“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” – Margaret Atwood
Across the globe people everywhere celebrate the changing of the season. In the USA we move from the dark cold of winter to the sweet scent of Spring while in Australia they are readying for winter. Everywhere the shifting seasons trigger a change in us – we can feel it.
After six months of cool, then cold, bitter cold and deep snow, I am ready to toss out the woolens and welcome the light layers of Spring. Yet as I write this on March 31, we had snow flurries here in the Midwest and freeze temps at night. The birds tell me the weather will shift.
This week, many people will honor sacred traditions. Some traditions reach back centuries, some more recent. Even Spring cleaning or readying the house for winter have traditions and rituals that help us leap from one place to another. In my family home growing up, we spent “Holy Week,” cleaning, scrubbing, baking and preparing our house for Easter. By Sunday Morning you could search in every nook and never find the germ that got away.
Rituals prepare our minds, body and spirit to shift, open our view to something new. Margaret Atwood is right, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt, fresh and clean and full of life.
If you are in my home, you will notice a space created for daily ritual, the lighting of a candle, the pause for intention, the honoring of deities, and symbols and elements of things important to me. One day it’s a photo of my mother or siblings, the next a field of flowers, sometimes it’s names of friends who are struggling. These reminders help me to focus and stay present to the world around me. I grew up with statues of saints everywhere and the glow of the votive candle lighting my way to bed.
What rituals do you honor from your past? What rituals will you create this Spring to honor your life, vision and hopes for the future? How will you stay present to the shifting season and honor the new life growing in you? “…at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” Yes, I invite you to take on the rich soil of life, plant yourself and be prepared to bloom.
For more information about Forward Effect reach out to lou@forwardeffectcoaching.com.
Happy Spring Everyone!