Finally, the Vernal Equinox! From the Latin ver (meaning spring) veraequus (equal) and nox (night). I've been waiting for this day since I saw it on my desk calender about, oh...Monday. Merry Ostara to all the pagans in the hizzle. I trust the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn finds you well. Happy Spring to the rest of us!Ahhh, the first day of spring, total balance. Equal amounts of day and night. It's actually kind of cool. The one day where the sun is directly perpendicular to Earth's axis, hitting our planet at its celestial equator. The sun rises at exact east, lights our world for precisely 12 hours and sets at exact west. Ebony and ivory in perfect harmony. Oh wait, I meant these guys.
And the coolest thing about the Vernal Equinox? It's the one day where you can balance an egg on it's end. That's right. All those school kids you passed squatting in groups on the sidewalk over lunch today weren't burning ants. They were testing the forces of gravity, the wonders of physics and the magical power of the Equinox.
According to Snopes.com, "the Chinese are thought to have originated the practice of standing eggs on end this day. Just as the equinox symbolically restores balance to the world by signalling its rebirth after a season of darkness, the equinox literally balances the day by dividing it into equal portions of darkness and light. If the symbol of fertility (eggs) could be balanced during a day equally divided between day and night, this was the sign that all nature was in harmony."
I like the concept. But in actuality, you can balance an egg on any day of the year. You just need to find the egg's center of gravity, not our world's. It requires considerable patience and determination, but it's do-able. And I think this same equidistant stuff happens again later in the year. We call it the Autumnal Equinox that time around. So enjoy today for what it is, a new day. And know that each one after this, will be a little brighter.
(Snopes)
I so balanced an egg a few years ago on the equinox - then last fall I tried to show my family and it didn't work and everyone laughed at me! Now I can show them your post to let them know that I was not crazy...Thank you Matt, for redeeming me.
ReplyDeleteFunny. One trick it to look for a rough shell. The smoother the shell, the harder it is to do. So look for one that's bumpy or has dimples. Another trick it to shake the egg and try to get the yoke to settle towards the bottom. If you can break the yoke, inside the shell, even better.
ReplyDelete"I am a Witch, not a scientist"
ReplyDeleteHa! This is from that pagan site:
Author's Note: I have received a couple of emails saying the egg balancing on its end phenomenon is a "myth" not borne out by scientific experimentation or empirical data. My take on this issue is a purely experiential one; in my experience, this works at Equinox and no other time (I have tried balancing the egg an hour before, and an hour after, the appointed time; and I have also noted that the egg starts to roll a few minutes after Equinox has passed). If one really wanted to, one could conduct experiments all year long. I have neither the time nor inclination to do this. I am a Witch, not a scientist. My intention in offering this information is to provide Pagan parents and others with an activity to share with their children and loved ones, to welcome in the Equinox. Do try it! It will probably work.
That made me laugh out loud! Silly pagan. I'm going to try to do it this weekend.
ReplyDeleteWow, you have a link to Witchvox. I'm impressed! You're so open minded.
ReplyDeleteHugs!
Your pagan cuz,
Linda
I'll be honest, it's not my favorite site on the www. But witches have voices too. Spooky, frightening voices; but voices none the less. ;)
ReplyDelete