The Metaphoric and Magical Nature of Spring

The sap rises as our spirits rise in response to the first signs of Spring.  Green is certainly Spring's most prevalent color, seen in the tiny leaves and shoots that sprout from bare branches and the ground.

Spring is loaded with poetic and religious meaning. Poets and philosophers have traditionally thought of Spring as a metaphor for new beginnings. Green is the liturgical color of hope, growth, and new life.

"Paradise"

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, life began in the Garden of Eden and the word "paradise" originally meant "an enclosed garden."  The link between the advent of spring and the stirring of the human spirit has been expanded upon in religious treatises across the centuries.

The universality of Spring is interesting to ponder. As we marvel at the perfection of each fresh bud and flower, our response to them links us in a chain of similar human responses throughout time.

Each flower is short-lived, but plays its part in the continual unfolding of the eternal sequence of bloom.  Andrew Marvel in 1650 wrote, "How could such sweet and wholesome hour be reckoned, but with herbs and flowers?"

What is your experience with Spring?