C.S. Miller Books Owner Jason Miller gave a presentation on the spring equinox, folklore, and witchcraft in Chenango County on Friday, March 22. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

CHENANGO COUNTY — This year, the spring equinox landed on Tuesday, March 19, and to celebrate I decided to attend an event at C.S. Miller Books, located at 14 Adams Street in Norwich, which was held Friday evening.

The event featured a brief presentation on the history of tarot reading by Hedge Witch Botanicals Owner Kate Castle, followed by a presentation on the spring equinox and stories of local folklore and witchcraft by C.S. Miller Books Owner Jason Miller.

So, what is the spring equinox? Also known as the vernal equinox, the spring equinox marks the astronomical beginning of spring, and usually falls on March 19, 20, or 21 each year. Culturally and spiritually, it can also signal a reconnection to nature and the earth.

Throughout history, the Haudenosaunee tribe celebrated the equinox with their sugaring celebration, in which young men between the ages of 13 to 15 would be sent out into the forest for two weeks with only an amulet and the clothes they were wearing.

"During this period of time, these young men were meant to basically find their path in life through these ceremonies, and if they didn’t they couldn’t come back until they figured out what their path was," Miller explained. "So sometimes they would never return and they would perish, or they would move along and join some other tribes."