The 2021 Spring Equinox: How to Prepare and Celebrate the Astrological New Year

You can probably sense the change in the air already. The temperature is slowly rising, the sun shines for a little longer, and the winter snow is finally melting. That’s right, Spring is almost here when the vernal equinox, otherwise known as the Spring Equinox, happens on March 20, ushering into the first day of the new season.

The Spring Equinox holds great importance for many reasons. It’s on the equinox that the sun transits exactly over the earth’s equator, making the hours of daylight and darkness equal almost everywhere on Earth, creating balance. After the equinox, the days become longer with more hours of daylight, making us all feel a little better. Along with being the first day of Spring, it’s also the pagan holiday, Ostara, named after the ancient Germanic Goddess of Spring that centers around re-birth, fertility, and harmony.

Lastly, it’s also the first day of the astrological new year! On March 20, the sun enters Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, meaning that we are starting a new zodiac cycle. So, if you need to revise your New Year Resolutions in January, you have another opportunity to get it right or change your resolutions completely.

It’s clear the Spring Equinox is a big deal—but what’s going on that makes the 2021 equinox so special? Let’s see what the stars have to say.

The Astrology of the 2021 Spring Equinox

As mentioned above, the Spring Equinox is when the sun enters fiery Aries, ushering us into the season of the Ram and the astrology new year as we enter the first sign of the zodiac wheel. When the sun is in Aries, we all become a little bolder, enthusiastic, with a pioneering spirit. Over the next four weeks, we’ll be ready to conquer anything that comes our way, making it a great time to start new projects, as we will be extra motivated and even a little lucky. To harness this energy, you don’t have to be successful right away (you have the whole zodiac cycle), but the greatest journey begins with a single step. So take it.

Along with the sun, the moon will be in a waxing crescent phase in curious Gemini. This is an interesting placement because the waxing crescent moon encourages positivity and intention. It’s about making plans for the future and getting us major opportunities for change. That’s quite the encouragement for starting new things again!

This is coupled with the moon being in Gemini, making us a little chatty as we let our thirst for knowledge lead the way as we share ideas, intelligence, and skills with friends, neighbors, and the community at large. With the moon setting the Gemini tone, we’re all encouraged to be more open, joyful, and adaptable to all changes. Especially since we may be a little flightier and fickler with our desires, we may suddenly have a change of heart about our goals, or what we thought we wanted.

But that’s not all! The moon will trine Jupiter in Aquarius during the equinox, bringing us social and material success. This mood-boosting aspect gives us a positive outlook on life as we help others, do creative activities, and enjoy quality time with friends. We deserve it after a very tiring year! However, the equinox isn’t all sunshine and flowers. We also have to deal with the moon squaring Neptune in Pisces that day, creating a little imbalance on one of the most harmonious days. While we may be optimistic about our new goals and big places for the future, we can easily lose sight of reality when it comes to setting goals that are achievable. Or worse, Neptune’s fog could cloud our judgement, making it hard for us to chase our dreams. The secret? Shoot for the stars—but keep your feet on the ground.

This Spring Equinox is a great opportunity to start new projects, share your ideas with others, and start thinking about your goals. However, remember to be flexible and not go overboard with your ambitions or you’ll be burned out before you begin.

How do we celebrate this brand-new beginning? Well, we got a witchy ritual that will you usher in the new season, while getting you prepared for this new cycle.

Spring Equinox Ritual

What You’ll Need:

• A white, yellow, or green candle
• One or more of the following crystals: Amethyst (intuition), aquamarine (courage), clear quartz (balance), green moss agate (fresh start), jasper (tranquility), moonstone (balance and nutriment), rose quartz (self-love)
• Pictures of things you would like to manifest or words of affirmation.
• flowers
• Bonus: plant seed

Ritual:

• Clear a space for a small altar. It can be as big or as small as you would like it to be, but make it a space specifically for your altar, preferably where you can see it every day.
• Decorate your altar with your candles, crystals, flowers, pictures, and mantras. You can also add Tarot cards or rabbits (the symbolic animal of Ostara) to give it a more witchy vibe, but make it your own.
• Light your candle (make sure it’s AWAY from your pictures and papers)
• Take one of your crystals in your hand and sit across from your altar cross-legged.
• Close your eyes and breathe in and out, creating a steady rhythm. As you inhale, you are taking in the start of a new cycle. As you exhale, you are letting go of the old cycle. As you meditate, visualize what you want to manifest over the new zodiac wheel: a new job, a car, seeing friends, a lover, whatever you want! Visualize it as if it was right in front of you.
• When you feel ready (after five minutes are so), say these words: “This is the beginning of a new season, a new cycle, a re-birth. I am ready to achieve my wildest dreams. Today I am planting the seeds and watching them take root and grow. And so it is.”. Repeat three times.
• After the third time, blow out your candle and get started on the new year.
• Bonus: If you have a green thumb or have some room for a few plants, get some seeds and plant and plant in your home or garden, preferably near your altar. Some plant suggestions are daffodils, hibiscus, hyacinth, lilies, or tulips as they correspond with Ostara, but you can planet just about anything. Water and nurture it every day to help your goals thrive.

Happy Spring, witches!

Art by Danielle Noel