Sea Witch in the Spring: How to celebrate the Spring Equinox

Spring has sprung Sea Stars-try saying that five times fast! The days are now balanced and will begin to get longer and longer until the Summer Solstice. The slumbering earth is stretching and yawning after a long winter’s slumber, and all forms of life are beginning to wake with her. The equinox has always felt like a second New Year, and provides a boost of motivation that is too short lived on January 1st. This time of year is also when I truly feel like I can visit the beach again without risking frostbite! This celebration can take place anywhere from the 20th to the 23rd of March, and there are so many ways to celebrate the Spring Equinox as a Sea Witch!

1. Exploring new & hidden beaches:

There are the beaches that are close by and I visit– and collect trash from– often, but recently a friend told me of some hidden beaches just an hour upstate, and offered to share her special places with me. I documented our journey, and was surprised that I had ever missed these beaches before! It was a great reminder that even experienced witches can still be surprised in their craft. Finding a new slice of paradise so close to home reminds me that even though there are far off places that call me back, right now my focus is on small steps and first breaths. It was a beautiful reflection of the meaning of the Spring Equinox, beginnings, freshness, rebirth, and balance.

2. Drink spring water & work with springs:

Springtime and spring water, it just makes sense! If you have a local freshwater spring in your area, this is a great time of year to visit, work with the spirits, and stock up on that fresh spring water! If you don’t have a spring near you, there is the option to purchase it from the store. I would try to avoid the plastic bottled spring water. You can reuse the glass bottled once, but if they are too expensive or cumbersome, you can also bless the filtered water from your tap. You can set it out in the fresh spring sunlight, or create your own enchantment. I have included a spell below for you to use or modify to your liking: 

3. Reconnect with nature:

The northern hemisphere just experienced one of the coldest winters we’ve had in a while, so the sun and the heat are both welcome reliefs. Spring is connected to the element of air, and everyone around me has been throwing open their windows to take in those deep fresh breaths of springtime. Even the rain hasn’t slowed me down, I’ll often stand in it with my arms out, regardless of who’s watching! As we transition into the warmer days, use your free time to dig your feet into the earth, or– as this sea witch will be doing– the water, listening to nature awakening around you, feel the shift beneath the soles of your feet. 

4. Celebrate Easter:

Though I have been pagan and a sea witch for close to a decade, my family still celebrates a mix of modern holidays. Easter gets its name from Ostara, the other term for the Spring Equinox. The holidays, like most that fall around the same time of year, are similar but different. Ostara and Easter both center around new life, and have chicks, eggs, and bunnies as a focal point. One of the main differences is that Easter falls on a different day each year, whereas the equinox stays strictly within the three days of March. However, if you’re still waiting for the weather to warm up, you may prefer to celebrate the return of spring over Easter Sunday!

5. Seashell grids for new beginnings:

Sea witchcraft is much harder in the winter, so the moment the weather warms up, I bust out the sand dollars, seashells, and head for the shoreline! Sand dollars are not shells, but they have ties to both the equinox and the celebration of Easter. Unfortunately, sand dollars are not at every shoreline, but you can use rocks or shells– depending on what’s available at your local water source– to make the classic floral sand dollar shape for springtime. I am also using the power of the equinox to clear out the shells I have been meaning to return to the water. Each one is imbued with something to release and given to the tide to carry them away so I can embrace the new that is coming.

6. Embracing the Eco-warrior:

Energy is abundant this time of year, and we are all in the mood to clean house. Spring cleaning is a classic term for a reason! As we embrace the new, it’s only natural to cut ties and release the old. However, it is important that don’t just throw everything into the trash, as it inevitably comes back to us, and to the water. Take this time to responsibly discard what you can, and see how you can reuse the rest. This is also a great time of year to give back to the water by removing things she definitely doesn’t need, like the front bumpers of cars, and provide positive offerings and blessings in return.

This Spring Equinox, I will be celebrating not only as a sea witch, but as an eco warrior, blending the mundane and magical sides of my practice. And as a special treat, I am also teaching at this year’s Water Priestess Confluence where I will be presenting on this very subject. The weather is warming, the sun is returning, and we are all ready to fight for our water and our planet.

I love celebrating the spring equinox as a sea witch. As the snow begins to melt and the waters come rushing back in, it reminds me of the power of my favorite element, the giver of life and its revitalizing energy not only awakens the earth, but awakens myself and my power as well.