A Time for Renewal: Honoring the Spring Equinox
With longer days, the ground is beginning to warm, water resumes its flow, and plants are starting to push their roots through the ground. The Spring Equinox is upon us and with it, a time for physical and spiritual rebirth. As nature reawakens, it begs the question: What do you want to reawaken in yourself in this new beginning?
Equinox originated from Latin, meaning "equality of night and day." The equinox transpires at two specific moments when the sun is above the equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Spring Equinox takes place around the 21st of March, and the Autumnal Equinox brings in the fall in late September. This year, the Spring Equinox, also called the Vernal Equinox, will occur on the 19th of March. It signifies that Winter has ended, Spring has arrived, that Mother Earth is alive with possibility, and that the fertility of the land is all but ensured.
At Vosges, the Spring Equinox celebration occasionally arrives when Chicago is frozen or freezing temperatures have not left our sights. While it is hard to imagine that Winter is over, it is a time of hope and inspiration for our Spring collections.
This season, we celebrate the importance of water and its ability to power budding sprouts, yielding the plant leaves, fruits, and seeds we chose to include in this year's collection. As the garden unfurls new growth around us and inside us, woven in the loom of the dark Earth, the seeds of life lie dormant until warmer air arrives and water is freed from beneath. These arising conditions present so that life begins again. The presence of water leaves its mark on all who inhabit the Earth. The dynamic forces that bring new plant life and wildlife, shape riverbeds, and create valleys inspired the concept of watermarks on paper, where the essence of water becomes a symbolic signature on the medium.
While the celebrations of the Spring Equinox often root themselves in pagan tradition, the holidays of Easter and Passover also fall on or near this seasonal shift. They can be honored via chocolate ritual or the sharing of our Spring-inspired confections. This year, we invite you to let the waters of Spring wash over you as we celebrate this bright and blossoming season.
A Ritual for the Spring Equinox
Create Your Sacred Space
Creating a dedicated space or Spring altar is a sacred tradition. It will slow you down and force you to become present. Gather items that make you feel hopeful and prepare for the coming season. May we suggest fresh spring flowers, candles, crystals that have meaning for you, eggs and honey (symbols of new life), and the Watermarks Truffle Collection, our chocolate homage to the season. Lay these items on a beautiful piece of fabric with the bright colors of Spring. Use this altar as a sacred space to connect with your thoughts and dreams.
Prepare a Spring Feast or Delightful Ritual Tea
A ritual tea or light meal that includes foods that symbolize the Earth's rebirth is an excellent way to acknowledge the equinox. Spring greens, sprouts, shoots, eggs, local wine, and bread can be shared to celebrate Mother Earth and the dreams that are brewing and stirring inside you.
Connect and Honor the Earth
Though it may still be pretty cold where you are, it is essential to spend time outside. Take in the air, feel the sun on your face as you face east to welcome a rising sun. Walk on fertile ground and imagine the water running beneath the soil, green buds coming through representing your aspirations, and all the associated possibilities. Plant your own seeds in the ground. By sewing these seeds, tending to them, nourishing them, and watering them, you are calling in your dreams and carefully growing them.
Cleanse Your Home and Your Soul
The Spring Equinox is the perfect time for cleansing. It is a time to clean your home, organize your desk, open the windows, and let the fresh air in to cleanse your space. You can also smudge your home with sage or palo santo to reset your environment and invite peace and balance into the space. Ritual baths are also a way to cleanse yourself for the new season's dawn.
Express Your Dreams
As you let go of the old and embark on new paths, write and speak your dreams aloud. Take a sabbath to meditate and contemplate on your deepest desires. As the Spring continues, add your wins to these writings. By gaining traction on your dreams, you will begin to create momentum.
Mindfully Indulge in the Watermarks Collection
Our limited edition truffle collection celebrates the power of water and honors the other buzzing, blossoming signs of Spring. From the flowers and bees to the dragonflies and trees, we are all connected to the Earth beneath us. As we feel this collective shift, it is essential to move like water does—be flexible, embrace rejuvenation, and be the "hydration" your community or loved ones may need. This is a time to revive your spirits and find balance and wellness.
As the Spring arrives, remind yourself that dark always finds its way to the light and that frozen ground always thaws to allow new growth to burst through. Even in the most trying times, let the Spring Equinox and the rituals we perform under its sun remind us that hope always prevails.
