equinox: when the Sun is at one of two opposite points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator and ecliptic intersect. In a wider sense, the equinoxes are the two days each year when the center of the Sun spends an equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on Earth. The word equinox derives from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night).

the equinox heralds the official beginning of spring. i’ve written before about how important, both physically and metaphysically, spring is to my being and well-being. it’s closure, reprieve, renewal, all rolled up into one.

but there’s another element to this day. they say that during the equinox, if you time it exactly right, you can get an egg to stand on its end* – demonstrating a moment of perfect balance in the cosmos. i’ve never tried – my life just doesn’t work that precisely. but the concept of balance is important. the need to pay equal attention to body, mind, spirit. to evaluate and adjust that which has gone off-kilter. (and it’s so easy to get out of kilter when you’re not looking.) to examine how the parts work together, and treat each with care. tuning strings back into harmony, attending to areas of neglect.

and so even in celebrating the return of sun, i am reminded to take stock and balance the scales. run, meditate, read, play, sleep, eat, relax, walk, listen, work, talk, stretch, drink – in equal measure. pay attention to balancing the egg – for more than just a moment in a day in a year.

*yes, I know this is a myth, but it makes for a good blog post metaphor. thanks for the inspiration, v.

knapsack – balancing act

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