A Time for Rebirth

It's the last day of the Astrological calendar...the Spring Equinox...and my 43rd birthday!

As a child, I never liked that my birthday was on the first day of Spring. It always fell during Spring Break so I was never in school on my birthday. No chocolate cupcakes to share with the class. No teacher to point out that today was my special day. No homemade card from the boy I liked. I felt ripped off, cheated out of this schooldays ritual.

But, as we all do, I grew up and came to appreciate and even love that my birthday is on this day. It's such an interesting one.

The last day of the Astrological calendar...that was always the most intriguing thing to me about my birthday. It is believed that those born on this day carry traits from all twelve zodiac signs.

I liked that...being able to read all the horoscopes and just pick the one that fits me best. :)


But, it is really the Spring Equinox that I love most about my birthday. Celebrated for thousands of years by so many different cultures, it is a time for renewal and rebirth.


Last year, on my 42nd birthday I celebrated it by climbing up to the Glastonbury Tor, an ancient site in Somerset...a place that has the most magnetic lay lines...a location that is so full of cosmic energy. No one knows for sure who built the Tor, or what it's purpose was but there is definitely something quite magical about it.




I had always wanted to visit and on this day, my mother and I began the climb up, fighting the most amazing wind. My mom made it half way and decided that it was just too taxing on her to continue. So, I made my way up to the top alone. I was exhausted when I got to the top...I could barely catch my breath. But, then something amazing happened.

I stopped. My mind became quiet. I sat down and took in the wonder and beauty of where I was. I was in Somerset, England. I could see the countryside, the village of Glastonbury, rolling green hills and the most amazing sky. I was sheltered from the wind by the Tor and I took about 30 minutes to just sit and take it all in. Little did I realize that I was also drawing in energy from this mystical tower.

When I finally began to make my way down, I had this sudden burst of joy and I began running down the hill towards my mom with great enthusiasm. She was waving at me, smiling, laughing, snapping pictures. I was so pumped up. I felt amazing. I felt new. It was at that moment that I realized what I had just experienced...a rebirth of the spirit.

Come, gentle Spring! ethereal mildness, come. -James Thomson, The Seasons.