After many months of long nights and darkened days, spring hath sprung itself free from the jailhouse of winter.

What is an equinox? The Earth’s equator is aligned directly with the Sun on the vernal equinox. @NOAASatellitePA / X

Astronomically, an equinox occurs when the sun is directly above the equator. The term combines the Latin words aequi, meaning “equal,” and nox, meaning “night,” and corresponds to the two days of the year, the other being the fall or autumnal equinox, when day and night are equal.

As we move further into spring, shedding layers and inhibitions, the hours of daylight we experience will grow until we reach the summer solstice, and the longest day of the year on June 20.

When is the Spring Equinox in 2026? The equinox is equinoxing, and spring hath sprung. mashimara – stock.adobe.com

The Spring Equinox always takes place around March 20 or 21. At this point in time, the Sun crosses the celestial equator and moves north. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring (vernal if you’re nasty) equinox arrives on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 10:46 a.m.

How does the Spring Equinox affect us spiritually? Hundreds gather at Chichen Itza to welcome spring at the Mayan pyramid El Castillo, a temple to Kukulkan, the feathered serpent and Mayan snake deity. REUTERS

Throughout mankind’s beautiful, brutal history, we have revered the Spring Equinox as the return of and to light. Festivals and celebrations were linked to stories or myths about renewal and triumph over darkness.

Some OG superhero s–t.

Examples include the ancient Mayans, who gathered to celebrate the interchange of light and shadow upon their pyramids during the equinoxes.

The pyramid El Castillo at Chichen Itza was built specifically to honor Kukulkan, the feathered serpent god. On the Spring Equinox, shadows create the image of a snake descending the pyramid staircase.

Very heavy metal.

Cybele’s week-long festival coincided with the spring equinox MARIO MONTERO ARROYO – stock.adobe.com

Pagan traditions honored the fertility goddess Cybele, the mother of gods and men and mistress of wild nature (put that on your business cards, folks), who rode upon a chariot pulled by two yoked lions.

Cybele’s week-long festival coincided with the spring equinox and included ritual sacrifice, voluntary castration, bull blood baths, and the planting of spring crops.

In more modern times, equinox-adjacent holidays have expanded to include Easter (which always falls on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox), Passover, Nowruz (also known as the Persian New Year), Holi, and Ostara.

Get ready for a whole new beautiful season! sarayut Thaneerat

Neopagans celebrate with fertility rituals, bearded antics, and bonfires.

No matter your tradition or spiritual practices, this is an excellent time to shed a skin, plant a seed, have sex outdoors, and otherwise revel in rebirth.

As the Earth comes alive again, we too can shift our focus to waking up.

We can mirror the equality of day and night by prioritizing moderation in the body and balance in the mind. The equinox can also herald a time of clarity and vitality after winter’s requisite contemplation, hibernation, and stillness.

Get bright-eyed and bold, my babies.

Ways to celebrate the spring equinox Spring coincides with World Storytelling Day. Antonio Calanni/AP

Not for nothing, the Spring Equinox coincides with World Storytelling Day, a celebration of the oral tradition and the power of myth and memory to shape our collective consciousness. Apropos of spring, the great storyteller Martin Shaw reminds us, “The business of stories is not enchantment. The business of stories is not escape. The business of stories is waking up.”

In deference to storytelling, make sure and read about which classic fairy tale aligns with your zodiac sign and today, and all days, tell someone a story you can’t forget, ask an elder, child, lover, stranger, or sage for one you hope to remember, and keep alive the words that make worlds.

How does the Spring Equinox affect us astrologically? The Spring Equinox coincides with the onset of Aries season. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Astrologically speaking, the Spring Equinox marks the onset (or onslaught) of Aries season—and the official start of a new zodiac year.

While our conventional and modern calendars start the year on January 1, the true zodiac year arrives when the Sun shines its ever-loving light on the infernal horns of the impatient ram.

As the first sign in the zodiac and a cardinal Fire sign, this energy is brave, brazen, and initiatory, an invitation, nay, a command to embark on a new journey and step toward a brighter being.

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Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars

• The 12 zodiac signs
• What are the astrology houses?
• Here’s what each planet represents
• Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3

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Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.

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