Cultivating Balance as Spring Arrives
“What time the Mother gives us, what time we have left, we must love every minute that we can.” — Wendy
Physical Setting & Preparation
Find a space where you can sit undisturbed, ideally near a window where you can observe the changing sky or outdoors if weather permits. Create a small altar with items representing balance: a stone (earth), a feather (air), a candle (fire), and a small bowl of water. If possible, add something green and growing to honor the approaching spring equinox. Sit comfortably with your spine straight but relaxed. Place your left hand palm down on your left thigh and your right hand palm up on your right thigh, embodying the balance between giving and receiving. Take nineteen slow, mindful breaths—one for each day that has passed in this month—allowing each breath to center you in the present moment.
Opening Invocation | Fosgladh
Air an naoidheamh latha deug den Mhàrt,
Eadar geamhradh a' crìochnachadh,
Agus earrach a' tòiseachadh,
Tha mi a' sireadh cothromachd.
A Mhàthair na talmhainn, teagaisg dhomh do chothrom.
On this nineteenth day of March,
Between winter ending,
And spring beginning,
I seek balance.
Mother of the earth, teach me your equilibrium.
Feel the special energy of late March—the nineteenth day—the eve of the spring equinox when day and night stand in perfect balance. The world poises at a point of exquisite equilibrium, a reminder that all of life moves through cycles of balance and transformation. Notice the quality of light and shadow around you, how they dance together creating a whole more beautiful than either alone. Visualize your inner landscape as similarly balanced—light and dark, joy and sorrow, action and rest—each with its own wisdom and purpose in the greater pattern of your being.
Body of the Working | Corp
Tha cothromachd mar an co-ionannachd eadar latha 's oidhche,
Chan ann stèidhichte ach a' gluasad.
Tha e a' teagasg dhuinn gluasad le gràs,
Mar a ghluaiseas a' ghealach tron adhar.
Balance is like the equality between day and night,
Not fixed but flowing.
It teaches us to move with grace,
As the moon moves through the sky.
Touch each of the elemental items before you, connecting with their qualities. Feel the steadiness of the stone, the lightness of the feather, the transformative potential of the candle, the adaptability of the water. These are the gifts of the Mother Earth, who maintains balance not through rigid control but through continuous, responsive adjustment.
Now, bring your awareness to your body. Where do you feel balance most clearly? Perhaps in your breath as it flows in and out, in your heartbeat's steady rhythm, or in the equal weight distributed through both sitting bones. As you locate these sensations, acknowledge them as expressions of the same wisdom that balances all of nature. With each breath, imagine this balancing awareness extending throughout your entire being—harmonizing thought and feeling, effort and surrender, past and future—just as the equinox balances light and dark.
The Deep Working | An Obair Dhomhain
A Mhàthair na talmhainn, foillsich dhomh,
An rathad meadhanach, an t-slighe chothromaich.
Teagaisg dhomh mar a dh'atharraicheas mi,
Gun mo bhunait a chall.
Cuidich mi gus dannsadh eadar na dualchainntean.
Mother of the earth, reveal to me,
The middle way, the balanced path.
Teach me how to change,
Without losing my foundation.
Help me to dance between the extremes.
Light the candle if you haven't already, observing how the flame maintains its essence even as it constantly changes form. Close your eyes and imagine yourself standing at the center of a vast meadow. The sky above shows both the fading moon and the rising sun—neither fully dominant, both equally beautiful. The air around you is perfectly temperate—neither too warm nor too cool.
In this sacred space of perfect balance, the Mother of the Earth approaches. She wears a cloak that shimmers with light on one side and deepens to shadow on the other. Her face shows the serenity that comes from embracing all aspects of existence. In her hands, she holds a set of scales that move subtly, continuously finding and refinding equilibrium.
"Balance is not stillness," she speaks, her voice both gentle and firm. "It is mindful movement, conscious adjustment, the dance between opposing forces."
She invites you to step onto the scales, and as you do, you feel your own internal opposites—strengths and vulnerabilities, certainties and questions, joys and sorrows—shifting and settling into a harmonious arrangement. Nothing is eliminated; all is included but in right relationship.
"Many seek balance by cutting away parts of themselves," she continues. "But true balance comes from honoring all aspects of your nature while preventing any single aspect from dominating."
She guides your attention to the horizon, where winter and spring visibly meet—patches of snow beside emerging green, bare branches dotted with swelling buds. "See how the earth transitions," she smiles. "Not in a single moment but through thousands of small adjustments, with patience and trust in the process."
She places her hands on your shoulders, and you feel a subtle alignment moving through your being—not forcing or fixing, but gently inviting each part of you into conversation with the whole. "Carry this feeling with you," she instructs. "Not as a rigid state to maintain, but as a living practice of continuous awareness and adjustment."
Feel her wisdom permeating your being, creating a template for balanced living. Remain in this connection for several minutes, breathing deeply.
Afterthought | Smuain Dheiridh
Take a moment to contemplate:
How might I honor both action and rest in my daily life, giving each its proper time and attention? What opposing qualities within me are seeking reconciliation and balance? In what ways can I emulate the equinox—allowing for equal expression of complementary energies rather than forcing one to dominate?
Closing Blessing | Beannachd Dheiridh
Tha mi a' toirt taing dhut, a Mhàthair na talmhainn,
Airson do chothromachd agus do ghliocais.
Mar a chothromaicheas tu solas is dorchadas,
Mar sin cothromaichidh mi mo bheatha fhìn.
Tha mi a' giùlan do dhannsadh grinn leam.
I give thanks to you, Mother of the earth,
For your balance and your wisdom.
As you balance light and darkness,
So will I balance my own life.
I carry your graceful dance with me.
Extinguish the candle if lit, acknowledging the transition from one state to another. Touch the water, stone, and feather once more, reconnecting with the elements that support all life. Finally, touch the green, growing thing if you have one, honoring the new growth that emerges from balanced conditions.
Rise slowly, carrying the earth's balanced wisdom within you. Know that just as the nineteenth of March stands at the threshold of the equinox—a perfect balance point in the wheel of the year—you too can cultivate that same equilibrium within your daily life, dancing gracefully between complementary forces rather than being pulled to extremes.