Spring Equinox Morning Observance
Watch the Sunrise Alignment Enlighten the Heart Stone

IMPORTANT: This event will be held as scheduled so as long as the weather is good and there are no further mandates regarding COVID-19. We will be outdoors and avoid standing close together, and we will stand and watch the sunrise! If the weather is bad, we will cancel – watch for final updates on the day of the event. The Education Center will NOT be open during this event and there will be no available restroom facilities or place to get warm. Come prepared!

We will welcome the first sunrise of Spring together as we watch the Vernal Equinox sunrise alignment here at Kinstone.

Vernal (Spring) Equinox is an astronomically significant solar event. It occurs when the sun is midpoint in its journey from Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice. The sun appears to rise at due east and set at due west. It is traditionally seen as a time of balance. The light of day and the dark of night are equal. It is a harbinger of spring; a time for new beginnings, growth, and seeking the joy of the light.

TRADITIONAL INFO: The Celtic Wheel of the Year and other pagan traditions call this day “Ostara”. Ostara originates from celebrations dedicated to the German goddess Eostre. This is considered to be a precursor to the Christian celebration of Easter. The beginning of spring, Vernal Equinox / Ostara is a good time to plant seeds – both literally and figuratively. This is also good time to begin acting on the intentions you set during Winter Solstice (Yule, Dec 2o-22) and St. Brigid’s Day (Imbolc, Feb 1). The seeds you plant at Vernal Equinox/Ostara will be ready for harvest during the warmer months and the sacred days of  May Day (Beltane, May 1-5), Summer Solstice (Litha, June 20-22) and  celebrations of the first harvest (Lughnasadh, August 1).

At Kinstone we have a unique alignment visible only at Equinox at sunrise. Stand with us in The Three Witnesses sculpture as the sun aligns through the Equinox Window and highlights the Heart Stone. Come and see!

COST: admission to Kinstone ($5/person) (pay in advance online OR place your cash admission in the Blue Payment Box attached to the Information Sign Board near the parking areas); No Registration Required

Date: Saturday, March 20   Time: 6:30am

Actual sunrise is expected at 7:14am for our location. However, with the topography specific to Kinstone, the time we witness it may be just a bit later! Come at 6:30 to enjoy the predawn horizons and our brief program before the sun rises!

This will be a quiet, meditative event with a short opening rite and reading to welcome Spring. After the reading, if the sun is visible, participants may wish to watch the alignment through the Equinox Window, see the heart highlighted in the center stone Witness, sit in the light of the sun, take photos, and greet the sunrise.

Dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear, jackets, scarves, hats and gloves! Bring a camp chair or blanket to sit on, for your comfort, if you wish. Be prepared for it to be breezy and cool up here on the ridge! (Most people underestimate the wind and cold.)

This event is outdoors and will be held only in good weather. In light of COVID-19, for everyone’s health and safety, we will NOT gather indoors for any portion of this program and no indoor social time will be offered. If it is raining or overcast, this event will be cancelled. 

Cancellations will be posted ONLY on THIS event page and on the corresponding Facebook event page at least one (1) hour before the scheduled start time for this event.