Three ways to write the Spring Equinox

Even if you only have two minutes!!!

This Friday (20th March), in the Northern Hemisphere, we mark the Spring Equinox. The start of the Spring season. Eeeek, I can feel the change in the air already.

I know not everyone has the time (or the inclination) to get up early on Friday to watch the sunrise from a mountain top. Or enjoy a refreshing cold water dip to welcome the blue skies. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t still create a short ritual to mark the occasion. I’m very conscious with my journaling that it might appear I’ve got hours and hours to sit and write. TBF I do A LOT of writing. But sometimes I don’t have long. And I’m well aware that there are times when I find myself sucked into IG memes that I could well be doing something better with my valuable time and attention.

So below I thought I’d share three ideas for how to ‘Write the Spring Equinox’ that won’t necessarily take long, but will feel better than getting frustrated about someone on the Whatsapp group asking, AGAIN, when the kids break-up for Easter.

All you need is any old notebook :)

In other news, I wanted to tell you about THIS!!! On Monday I launched a brand new collaborative project with my pal Nicola Rowlands - who is just THE BEST designer and writer (amongst other things). We’d been chatting about how sometimes, with journalling, you want a bit of structure because the empty page is daunting. And yet, ‘pre-formatted’ journals can get a bit repetitive and restrictive. Anyway, we put our heads together and created a Spring Journal Collage Kit that you download, cut out and use to create your own ‘pause / planning point’ for the season ahead. There are prompts, cut-outs, ideas, reminders of what to look out for. We are really proud of it, hopefully the first of many.

Get hold of the pack here.

To celebrate the project launch, if you buy a pack you get a free pass to come along to the Spring Equinox Journal Circle that is coming up for paid subscribers THIS SUNDAY (via Zoom - 7.30-8.30am UK). An hour of writing together (while apart) - these sessions are my absolute favourite way of feeling like I’ve stopped, re-grouped and set myself up for the coming months. PLUS, if that wasn’t enough, there’s a cheeky discount for newsletter subscribers (that’s you!) for this week only. You can get £3 off the pack by entering the code ‘EQUINOX,’ or 50% off ALL orders over £10 with the code - ‘SPRINGYDAYS,’ if you wanna stock up on some cards or other gifts at the same time.

We’d love to know what you think. If you use one we’d love to see some pics. We’ve got loads of ideas for what else we could create but we’ll wait and gather up your feedback first. Yey to Spring and to trying out new cool stuff.

O.k, back to what I was talking about….

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If you only have FIVE MINUTES:

Take your notebook outside if possible, or near a window (it sets the scene). This goes for all of these ideas actually.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Now think about one idea (project, plan, inkling, glimmer, wish, goal, whatever works…) that is ready to be planted and say it out loud in a single sentence.

My advice: don’t over-think it. Don’t debate whether it is actually time to do this, or not. Whether that one is a bit audacious or this one too tiny and insignificant. We only have five minutes here, that’s the beauty of it, we’re just feeling our way into Spring.

What’s the one that has been nudging for your attention recently (in a good way). Or waiting for you to mention it’s name. The thing that is calling you right now. The thing you finally feel you might have some energy for. Yep, choose that.

Now you’re going to write this SOMEWHERE in your notebook. Doesn’t have to be on the next page. I actually wrote it at the back of mine and folded over the page. You could write it on a slip of paper and stick it in somewhere. You could hide it written in teeny writing somewhere. Write it however big, small, in whatever way, font, colour, shape you like. Just note it down…somewhere.

This is you planting a seed.

And, like a gardener, you’re not going to dig this one up and check on it every day. You are just going to plant it, work on creating the best conditions for it to grow, and then trust that it will. The middle part (the conditions bit) that might require some attention (those in the Journaling Wild community know that we do a combination of wishing AND working our wishes into actions to make shit happen - this isn’t just a case of manifesting a dream holiday to Australia and wondering why no one has turned up with a blank cheque to pay for it).

But for today, for now, we are just planting a seed. A little five minute reminder and recognition that the time for growth has arrived. The time for planting. That we CAN plant. That often we have to plant stuff with no guarantees. If you have longer, you might want to also write about those conditions that it needs to grow.

But for now, drop it into the ground (via your notebook). And believe.

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If you have FIFTEEN MINUTES:

Well, you could write more about the growing conditions (see above).

But here’s another idea. The Spring Equinox brings us this point of balance where day and night are of equal length.

It’s a great time to pause and consider how balanced your life is currently feeling. Doing this reminded me that we haven’t had a date night for about six months. We used to be really good at making this happen but as the kids have got older and the club / taxi demands have increased, we’ve lost track. Family time vs. us time now feels out of balance. Gonna get right on with sorting a babysitter.

My messy random journal - to remind you this is not about aesthetics

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If you have FIFTY MINUTES (basically, a bit longer)

Firstly, we should be friends. Let’s write together please.

And also, below you’ll find a piece I wrote sharing some longer journalling prompts for this point in the year. The balance theme continues - considering how we allow ourselves to enjoy whimsy and at the same time channel our political rage.

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Hopefully there is something within this that floats your boat (or pen)

Tell me, were you already planning to mark the Spring Equinox this year? Do you have any plans?

Sending love and hope for new beginnings,

Nelly x