Equinox: A Time For Ceremony

An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the Sun is vertically above a point on the Equator. The current news is that the Earth’s axis has changed or tilted with the event of the earthquake in Chile. It is critical that we hold these times of shift and change at the sacred through ceremony. This March Equinox allows us the opportunity to hold the world, and the shifts in our lives in right relationship, or what the Shaman calls Ayni.

When in right relationship with our world we walk in balance. The ability to maintain balance while everything around us is out of balance, or in transition requires us to practice the shaman’s stillness, awareness and gratitude. Every spiritual tradition has this practice within it – when we can come into right relationship we can create anything.

To step out of the place of fear, or complacency and into ayni, do ceremony. The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day are approximately equal in length. We get caught in the either/or world of right and wrong, or evil and good. Our goal at the Equinox is to hold balance while honoring each side or view. This is a time of calling in balance and then learning the practices of holding that “calm” in the middle of the storm.