The Spring (Vernal) Equinox

I know it's hard to believe with snow on the ground in some area, and temperatures in the single digit. Spring is coming. On the spring (Vernal) Equinox the Sun rises exactly in the east. It travels through the sky for 12 hours and sets exactly in the west. On the Equinox this is the motion of the Sun through the sky for everyone on earth. Every place on earth experiences a 12 hours day twice a year on the Spring and Fall Equinox. Equinox literally means "equal night". Neither north nor south hemispheres gets more sunlight than the other, so both have similar seasons. Fall in the south hemisphere and spring in the north.

According to Eric W. Weisstein, this year on March 20th, in the northern hemisphere is when night and day are nearly the same length and the Sun crosses the celestial equator (i.e., declination 0) moving northward. Weisstein stated he used Stephen Wolfram, Wolfram Research Mathematica application package, which is accurate to within only an hour or so, and in practice gives times that differ by up to 15 minutes from those computed by the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Religioustolerance.org states that among the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant denominations, Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 20th, the nominal date of the Spring Equinox. Its ancient linkages to sun and moon worship are obvious. Many sources incorrectly state that the starting date of the calculation is the actual day of the Equinox rather than the nominal date of March 20th.
If we take a look at ancient Ireland, we find the spring and fall equinox were celebrated in ancient times. A cluster of megalithic cairns are scattered through the hills at Loughcrew, about 55 miles North West of Dublin in Ireland. Loughcrew Cairns form the largest complex of Megalithic structures in Ireland. The Cairns contain symbolic engravings similar in style to Newgrange. Longhcrew Carin T is a passage tomb which is designed so that the light from the rising sun on the spring and summer equinoxes penetrates a long corridor and illuminates a back stone, which is decorated with astronomical symbols. knowth.com/loughcrew-equinox-video.htm has a wonderful video depicting the equinox in the tomb. There are also still photos of the same event.

Ireland is just one documented ancient people that tracked equinoxes. According to knowth.com the Megalithic Passage Tombs of Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, Fourknocks, Loughcrew and Tara are located in the present day County of Meath on the east coast of Ireland. They were said to date back to 3200 BC, and older than Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. If you have the opportunity to trip to Ireland, you may want to visit the sites.

What does all this mean for us today? In some traditional cultures, the first day of spring is the first day of the year. You can let the Vernal Equinox be another opportunity to begin again. Do something special to recognizing a special time. Look for signs of spring even if the weather is not cooperating. Keep a lookout for crocuses, pussy willow, and other indications of spring.

Remember the New Year's resolution to get rid of clutter? At this time of the year its call spring cleaning. This is the time for clearing out, airing out, and making fresh and new - at home, work, relationships and self. Three more months to summer and still time to tone.

Put some color in your life. Get rid of the black, brown and gray, it keeps you feeling blue especially if you suffer from SADD. Wear winter white, turquoise. Women are good at wearing red coats, scarlet hat, a crimson umbrella, or ruby slippers. In China red is considered good luck. Ditto for the walls in your house, drop the stylishly drab look to your home and office. Ask your gardening friends about blooming indoor plants for home and office.

If you and family get a chance to vacation somewhere sunny and warm in March - go! With all due respect to teachers, kids learn as much on the beach as they would in school. They remember it longer.

Work Cited:
"Equinox - Loughcrew Cairn T," 2002-MAR-23, at: http://www.knowth.com/l oughcrew-equinox.htm
"Loughcrew Megalithic Cairns," at: http://www.knowth.com/loughcrew.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/spequi1.htm
The Astronomical Almanac for the Year 2009. Washington, DC: Navy Dept., Naval Observatory, Nautical Almanac Office, http://asa.usno.navy.mil/