People searching for a spiritual cleanse and grounding experience gathered at The Rock and Soul in Utica on Saturday for a “Spring Equinox Celebration” presented by A Moment of Awe.

Participants gathered around a flame to hear from speakers, interact with seeds and crystals, sing with musical accompaniment and meditate in hopes of marking their personal seasonal transition from winter to spring.

A Moment of Awe member Emily Manternach said the event was designed to release hibernation energy, transition into a new season of life, reground for what’s to come and manifest what the coming months will bring.

“We’re talking about celebrating the equinox as part of that transition, recognizing that within and externally,” Manternach said. “So not only are we seeing those changes internally in our body, but also externally in the changing of the seasons.”

Participants received a bag with zinnia seeds and a bar of selenite for an interactive energy cleansing experience. The items were designed to focus participants’ attention on what they want to change within themselves and bring about in the world around them moving forward.

A Moment of Awe brought in Tatiana Panferova, a solar alignment leader, to guide the experience and shepherd the use of the zinnia seeds and selenite bar to maximize the impact.

Panferova guided the group in asking a spiritual goddess to manifest their intentions for the coming months.

“Spring time is a very interesting time. It’s the beginning of everything coming back to life, so nature is actually teaching us how things work,” Panferova said. “We all desire nice experiences, but we have to be intentional in how we try and make those happen in our lives.”

Faiza Karim, a spiritual and wellness leader from the Joliet area, led a three-minute meditative grounding session. Karim helped participants focus on the present moment and connect with the group’s collective energy.

“Why are you here?” Karim said, addressing the meditating group. “You’re here because you want to change something in your life, and feel the connection that we are lacking in this world.”

The A Moment of Awe leaders concluded the celebration with a guided musical meditation.

Participants sang a hymn accompanied by instruments including a wooden frog, maraca, rock cluster, woodwind instrument, bead-filled cylinder, and double-sided chalice.

A Moment of Awe member Abby Zukowski said the event reflected the organization’s approach to spiritual experiences.

“I hope people were able to experience gratitude for just being open to an experience that was completely unique and crafted for every single person,” Zukowski said. “What I absolutely love about these experiences is that we show up with open hearts, we speak from the heart, we teach from the heart, we see from the heart, we play from the heart. It’s just so real and authentic.”

A Moment of Awe is a non-profit, donation-driven organization. The group is a passionate collection of individuals united by a shared vision of inspiring transformation through community, health and positive experiences.

A Moment of Awe member Bob Powell said the organization welcomes new members and is interested in hearing stories of kindness and compassion.

“We appreciate how many people came today and we’re always looking for people to join,” Powell said. “We’re looking for those stories of people who have touched our lives with kindness and compassion.”