As we approach the vernal equinox, those of us in the northern hemisphere are aware of the warmer longer days and the bursting vibrancy of spring flowers all around us.
At the equinox, the sun is perfectly positioned at the equator and all around the world we experience this balance point of equal day and night.
The term equinox, literally means equal + night (which implies ‘and day’). It is thought to derive from the fact that Celtic and Germanic society once saw the day begin at sunset. Sunday night, therefore, was the night before Sunday – which most of us would now call Saturday night. So if you make a date with anyone in medieval Europe you need to bare this in mind.
The equinox is one of those ‘between’ places, a liminal space. We might well imagine a set of perfectly balanced scales with day on one side and night on the other. Equally, this could show winter on one side and summer on the other. The equality only lasts for a moment and then the scales are out of balance as longer days lead into summer or longer nights lead into winter.
In that brief moment of balance we can pause to sense into our own life and ask ourselves: where is our balance point?
It is interesting to think of words that imply opposites and to think about where they sit on our personal scales. For example, what is our balance between Laughter / Tears. One would hope the scales would be weighty on the laughter side but the scales will, at times, tilt the other way.
Here are a few more opposites that spring to mind as I write this:
Work life / Social life
Optimist / Pessimist
Fulfilled / Searching
Content / Dissatisfied
Argumentative / Conciliatory
Suspicious / Gullible
Free / Shackled
Heart / Mind
Private / Social
Fearful / Intrepid
Physical / Spiritual
Dreamer / Doer
I’m sure a psychoanalyst could have a field day with the list I have created!
The balance point is not a place to stay too long. After all, if everything in our life were in perfect equilibrium we are unlikely to be moving forward, unlikely to be growing into the person we need to become. But it is a place where we can take stock, ponder, make a few adjustments – and then move on.
Blessings of the equinox.