How to celebrate Ostara

Following the pagan wheel of the year, Ostara, the spring equinox, falls on the 21st of March. This holiday truly marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Ostara has it name after the germanic Goddess of spring and fertility Eostre, which is also the origin of the name easter and estrogen. According to myth Eostre came across a small bird about to freeze to death due to her late arrival and she warmed it up and turned it into a hare. One might speculate that the Christian holiday Easter and the somewhat odd tradition of decorating eggs and receiving sweets from an easterbunny to celebrate the rebirth of Jesus might have its roots in the older pagan myth, much like any other Christian holiday.

Food

Eggs represent life, rebirth and fertility and is ideal to eat during Ostara. Get your eggs from a local farmer to make sure it's cruelty free.

We are entering planting season so adding seeds to your meals is a way to honour this. Seeds represent growth so it's a good idea to bake bread, scones or muffins with poppy seeds or other flower seeds, add a handful to your salad, or enjoy salted sunflower seeds, the choices are many!

Green vegetables such as lettuce, sprouts, peas and asparagus symbolise the return of fresh foods.

Edible flowers such as clover, chive, viola, lilac and violet are great to add into salads both for the colour addition and as a representation of spring.

Symbols of Ostara (Altar ideas)

Eggs, chickens, lilies, hares, budding branches.

Colours of Ostara

Pastel colours are suitable for Ostara, green, pink and yellow in particular.

Herbs of Ostara

Lily of the valley, crocus, daffodil, jonquil tansy, lavender, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, lovage, lilac, violets, lemon balm, orrisroot, sunflower seeds, rose hips, oak, elder, willow, tulip, dogwood, honeysuckle, oakmoss, broom (Scotch or Iris), meadowsweet, acorn, trefoil, vervain.

These herbs are suitable for Ostara in magickal use, as decoration or for burning. Before burning a herb you haven't burned before, read up on it just to make sure it's safe to inhale the smoke. These herbs should not be smoked.

Stones of Ostara

The following stones and the moods and properties they represent have extra potency during Ostara:

Clear quartz crystal, rose quartz, agate, lapis lazuli, amazonite, garnet.

Use them to strengthen your spells, to decorate your house with or to keep on you. If your stones are in need of a charge, then now is a time to take them out in the sun and charge them. They can also be taken to a river and be cleansed there or if the weather is rainy, you can purify them by holding them under the rain. This is great for stones used in crystal healing.

Incense of Ostara

Jasmine and patchouli.

What to do

Indoor planting rituals, perform a seed blessing.

Ostara egg breakfast. Make sure you get your eggs from a local farmer. Eggs from suffering hens are not good for your energy.

Make your own egg colourings using herbs and other natural sources such as spirulina, turmeric and charcoal.

Paint and decorate hard boiled eggs with colours of Ostara. You can also add symbols such as the Triple Goddess, the elements, growth, strength, wisdom, love, protection, spring, or any other symbol that resonates with you.

Hide eggs for an Ostara egg hunt.

Wear green clothing.

Say goodbye to winter in the evening of Ostara by lighting a purple candle and burning patchouli incense. Walk through your house and spread the smell.

If you're a Witch you might want to cast your career, love and relationship spells at this time. It's a time for turning your ideas into fruition.

Be kind to others.

Blessed be.