#### Happy Spring my Steemy Friends! March 20 marked the first day of Spring at the Equinox. Now, our days are filled with more light as the Northern Hemisphere transitions from Winter to Spring. On the Equinox, I took time to consider the blossoming energies of renewal and rebirth. I wrote this post to give thanks to this new season- bringing us all the chance grow the garden of life we wish to create! ![58C64350-7C20-4D99-8EEC-694F0DEC78DC.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/600x400/https://steemitimages.com/DQmTYxZc1WRXXtLbFU4TH3xF1p2tWPeFVADuDNdAHxr7DwR/58C64350-7C20-4D99-8EEC-694F0DEC78DC.jpeg) Taking a larger step into the Steemit realm is certainly a part of my vision for this new season. So THANK YOU for being here! I appreciate you for joining me as I explore what manifests with this intention. ![826DD302-1492-4550-A87C-86C0EBDE0047.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/600x400/https://steemitimages.com/DQmfFt4rvEfnXdHr38bRUQ7Tqrefvt7WkFsxtju8ozUp1ng/826DD302-1492-4550-A87C-86C0EBDE0047.jpeg) The sunrise through the Portland trees greeted the Equinox day as I boiled water for a [neti rinse](https://draxe.com/neti-pot/) and mug of [hot water with essential oils](https://www.davidwolfe.com/lemon-essential-oil-in-morning/). I do my best to include these two practices in my daily routine, as they’re wonderful ways to gently cleanse the body upon waking. Coming back to Portland after several months of traveling in Central America (post coming soon!) can be a downer when the weather is cold gloomy. I have felt my energy levels shift immensely after months of vitamin D on a daily basis! But amongst the gray skies, these gorgeous cherry blossoms have been appearing all over the city. An inspiring sign to know warmer days are ahead! ![2F9F6D47-0EA2-4483-9C5C-5158F8EABF81.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/600x400/https://steemitimages.com/DQmcbs3yPcwB3nPogQCRhuV9bvTrACvJmE2NvgUdrE7XLrp/2F9F6D47-0EA2-4483-9C5C-5158F8EABF81.jpeg) Another daily practice I integrate is syncing myself to the 13 moon/28 day calendar, which is a natural harmonic standard, opposed to the unnatural Gregorian calendar commonly used in the world today. I will certainly be posting more on the [research of Jose Argüelles](https://lawoftime.org/) why I feel it is imperative that we collectively shift to a new standard of time. Check out the obvious [difference in these two calendars](http://www.lawoftime.org/images/13Moon-vs-Gregorian.png) and tell me which one makes more sense! I practice keeping up with the 13 Moon cycle using my [We’Moon planner](https://wemoon.ws), sketching the daily [tones & seals](http://lawoftime.org/infobooth/sealsandtones.html) and pondering the energies that each represents. I highly recommend this planner to anyone who desires to be aligned with the celestial bodies and the rhythms of the seasons. It is filled with poetry and artwork by women from all over the world. I loved this excerpt from a poem about the Spring Equinox: ![5A4AD1C6-4766-401D-B319-BA65C82732A8.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/400x600/https://steemitimages.com/DQmW3Vd6cJQFKEjBYc17j1zRALtcCEG8wtLVmqHaN8Ztj88/5A4AD1C6-4766-401D-B319-BA65C82732A8.jpeg) Oneonta Gorge by Jeanette French - page 129, We’Moon 2018 [Image Source](https://fineartamerica.com/featured/oneonta-gorge-jeanette-french.html) *“Shoots and leaves unfurl, animals lift their heads, feels life’s force in their bodies. We stir, stretch out bodies, hearts, minds and souls, reach for fresh days of love, our dreams and each other. We seek to heal and bless losses sustained in the dark time and everywhere in the world. Go quietly; death has been here. We renew our hearts, widen the spaciousness of our loving. We being again to dream, weave the work of our hands and hearts to revision the world, and refresh ourselves, for we are the green shoots of renewal.”* —Sherri Rose-Walker, 2017 page 72, We’Moon 2018 ![ED676317-BD5F-4EA6-BB40-FA851E7E4931.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/800x500/https://steemitimages.com/DQmV8chBSMvaiyP1ZS3yb2d4XSytVWt23bT5ae7U75nScFm/ED676317-BD5F-4EA6-BB40-FA851E7E4931.jpeg) Saluting to the life unfurling all around me, and attempting to embody that ‘green shoot of renewal’, I spent this Equinox on a juice fast. It was just the spring cleaning I needed. After using up the fruit & veggies in my fridge, I ventured to one of my favorite places in Portland: [People’s Food Co-Op](http://www.peoples.coop) to scoop up the best local organic produce for continued juice experiments. [Current favorite recipe: celery, pear, kale, ginger, lemon] The sun-drenched patio at People’s welcomed me and my produce, the blissful blue sky beamed above as I felt the uplift from the the juice and the plant life all around me. (Spot the roof top garden too?) This Co-Op has such a positive impact on the community surrounding it - not only providing sustainable nourishment, but hosting a weekly farmer’s market and events in the community room upstairs. ![76B9AD63-F35E-4979-B1C0-B8A22B8EC03D.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/800x500/https://steemitimages.com/DQmcLSqfFyZngQyTjtSykcv34AVJaPMcMLg334AAVfG7USg/76B9AD63-F35E-4979-B1C0-B8A22B8EC03D.jpeg) ![47D9387D-54BA-4C20-B9FF-F25C3206FC07.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/800x500/https://steemitimages.com/DQmYe7aQiFgTySD2LJJ56TuzJfxfbeBvqNoKHeRb6QjJs14/47D9387D-54BA-4C20-B9FF-F25C3206FC07.jpeg) When starting a new season or chapter in life, I always take some time to reflect on my tarot cards for extra insight. Pulling tarot cards has fallen out of the mainstream consciousness as a valid practice. However, these cards have a [deep esoteric history](https://youtu.be/PlIPqks0Tmw) and many humans use a version of the cards as a tool for divination. Do you have experience with tarot cards? If so, please share! The card I pulled while meditating on the spring season was... VIII - HEALING {STRENGTH} ![DFA9FE2B-0C4E-4071-BC79-91763C359E67.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/400x600/https://steemitimages.com/DQmdPinhFwUGm9R4cgkKXsqWQVYSyVTHRTxjqyFbm9ugZqg/DFA9FE2B-0C4E-4071-BC79-91763C359E67.jpeg) Symbols hold many meanings, but Rainbows have been showing up for me too often for it to be a coincidence. At the forefront of my mind has been my upcoming journey to Colorado to continue working on building a network of [Rainbow Warriors](https://www.facebook.com/WORLodge/). I love that this Rainbow is linking the human and animal tribe. In the traditional tarot, the eighth card of the Major Arcana is called Strength, representing the power of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle. It invites us to draw on our inner strength and self-confidence. Quite fitting as both humans and animals are coming out on the other side of winter’s darkness to embrace the light of spring. It’s an important time to consider that inner light of courage linked to the [Manipura chakra or solar plexus region.](https://chopra.com/articles/find-power-and-warrior-energy-in-your-third-chakra) The Medicine Woman tarot deck I use provides a holistic approach to understanding each card - including affirmations, questions, meditations and visualizations to assist with integrating the card’s message. What stuck out to me with the Healing card was its suggested self-questioning: “What would happen if I stopped complaining?” That sentence slapped me right awake... It spoke to the negative inner self talk that sometimes creeps its way into my consciousness. Its message is that instead of choosing a complaint, our inner strength can assist us in rewriting that talk to gratitude for where one is in the present moment. Visualization is a powerful tool. The card suggests: “Keep your mind in the light. Make sure you are envisioning potential success, whether it be health, wealth, or conflict resolution…” Symbolic of the light renewing the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year, it is time to keep our minds on the positive aspects of renewal and rebirth. I recognize that positive thinking isn’t always easy, but the path of self-ownership is realizing that it is up to our individual consciousness to produce the outcome we want to see. Brighter days are ahead my friends! Here’s to holding the vision we’d like to see unfold this coming season... Please feel free to share any thoughts on the Spring Equinox and all it brings! Love & Light ![F3D52A70-41B7-48BC-BD36-0110018714FF.png](https://steemitimages.com/500x500/https://steemitimages.com/DQmUg1BbD6YE9HCpH2ysUbq12TBckqhgcDrMEcyiebydPLP/F3D52A70-41B7-48BC-BD36-0110018714FF.png)