Happy Vernal (or Autumn) Equinox!
March 20th marks the equinox—and I’ve chosen this ancient turning point as the publication date for my debut novel, The Celtic Cross Murders, launching in 2027.
For millennia it showed not only the change of seasons—from winter to spring—but also the start of a brand new year. We still have many indications remaining from that era in all the festivities around that date.
Astronomical significance
There’s no way we can be mistaken about the importance of that date. It’s not something invented by humans; a power above us governs it; it’s more comprehensive than any cultural practice. It’s established by the force of nature, of the universe, of the physical world around us.
Anyone on the planet can independently find when it happens if they know where to look. We just need to look for the duration of day and night. “Equinox” literally means “equal night” from the Latin. So, it’s simply the day when the night and the day are roughly equal. Easy, right?
Astrological heritage
In the Northern Hemisphere, that marks the beginning of spring. Similarly, in the Southern Hemisphere, the beginning of fall. And do you know which animal normally gives birth at the outset of spring? You guessed it right: the sheep. Maybe that’s why the ancients associated the first sign of the Zodiac with Aries, or the Ram. And that’s also why it represents new beginnings, fearlessness, and courageous energy. Things are heading for the better!
Religious celebrations
These are only a few examples of the celebrations that occur around that date all over the world:
- Lent, a 40-day period of contrition before Easter, which celebrates life and resurrection;
- Nowruz, the Persian New Year;
- Passover, a Jewish celebration typically celebrated on the first full moon after the spring equinox;
- Ostara, a pagan festival of renewal, rebirth, and fertility;
- Higan, a Buddhist service observed during both the spring and autumn equinoxes;
- Holi, Hindu festival celebrated on the full moon near the spring equinox, symbolizing the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil.
The Celtic Cross Murders
But what happens when someone takes these sacred rhythms — renewal, fate, the turning of celestial wheels — and twists them into something far darker?
In this novel, a murderer has turned the Zodiac wheel into a killing engine, choosing one victim for each of the houses based on archetypes unlocked by a Celtic Cross reading. As the vernal equinox approaches and the stars align, two detectives race to unravel an ethereal conspiracy written in blood.
On the night of the vernal equinox, a live podcast audience watches the stars—unaware that somewhere in the city, a killer is interpreting the Tarot for his next target. Twelve houses. Ten fates. One reading that started it all.
That’s what I mean by an equinox with a twist!
Who is Fleet Robinson?
Fleet Robinson writes crime fiction at the confluence of the ancient and the modern. His debut novel weaves the Zodiac, Tarot, and astronomical events into a thriller that asks: what if your fate was sealed in a Tarot reading? He lives in Toronto and reads cards for fun.If you want to know more about him, please make sure to visit the author page: Fleet Robinson.
As always, I’d love to hear from you… what are your plans for this new astronomical year?
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