5 Ways To Harness The Magic Of Spring

Here we are, in the middle of yet another beautiful spring.

Something is rumbling beneath the soil, a thing of beauty waiting to burst from its cocoon, a promise made long ago that is about to be kept.

This is a ripe time of year to reshuffle the deck, shed skins of the past, and give yourself a fresh start.

Here are 5 sacred life practices that have been used throughout the sands of time to usher in the spring and flourish in its green glory.

1) The Art Of Letting Go (of unneeded stuff)

We’re literally talking about physical stuff here.  Not mental or emotional baggage, but the stack of boxes in your closet or garage that contain god-knows-what that you’ve been keeping for god-knows-why.

Our clutter collections sometimes feel completely justified and harmless, but I assure you they take up more space in our psyche and energy field than we realize.

I invite you to slap some spiritual symbolism on these cardboard and plastic keepers of memory, and see them as physical manifestations of inner blocks, just waiting to be dissolved.

Crack open these containers, and figure out what you actually need, and what might be useful to someone else.  I know it may seem like a thankless task, but I guarantee you will start to feel lighter as you begin to find a new home for these belongings.

The local thrift shop or the Salvation Army are your best buds in this department.

2) Spiritual Scrub A Dub

Yeah, we all know about the importance of spring cleaning, but how about doing it with full presence, as a meditative practice?

In ancient Aztec culture, the act of sweeping held far more meaning than just cleaning your floor.  It was considered a sacred art that could affect future outcomes in the household, in commerce, and on the battlefield.  Pretty neat huh?

Cleaning out your refrigerator can either be a cumbersome chore or a practice in purifying and clearing the energy of your kitchen – your choice.  The meaning you attach to your motion dictates everything.

3) Rearrange Your Home For Fresh Perspective

You’ve probably heard of the ancient Chinese art of Feng shui – which is centered on the belief that invisible forces or Qi bind the universe and can be harnessed for our benefit through the conscious design of space.

It was and is applied to the building of sacred places like temples, tombs, and palaces, but is also a powerful tool for your household.

This can be as simple as realigning your couch and coffee table to create a flow between two doorways, or as involved as determining how your space orients toward the sun, moon, stars, nearby mountains or bodies of water.

4) Planting New Seeds

When was the last time you planted a seed and nurtured it to a fully realized adult plant?

For thousands of years, gardening has been seen as a deep spiritual practice. The act of caring for and observing new life as it springs forth from a simple seed holds many untold teachings for us.  Almost all the herbalists I know speak of the inner awakenings they experience regularly in their work with plants.

For some, this is a fairly regular practice (and extra herbal bonus points to you!), but for many of us it is not.  We trick ourselves into believing that our lives are too busy to set aside that extra 10 minutes a day to nurture our green friends.

You don’t need to move to the country to start planting new seeds of your own.  Our leafy neighbors like light and clean water. Aside from maybe a few tender words each day, that’s about it.  All you need is a flat surface by a window to start your own garden.

Yes, you can go out and buy pre-grown plants, but I promise there is something magical about growing your own.

5) Clearing The Air

There is something primordial within us that connects deep meaning to the invisible elemental sea that surrounds us.  Many native cultures consider the air itself to be full of life-force and laden with power.   

With this in mind, there are a multitude of methods you can use to purify, refresh, and activate the air in your home.  Opening all the windows and doors for 20 – 30 minutes is a good start, but you can really spruce things up by burning certain herbs and resins, as well as diffusing the right essential oils in your space.

Some herbs/resins we burn in our home are – Palo Santo, white sage and Copal.  You can use a simple bowl, or purchase a more ceremonial vessel like an abalone shell. I like to guide the aromatic smoke into different areas of the room using my hand but if you’re called to use a feather or other fanning device, the possibilities are endless.

In terms of diffusing essential oils, we just purchased a pretty inexpensive diffuser and it works beautifully.  Simply fill the diffuser with purified water and squeeze a few drops of your favorite essential oil(s) on top (we use cedar, eucalyptus, and lavender).  Turn the diffuser on and enjoy the healing vapors.

I hope these 5 sacred practices serve you well as we walk toward the warmer months.  These portals to our ancestral past each hold their own healing wisdom, just waiting to be unlocked.

Stay curious,

Nick Polizzi
Founder, The Sacred Science