Spring Equinox~ Balancing the Chaos

Andrea
Sep 20
4 min read

The Spring Equinox is here in South Africa and the southern hemisphere.(And if you're on the other side of the world, Happy Autumn Equinox!)

If you’ve been following my work and writing, you know how much I love a seasonal shift or celebration of the year. The Equinox marks the beautiful midpoint between the Solstices when we witness the seasons either speeding up and expanding, or slowing down and contracting, depending on where we are in the world.

During the Equinox, the sun shines directly on the equator, creating a perfect balance between day and night in both hemispheres. This moment represents balance, between light and dark, masculine and feminine, inner and outer, contraction and expansion. It’s a fleeting moment of equilibrium before everything tips again into change.

And yet, this year, I’ve noticed the irony. The Equinox is a time of balance, but everything in my life feels anything but balanced! I thought I was going to write about the rise of my spring-like creativity… but it is the other, more autumnal creative energy I need.

With spring arriving here in South Africa, the air is alive, thicker with pollen, flowers, birds, bees, and possibility. I love it, and yet I also find it overwhelming. My sinuses are tight, the vata windiness is high, and the seasonal energy feels chaotic.

On top of that, we are in the middle of moving house. A house we’ve lived in for nine years, longer than we ever planned. This is the home where I brought my daughter home, she took her first steps, said her first words, and painted her first pictures. Where our pets joined the family, where we grew from “just us two and a cat” to a bustling home with a child, two dogs, fish, and a garden full of life. (and a house full of stuff!)

Now I am sorting, packing, and letting go. Each cupboard and drawer becomes a small act of discernment: Do I need this? Have I used it? Who else could appreciate it?

This in itself is a deeply creative act. We often think of creativity as producing something new, shiny, and exciting, but clearing, saying no, making space, and letting go is just as creative. You cannot have summer without winter. You cannot have blooming without rest. Creativity is both birth and release.

So this Spring Equinox, my creativity looks less like bursting into new projects and more like lovingly packing boxes, recycling, decluttering, and preparing for the next chapter.

Another reason I feel “out of sync” is that I’ve just dropped into my inner winter. Day one of my cycle, at the same time as the Spring Equinox and the New Moon. On paper, this season should be all about new beginnings, creativity, and expansion. And yet, my body is calling me inward.

This is the beauty of cyclical wisdom: recognising that our inner cycles don’t always match the outer ones. But everything is just as it should be, each cycle showing up, teaching me something I need to learn or remember.

Sometimes balance means honouring rest even when the world says go. Sometimes it means sitting in reflection while everything around you blossoms.

Balance isn’t about perfection or standing still (think like life on a seesaw!) , it’s about staying grounded, breathing deeply, and noticing where we can find small moments of joy in the chaos.

My Equinox Rituals

As we prepare to leave our home, I’ve decided to honour it with gratitude. I’ll write a letter to the house, maybe get my daughter to draw a picture, and perhaps even plant something in the garden that will remain when we go. Rituals like these help me close a chapter before stepping into the new one.

And beyond the move, the Equinox offers us all a reminder: these portals of transition, the seasons, the moon, our cycles, life changes are opportunities to pause, honour the past, and step forward with awareness.

Top 10 Ways to Honour the Spring Equinox

So here are my top tips and ways we can honour the change of season.

By embracing balance and allowing for expansion, you can align yourself with the energies of the Equinox and welcome this new season with joy, creativity, and harmony.

Journalling.
Reflect on what’s going well this year. This Equinox falls near the New Moon, perfect for a check-in. Write down what you’re grateful for and how far you’ve come.
Bring Awareness
Through journalling or meditation, notice areas of imbalance in your life. Choose one or two small things you can shift. Sometimes, just bringing awareness and witnessing is enough to bring some harmony.
Re-evaluate Your Habits
Longer days can disrupt routines. Adjust your bedtime, morning practice, or self-care rituals to support balance. Maybe use the shift to change things too, start a new book, move your meditation outside?
Eat Cyclically
Tune into seasonal foods, fresh greens, sprouts, and local produce. Let your body align with the rhythms of nature. what juicy new fruits are coming out?
Let Go of Winter
This is where I will be this week! Clear out your wardrobe, donate what you don’t need, and do a little spring cleaning. Decluttering creates space for new energy.
Be Creative
Play, brainstorm, and experiment—without pressure to produce. Creativity is also found in letting go, decluttering, and saying no.
Bring Joy
Make space for joy that isn’t tied to productivity. Ask yourself: what brings me delight, just for its own sake?
Connect with Nature
Walk outside, smell the blossoms, listen to the birds. Notice how nature mirrors your own cycles.
Invite Expansion
Watch a sunrise or sunset, especially on the Equinox when days and nights are balanced with each other. Open the windows and breathe in possibility.
Embrace Your Cyclical Nature
Balance is fleeting. The Equinox reminds us that everything is cyclical: seasons, moons, our breath. Trust the rhythm.