The Spring Equinox: A Time of Balance, Renewal, and Pilgrimage

The Spring Equinox, occurring this year on 20th March 2025, marks a moment of celestial balance when day and night are nearly equal in length

This astronomical event has been observed and celebrated for millennia, signifying renewal, fertility, and the harmony inherent in nature’s cycles. As we step into spring, it is a time to reflect on balance—within nature, our lives, and the cosmos itself.

Understanding the Equinox

The word ‘equinox’ derives from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), describing the moment when the Earth’s axial tilt places the Sun directly above the equator, with the sun rising exactly due East and setting due West. In ancient Britain, the equinox marked the end of winter’s scarcity and the beginning of a season filled with new growth and opportunity. Agricultural communities relied on this natural turning point, using it as a signal to begin sowing crops and celebrating fertility and rebirth.

Ancient British Traditions

According to historian Ronald Hutton in Stations of the Sun, early Britons celebrated the equinox with feasts, bonfires, and rituals that acknowledged nature’s renewal. Eggs—long associated with fertility—were often part of these celebrations, and ancient stone sites such as Stonehenge and West Kennet Long Barrow are aligned with the movements of the Sun, indicating their importance to our ancestors.

Steve Roud’s The English Year describes how medieval communities observed the shifting seasons with festivities, and while some of these customs have faded, echoes of them persist in modern-day Easter traditions, such as egg rolling and the consumption of hot cross buns.

The Equinox and the Theme of Balance

The equinox is an ideal moment to reflect on balance—not just in nature but in our own lives. This period reminds us of the delicate interplay between light and darkness, work and rest, action and contemplation.

In the spiritual landscape of Britain, the balance of energies is often represented by the interplay of the sacred masculine and feminine. The ley lines known as the Mary and Michael lines, believed to traverse the country’s sacred sites, represent this duality. The equinox, when these energies are said to be in harmony, offers an opportunity for pilgrims to connect with this equilibrium on the land itself. The Mary & Michael Pilgrims' Way follows these ley lines.

St Cuthbert, one of Britain’s most revered saints, has a poignant connection to the Spring Equinox, as it is his feast day, but also through his deep friendship with St Herbert of Derwentwater. These two holy men, bound by their shared devotion and solitary lives of prayer, famously prayed that they might die on the same day, and their wish was granted. On 20th March, the traditional date of the Spring Equinox, St Cuthbert passed away in 687 AD, followed shortly by St Herbert. For pilgrims, the islands of Lindisfarne and St Herbert’s Island in Derwentwater remain powerful places of reflection on the cycles of life, death, and sacred friendship.

Celestially, this year’s equinox is followed by a remarkable alignment, as pointed out to us by Tom Bree. After the half Moon on 22nd March, Venus (representing love) will reach its inferior solar conjunction on 23rd March, followed by Mercury (representing wisdom) on 24th March. This planetary alignment culminates with the Feast of the Annunciation on 25th March, a Christian celebration of divine conception, as 9 months from the equinox  is Christmas Day. This unique conjunction of celestial bodies with the Earth’s equatorial plane invites reflection on the alignment of love, wisdom, and divine purpose.

Ways to Celebrate the Equinox

There are many ways to honour the Spring Equinox, from traditional festivities to modern practices that encourage mindfulness and renewal:

• Pilgrimage and Sacred Journeys: Walking through the awakening landscape is a profound way to connect with the energy of spring. British pilgrimage routes such as St Cuthbert's Way, the Fife Pilgrim’s Way, the Wexford Pilgrimage Way (which passes Oulart Hill, aligned with the equinox), and the Teifi River Pilgrimage offer immersion in seasonal beauty and ancient spiritual traditions.
• Observing Nature’s Signals: Spring’s progress is gradual, moving northwards at a pilgrim’s pace. Hazel catkins, blackthorn blossom, and Wordsworth’s beloved lesser celandine herald the season’s return. Taking time to notice these signs deepens our connection to the land.
• Egg Symbolism and Feasts: Decorating and gifting eggs, or incorporating them into meals, continues an ancient tradition of celebrating fertility and new life. Hosting a seasonal feast with locally foraged greens and herbs echoes ancestral equinox gatherings.
• Planting Seeds: Both a literal and symbolic act, sowing seeds at this time aligns with the agricultural traditions of the equinox and invites reflection on personal intentions for growth.
• Meditation and Rituals: Practising mindfulness, balancing energy through yoga, or creating personal rituals to honour the changing season can foster inner equilibrium, mirroring the outer world’s transition.

The Revival of Pilgrimage in Britain

The British Pilgrimage Trust has been instrumental in rekindling the tradition of pilgrimage for people of all faiths and none. The modern “bring your own beliefs” pilgrimage movement reflects the equinox’s theme of balance by offering a space for both personal reflection and communal experience.

Routes such as St Winefride’s Way and the Cornish Celtic Way lead pilgrims through landscapes rich with history and natural beauty.

Whether embarking on a one-day pilgrimage or a multi-day journey, these paths allow walkers to engage deeply with the season’s renewal.

The Celestial Alignments of March 2025

This year’s equinox is accompanied by rare planetary movements:

• Inferior Solar Conjunction of Venus (23rd March): Venus, the planet of love, moves between Earth and the Sun, marking a new cycle and a shift in how we express affection and connection. Listen to Holst's Venus.
• Inferior Solar Conjunction of Mercury (24th March): Mercury, the planet of wisdom and communication, aligns with the Sun, inviting reflection and insight.
• The Feast of the Annunciation (25th March): This Christian festival celebrating divine conception coincides with the cosmic alignment of Venus, Mercury, and the Sun, symbolising the union of love, wisdom, and the divine source.

The convergence of these celestial events alongside the equinox offers a powerful moment for contemplation and alignment in our own lives.

The Spring Equinox is a time of balance, renewal, and reconnection—with nature, with our own sense of purpose, and with the wider cosmos. Through pilgrimage, seasonal traditions, and mindful observation of both the Earth and the heavens, we can honour this sacred turning point in ways both ancient and deeply personal. Whether walking an ancient path, planting new seeds, or simply watching the sunrise, we align ourselves with the timeless rhythm of the seasons, finding our place within the greater dance of balance and renewal.

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