Sapling Tarot - Spring Equinox '24
At roughly 3am (GMT) this morning, we slipped into the lighter half of the year.
Last month we talked about how there are many different metrics for when seasons begin and end, and those will vary further from place to place. So as the sun rises today on the equinox (where the day and the night are equal in length) it’s up to you to look outside and decide for yourself if it feels like the beginning or the middle of Spring.
Here on the west coast of Scotland, Spring is in full force, the early bulbs of snowdrops, crocuses and dwarf irises are already going over and are being replaced by abundant banks of daffodils and muscari. Blossom is emerging in frothy white and pink clouds and the natural world is literally bursting with potential.
Oracle
Fossilised specimens of the magnolia family have been found to date back many millions of years, practically unchanged from the trees we see today. These delicate seeming plants are profoundly tenacious even in the face of a dramatically changing world.
Magnolias often bloom long before their leaves come out (except for evergreen varieties), which is only possible because of careful preparation and management of resources the season before, a lesson for all of us who have the desire to be ahead of the curve.
As well as being eye-catching, many magnolia flowers are fragrant too. So don’t just stand back and admire them, get up close and inhale. The evergreen types, in particular, often have a rich lemon-vanilla scent.1
🪱 Keep an eye out for the Full Worm Moon in Libra on March 25th 🪱
Food
March is a bit of a funny time for seasonal cooking, coming out of the colder months, things haven’t had much of a chance to start growing again. Although it’s still worth keeping an eye out for fresh spring greens (if you’re confident with your skills you can even forage for nettles and wild garlic) to bring some vibrance to your plate or for making soups and sauces.
Blitz your greens with some parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and pine nuts and then stir in an oil of your choice for a fresh and simple pesto, perfect on pasta or in a toasted sandwich.
From further afield, citrus fruits are still in season and it’s also a great time for tropical fruits to be tasting their best, but try to consider air miles where you can.
I hope you all have a gorgeous season, thank you so much for being here, I’ll speak to you again soon.
(P.S. What do we think about Substack vs MailChimp? I'd love any feedback if you have the time!)
RHS Gardening - https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/magnolia