Life feels like a blank page right now. Not much has changed in my immediate physical reality recently but internally I have been going through a process of churning and letting go of knowing what comes next.
All around me, here in central Portugal, in the valley that I call home, life is coming into bloom – blossom on the young fruit trees; the deep violet iris flowers getting ready to burst into their magnificence of colour; and I feel like a tender bud yet to open.
I am on day 5 of my menstrual cycle and it feels like I have been in the depths of my shadows these last days. My bleed isn’t always like that, in fact it is often deeply peaceful, but this time I was being pushed to surrender everything – my creative process, my calling – the elements that I hold so close and have woven my identity around. It all had to go.
Now here I am, standing on this annual threshold of the Spring Equinox, where light and day come back into balance and we head into the lengthening days of Spring and Summer. And I feel like a new butterfly, emerging slowly from a sticky cocoon, with my wings still sappy.
The resounding lesson from these days of sitting with a brooding dark mind has been to look upon these internal experiences with curiosity – to notice them, feel them, but not to attach analysis and stories to them. After all, they are not who I am in my essence. Who I am, my true nature, is simply the consciousness witnessing it all – the ups the downs, the hopes, the fears, the endless radio of thoughts.
The only clarity that arose this morning was that I wanted to share some journaling prompts for the Spring Equinox. In my reading on the symbolism of this planetary moment, I came across these paragraphs from Explore Deeply, which resonate with where I find myself – with an intention to stay with curiosity and from there, open up to wonder:
“When we shift into wonder and curiosity, there is an opening to a deeper wisdom. Our power, is a shift from the perspective, where not knowing could be seen as weakness or being powerless, to a new way of being, where wonder and curiosity are the ultimate source of power and strength.
Connecting with our deeper desires, does not involve knowing the answers to all of our questions, because it’s only in not knowing that we can be truly receptive and it’s only in being receptive that we can truly discover, learn, and evolve.
In becoming truly honest with ourselves, and learning the practice of unknowing and non-attachment to the outcome we are inviting new possibility and natural flow into our lives.”
What would you be doing differently if you were entering into each moment with the spirit of curiosity, rather than assuming you know how things are or trying to control the outcome?
How can you invite more wonder into your day-to-day encounters with yourself, others and the world?
Below are 5 simple journaling prompts to support you to explore the qualities of curiosity and wonder over this Spring Equinox period.
Tips to take journaling deeper:
- Write fast and don’t stop. This helps to bypass the rational mind
- Don’t censor or edit what you write – This writing is just for you, not an audience, be honest and real
- Forget spelling, grammar or whether it makes sense
- If you want the boundaries of a container, set a timer for 5 mins for each prompt
- Read back through what you have written and write a short reflection on what you feel, learn or are surprised by in your re-reading of each piece
5 Spring Equinox Prompts to Awaken Curiosity & Wonder
- When I am curious…
- What changes when I let go of getting things ‘right’?
- Wonder is…
- When I embrace not knowing…
- Take your journal outdoors and sit in a natural environment. Spend 5 or more minutes writing about what you see, hear, smell, touch and even taste as you sit there. Notice the quality of your breath, your thoughts, the physical and emotional sensations in your body. Notice them all with curiosity, without judgement or stories.
I’d love to hear where these prompts have taken you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
Happy Equinox!