Transmuting March Madness into March Magic

Mid-March is a paradoxical time. The birds are returning, the daylight is lengthening, but here in the north, the crunchy snow still blankets the ground, and there’s more snow in the forecast for tomorrow - maybe as much as 10 inches. We know, intellectually, that spring is near, but to our bodies, it still very much feels like winter. This is the time when the heart calls for new beginnings, but the world around seems full of closed doors, when the sky seems endlessly dull and gray, and the ground is all mud-crusted ice and dead-looking brown sticks. Without the support of the lifeline of light that the portal that the equinox offers, it’s easy to lose hope. Without attunement to the energetic influx of spring energy, the mind can so easily fray in this otherwise lean, desperate time. In March, any loose threads of thought that might have gotten snagged in the isolation and stress of another long winter can knot into loops of negativity and these poorly woven spots in the psyche can easily unravel or get stuck.

10 SIMPLE WAYS To WORK Equinox MAGIC

The equinox offers a doorway out of March madness, into a realm of balance where past and future can be integrated, and wholeness can be realized, albeit temporarily. The equinox is a time of reweaving, when it is possible to reenchant and revitalize our energy systems, a great planetary pause between inbreath and outbreath of the light and dark seasons. However, in this fragile time, finding the focus and energy to craft elaborate spells can be overwhelming. We all have enough on our plates with just getting through everyday life, without adding complicated alchemy practices onto the to-do list. Remember, equinoxes are times of balance, both inner and outer.

So how does one tune in to the magical energy of the vernal equinox without becoming more unbalanced in the process? There are so many ways! I’ve collected a few of my favorite techniques here, which do not require massive amounts of energy, are easy to weave into a busy lifestyle and provide that energetic renewal and attunement to equinox magic we need and crave. These are some of my best tried and true Rx’s for March blues.

1. Start seeds.

Even if you don’t have a garden, or even if you don’t know how. Try something easy like spinach, radishes or alfalfa sprouts that don’t have to be transplanted and can be consumed as microgreens.

2. Go to a greenhouse.

I just learned recently that my local university has a greenhouse in their botanical studies building that is open to the public on certain days. Oh joy of joys! Luckily I had the whole place mostly to myself when I visited, or I likely would have freaked out the other visitors with my squeals of delight and sounds of guttural satisfaction as I took my fill, reveling in the exotic flowers and green, growing things. If you don’t live near a university, try the potted plant section of your local garden supply store. Flower shows are also popular this time of year. Drink in the beauty, the green energy, and the scent of that botanical breath in the air. Yum!

3. Make nourishing herbal infusions.

This serves the dual purpose of clearing out my apothecary of last year’s dried herbs and also building blood to restore my body to vigorous health after the deprivation of winter. Basic formula is 1 quart boiling water to 2 ounces of dried nettle. I prefer a nettle and oatstraw mix (50/50) with a handful of hawthorn berries and dandelion root thrown in for heart restoration and liver support. Another popular choice is red clover. I aim for a quart every two days, but often ends up being more like a quart a week (still better than nothing!). Soon the spring greens will be out!

4. Tap a tree and sip the tree blood.

With offerings of respect and in ritual mindset, ask a dearly beloved tree nearby your home to share its lifeblood with you. Taps and the tubes for collection are cheap and easy to buy at hardware stores. You can drink the sap of most hardwood trees, but popular choices are birch, maple, and beech. This sacred water is full of enzymes, proteins, minerals and other beneficial phytonutrients. Be warned, that unless you consume the sap immediately after collecting it, it will rapidly grow harmful bacteria. It is safer to boil it prior to consumption.

5. Re-visioning.

Perhaps you started a New Year's resolution way back in January (remember that?!) or maybe you created a vision board at Imbolc. Vernal Equinox is a time to return to the seeds of imagination that you planted in the depth of winter and water them by revisioning for the coming season. Focus on how you want to feel as you imagine the near future. How do you want to see yourself by the time of harvest, 6 months from now at the autumn equinox? Envision it as if it has already happened.

6. Create a mandala or earth art.

Those sticks all over the ground? All that accumulated debris of winter storms? The old pinecones and needles and withered berries? They make great materials for beautiful art. The idea is not to try to make something permanent, but to enjoy being in the flow of creation, honoring the temporal beauty with a physical manifestation of love that honors the earth.

7. Observe sunrise and sunset.

Now that the day and night are equal, it is easier to observe sunset and sunrise. A very powerful practice this time of year is to be present at sunrise and sunset just to observe the sky, allow the light to enter your eyes and “drink” in the potent equinox light. Let your gaze soften into that dreamy ‘wide angle’ vision and take in the light while breathing peacefully. 2-5 minutes is more than enough.

8. Do some divination.

Augury and ogham are my current obsessions for late winter divination, but any divination system will do. Tarot. Lenormand. Pendulums. Runes. I ching. Whatever you’re into. You can’t go wrong this time of year. I’ve noticed my readings are supercharged and highly accurate at equinox portals.

9. Get a daily dose of nature.

March weather doesn’t exactly beckon one outdoors. Without a reason, it’s too easy to remain in the comfy tomb of the house, safe and deadened by the electric lights and climate control. Don’t settle for this! Get out there! Even just for a short jaunt around your block or to your compost bin and back. Become one of those people who goes around saying, “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes.” I make it a point to visit my closest beloved tree friends once a day, no matter the weather from mid-March until spring truly arrives. This is not a lofty goal. This is basic, essential mental healthcare if you live in the north. Like drinking water or sleeping. We need nature this time of year, but nature also needs us. I find the trees extra chatty, the birds full of messages, and the skies alight with omens just waiting for my nervous system to perceive and integrate them into reality. Connection, in an ecosystem, is lifegiving. Go out and make it.

10. Make a vernal equinox medicine formula

I developed this formula to assist my body and spirit in adjusting to the change in seasons, especially when spring is seemingly far off and my spirits are low or my mind is feeling the anxiety, restlessness, depression, boredom, or irritability of “march madness.” This formula helps transmute that madness into magic. I take it in addition to my nourishing infusions in the weeks leading up to Equinox until Beltane when the fresh wild greens are ready for harvesting.

50% St Johnswort tincture
15% sarsaparilla tincture
15% reishi tincture
20% burdock or dandelion root syrup (decocted with honey or molasses)

Dose: Take 2 teaspoons 2-3 times per day for the week pre and post equinox.

I recommend taking this elixir with dried powder capsules of eleuthero and ginger (100 mg-200 mg each) for enhanced results.

Lastly, if you’re not able to summon the energy to do any of the above suggestions, then take heart, and read the following invocation. These words are a powerful enchantment, said to be a proclamation of victory over the enemies of the land, which was spoken by the fierce Celtic warrior goddess named Morrigan in an age long past. You can use these words to summon strength, proclaim your own victory over winter in your soul, take back healthy control and power to your mind and body and establish sovereignty once more in your life.

Peace towards sky, sky towards earth,

Earth beneath sky, strength in each

A flowing vessel, full of honey, mead in abundance

Summer in winter, spear on shield, a shield amongst a company

A fierce, rough host banished, heavy lamentation, spoils…

I prevail over mountains, river, clearings…

Acorn on trees, a branch for rest, repose from it, and growth…

….Peace towards the sky - it will be everlasting.

From The Battle of Moytura, translated by Sharon Paice MacLeod in Celtic Myth and Religion (McFarland, 2012).