grab some magazines, a pair of scissors and some glue. If you have crayons or watercolors, even better as you can add more color to your art work. In this example I just worked with some scrap paper and a magazine image that I felt intuitively drawn to. I glued them on a background paper with botanical drawings that I found in another magazine. Then I just played with watercolors and pastels to enhance the pastel spring colors. This was a super simple and easy collage. Why not give it a try? Let me know how it goes.

I also have a free mini step-by-step collage project on my website. You can download it HERE

3) Plant some herbs or flowers

I love this ritual of planting seeds. Not only is it so much fun when you see them sprouting and growing after a while, it is also a wonderful ritual for setting intentions for your life. As you put the bulbs into the soil and water them, think about what it is that you wish to manifest, to grow , to nurture ~ inside yourself and in your life. Do some journaling, dancing or painting if you like to deepen this ritual.

With the warming sun and longer days we can throw off the shrouds of winter and journey forth with plans for growth and intentions just as we see reflected in nature.

I planted some Monstera seeds on the new moon and look how they are growing and growing. It brings me so much joy to watch this new life emerging!

There are so many other ways to celebrate the Spring Equinox, here are some other favorites:

• go for a mindful walk and smell the new blossoms on trees and bushes, take in the scents and colors. Really take in the miracle of nature coming back to life.
• write down your new intentions and goals for Spring. Pick one that you want to focus on and start putting it in motion with little steps. Journal or collage about your intentions.
• declutter your home and spring clean – this feels so good, as it also acts as a spiritual and mental cleanse
• Cleanse your body – Take a bath with Epsom salt, drink lots of water and eat lots of fresh leafy greens, cut sugar and alcohol
• Dance–  Reawaken the energies in your body with movement after the slow, slumber time of Winter
• Whatever makes you feel connected to joy and fresh new beginnings, do it!

I hope you enjoyed this blog and found some inspiration. I would love to hear about your Spring rituals and see your Goddess collages. You can write me at info@heatherhoeps.com

HAPPY SPRING & HAPPY NEW BEGINNINGS