Ostara or the Spring Equinox is one of the Lesser Wiccan Sabbats, and is usually celebrated on the Vernal or Spring Equinox right around March 21 (although because of its origins, may instead be celebrated on the fixed date of March 25). Other names by which this Sabbat may be known are Oestara, Eostre’s Day, Rite of Eostre, Alban Eilir, Festival of the Trees, and Lady Day. The Christian holiday of Easter is very near this same time, (notice the similarity in name?), and is determined as the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox.
The winter, harsh and long, is now fading. The Earth is waking from Her frozen slumber and it’s time to rejoice in life, warmth and a renewal of the spirit. Come celebrate and worship as we give birth to all things fresh and new. Enjoy the hypnotic rhythms of the drum circle, the hugs of old friends, the laughter of children and the joy of togetherness. Let us reconnect with family, loved ones and friends, old and new as we turn the Wheel to Ostara.
Once again, night and day stand in perfect balance, with light ascending. Ostara is a fertility festival celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the earth. The energies of nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of Winter to the exuberant expansion of Spring. It is a time of great fertility, new growth, and newborn animals. The Goddess blankets the earth with fertility as she bursts forth from Her winter sleep. The young God stretches and grows to maturity as he walks the greening fields and delights in the abundance of nature.
Traditionally, Ostara is a time for collecting wildflowers, walking in nature’s beauty, and cultivating herb gardens. This is the time to free yourself from anything in the part that is holding you back. At this time we think of renewing ourselves. We renew our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations. We think of renewing our relationships. This is an excellent time of year to begin everything new or to completely revitalize something. This is also an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth.
The name for this Sabbat actually comes from that of the Teutonic lunar Goddess, Eostre. Her chief symbols were the bunny (for fertility and because the Ancient Ones who worshiped her often saw the image of a rabbit in the full moon), and the egg (representing the cosmic egg of creation). This is where the customs of “Easter Eggs” and the “Easter Bunny” originated.
The role of the rabbit has two possible origins. One tale is that the rabbit so loved his Goddess Eostre that he laid sacred eggs in her honor, then brightly colored them and gave them to her as gifts. Eostre was so delighted, she wanted this joy to be shared by all, so the tradition continued. The second tale tells how Eostre found a wounded bird in the snow. To help the little bird survive the winter, she transformed it into a rabbit, but the transformation was incomplete and the rabbit retained the ability to lay eggs. In thanks for its life being saved, the rabbit took the eggs and decorated them and left them as gifts for Eostre. Again, she was delighted and wanted all to share her joy, so the tradition continued.
Ostara is a time to celebrate the arrival of Spring, the renewal and rebirth of Nature herself, and the coming lushness of Summer. It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance, yet the light is growing stronger by the day. The forces of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, are also in balance at this time.
At this time we think of renewing ourselves. We renew our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations. We think of renewing our relationships. This is an excellent time of year to begin anything new or to completely revitalize something. This is also an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth.
Our Pagan ancestors often painted their eggs red at the time of Spring Solstice, and the return of Ostara. The decoration they added symbolized the rays of the Sun, and their prayer that the Sun would warm the egg, and from it create new life. Rabbits were also associated with Ostara, since they were known to be incredibly fertile, and because of their long association with the Moon, and the Goddess.
These symbols, and the happy custom of feasting and celebration at the time of the Spring Equinox, were co-opted by Christianity as it gained ascendancy over Paganism. The chocolate Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, Easter baskets, and Easter egg hunts that children enjoy today have their roots in the celebrations and religious practices of their Pagan ancestors.
There is much symbolism in eggs. The golden orb of its yolk represents the Sun God, its white shell is seen as the White Goddess, and the whole is a symbol of rebirth. The Goddess Eostre’s patron animal was the hare. And although the references are not recalled, the symbolism of the hare and rabbit’s associations with fertility are not forgotten. The Spring Equinox is a time of new beginnings, of action, of planting seeds for future grains, and of tending gardens. Spring is a time of the Earth’s renewal, a rousing of nature after the cold sleep of winter. As such, it is an ideal time to clean your home to welcome the new season. “Spring cleaning” is much more than simply physical work. It may be seen as a concentrated effort to rid your home of the problems and negativity of the past months, and to prepare for the coming spring and summer. To do this, many Pagans approach the task of cleaning their homes with positive thoughts. This frees the home of any negative feelings brought about by a harsh winter. A common rule of thumb for Spring cleaning is that all motions involving scrubbing of stains or hand rubbing the floors should be done “clockwise”. Pagans believe this custom aids in filling the home with good energy for growth.
Ostara represented many complex, interrelated beliefs to our ancestors. The sun was reborn from its winter banishment to thaw the earth, making it ready for the plow. People felt reborn as well, escaping from close, snowbound confinement into the new warmth. The gods and goddesses of fertility were active once again in the land causing new growth everywhere. Women often were showing the first swelling signs of pregnancy. As the wild flourished with new life, so too would the lands inhabited by man, bearing crops in the furrows and salmon in streams.
Celtic/Welsh Tradition
If you have read the Mabinogion myth, this is where the God of Light conquers his darker twin. The Goddess who has become the Maiden again since Imbolc, welcomes her Child and soon to be spouse. She watches him grow proudly. Pagans of old would light fires at dawn for protection of crops to come, renewed life, and cures to aliments they battled with over the hard Winter months.
Lady Day
In Wales, Ostara was known as Lady Day and signified the official return of the Goddess from her long winter hibernation. Many of the myths associated with Ostara concern trips by deities into the mysterious underworld, and their struggle and eventual return to the land of the living.
Many people feel “reborn” after the long nights and coldness of winter. The Germanic Goddess Ostara or Eostre (Goddess of the Dawn), after whom Easter is named, is the tutelary deity of this holiday. It is she, as herald of the sun, who announces the triumphal return of life to the earth.
Witches in the Greek tradition celebrate the return from Hades of Demeter’s daughter Persephone; Witches in the Celtic tradition see in the blossoms the passing of Olwen, in whose footprints flowers bloom.
Lady Day may also refer to other goddesses (such as Venus and Aphrodite), many of whom have festivals celebrated at this time.
Persephone
In fall, Persephone is stolen away by Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Demeter, driven almost to frenzy by the abduction of her precious daughter (a younger form of Demeter herself), blasts the earth and refuses to let anything grow until her daughter is restored to her.
Unfortunately, it isn’t so simple. Persephone is also a death goddess, and she found in the underworld that her husband, Hades, was not entirely offensive to her. Despite knowing better she has eaten 6 pomegranate seeds, a potent blood-red symbol of female power, so no one can compel her to return to her mother and the pleasures of girlhood.
She still loves her mother, however, and eventually a deal is worked out. Persephone will return to the above world for half of the year, depending on the different variations of the legend. In spring, she re-emerges and Demeter’s delight is so great that she allows the earth to burst forth into bloom. Hades, his time of power being the fall and winter, retreats for a time until the next Equinox, in fall, when he will again abduct Persephone and continue the unending cycle.
Date: Spring Equinox (March 20-24 in Northern Hemisphere, September 20-24 in Southern Himsphere)
Type: Lesser Sabbat
Pronunciation:Ostara “os tar’ a”, “Oh-star-ah”, “OHS-truh”. Eostre “EST-truh”, “East-ra” or “yo’ster”
Symbolism: Strength, rebirth, completion, new beginnings, embodiment of spirit, fertility, renewed promise of life, the union of the Goddess and the God, the dispensing of the old and making way for the new, resurrection of life, festival of balance, youth, light overtaking darkness, it is a celebration of the returning of life to the Earth.
Etymology: The Spring Equinox, Ostara was known by many names and is believed to be loosely connected to Ishtar/Astarte/Esther, but especially Ostara/Eostre, a goddess of spring, fertility, and rebirth. Gaelic for the Vernal Equinox (Spring Equinox) is Là Meadhonach an Earraich (“Middle Day of the Spring”). Mean Earraigh (“Middle of Spring”) is the Irish. Welsh would be Calon y Gwanwyn (“Middle of the Spring”), though again, some might prefer Calon y Gwanwyn (“Heart of the Spring”).
Place in the Natural Cycle:Spring is now upon the Earth. Ostara is the solar festival that marks the transition from the dark to the light half of the year: day and night are of equal length. On this day, the sun rises due east and sets due west. The spring quarter of the year runs from Imbolc to Beltane, so Ostara marks the mid-point of spring. By Ostara, life is returning to the land in noticeable ways, and thus nature demonstrates the festival’s associations with revival and the ascendancy of light. Much of the livestock is giving birth, or being born. It is the season of lambing, the only time shepherds would ‘watch by night’. The planting season has now begun in earnest. In ancient times, many of the tribe’s hunters would lay down their spears and bows to take up the plow.
Pagan Mythology: The God comes of age and defeats his alter-ego, sexual union of the Lord & Lady, sprouting, greening, balance of light and dark. The Goddess and God both young and maturing are experiencing a time of transformation, of wonder of newness. They are very similar and balanced at t his time.
Oak/Holly King Cycle: TThe Wild Hunt returns to Faerie after roaming the countryside during winter. Its leader, the Horned God, takes his place as the young forest king.
Animals: Rabbits, snakes, unicorns, hares, robins, dragons (associated with eggs the earth and fertility), lambs, chicks
Altar Decor: Daffodils, tulips, violet, iris, narcissus, any spring flowers, eggs, butterflies, cocoons, four leaf clover, baskets, eggs, lambs, chicks, bunnies, budding twigs, sprouting bulbs, colored ribbons
Herbs & Flowers: Honeysuckle, Iris, Peony, Violet, Woodruff, Gorse, Olive, Iris, Narcissus, Daffodils, Jonquils, Primrose, Forsythia, Crocus, all spring flowers, pine tree
Trees: Cherry, Dogwood, Forsythia, Willow
Celtic Tree Month: Fearn (Alder)
Planetary ruler: Mars, Mercury
Zodiac: Sun is at 0* of Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19)
Moon: Sap, Crow
Traditional Foods:Hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, fresh fruits, milk punch, leafy green vegetables, dairy foods, apples, nuts, flower dishes, sprouts, jelly eggs (jelly beans), chocolates, seeds, spiced or flower cupcakes, hot cross buns
Traditional Drinks: fruity red wine, beers
Incense: African violet, jasmine, rose, sage and strawberry
Element: Air
Musical Instrument: Wind instruments
Stones/Gems: Amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone, red jasper
Goddesses: Eostre, all love, virgin, and fertility Goddesses
Gods: Pan, the Green Man, Cernunnos, all love, song & dance, and fertility Gods.
Colors: Light green, lemon yellow, and pale pink
Threshold: dawn
Taboos: Ostara is a time to wear your new clothes. It was considered bad luck to wear anything old.
Oils: jasmine, rose, sage, lavender, narcissus, ginger
Magickal Studies: Clean out magick chest and herb chest, make a list of anything that needs to be replaced. Begin to collect herbs and flowers for making incense, oils, and such. This is a good time to study nature and fertility magick. After a physical Spring-cleaning, a spiritual cleansing of the house and property should follow. Renew any protection spells, Circles, blessings, guardians etc placed on the property and in the house.
Meditations: Ostara is a time of balance and this is an ideal opportunity to reflect on how our male and female energies balance within us, examine where you might be unbalanced and where you might need to let go of the past and prepare for a fertile future. Meditate on plans for the future at this time of growth and fertility and how we can develop ourselves. Also meditations on the awakening earth, spring planting, and new growth.
Balefire: Alder, broom, dogwood, hawthorn, honeysuckle, olive, rosebush wood, sagebrush. Equal amounts of oak and holly.
Cauldron: Seeds, Spring flowers, young shoots, or left empty to burn written goals.
Personal Adornments: Should wear flowers, all symbols of Spring. If robed, spring colors are called for.
Spellwork: Spellwork for improving communication and group interaction are recommended, as well as fertility, balance and abundance. Banishment of bad ties, fertility magick, goals for future, healing magick, new beginnings, love magick, positive growth. All nature and garden magick is appropriate.
Ways to Celebrate
- Go out and collect wild flowers if they are out in the area.
- Get out in Nature. Take a walk around your neighborhood or favorite park. See which plants are sprouting, which budding, which blooming, which still are in the grips of winter. Feel the air; smell the scents of Ostara. Clear a space for a garden, or start flowers, herbs or vegetables indoors. It’s too early in this climate to plant fruits and vegetables; frosts can happen as late as April in the Northwest. But you can clear weeds, grass and rubbish from the spot where you plan a garden, or you can start seeds indoors. Check with your favorite garden store what flowers and vegetables might best be started now.
- Plant early seeds such as peas, lettuce, cabbage family. Start others indoors
- Pick up litter at your favorite park or beach. Help the earth rejuvenate by getting rid of the mess. Even an hour of cleanup can make a big difference.
- Perform oomancy (divination by eggs). To perform the most common form of egg-divination, separate egg whites and yolks. You then drop the white into hot water and divine from the shapes it assumes.
- Draw sprouting leaves on an egg and bury it in your garden to help stimulate your plants.
- Perform magick by planting a seed to grow with your spell. You can use the energy of this time of year to fuel any new project or goal. Think of how you wish to change and grow while planting the seed and watch it flourish as you do.
- Make hot cross buns
- Light pairs of white and black candles, symbolizing dark and light, in different areas of your home. Each time you pass a pair of candles, you can honor the balance of light and dark we find this time of year, and the balance of light and dark within yourself.
- Dye eggs with natural dyes and try decorating them with magickal or other symbols. Ideas for those eggs you can use include runes, astrological symbols, elemental symbols, the Theban alphabet, zodiac/planetary symbols, Ogham writing, lunar & solar symbols, stars, pentacles, Egyptian hieroglyphs, God/Goddess symbols.
- Give a potted plant to friends or family for their garden or window sill
- Connect with plant energies. Choose a plant and spend time exploring the leaves and stem in great detail, being careful not to harm it. Use a magnifying glass. Feel the textures and inhale the scent of the plant.
- Wear flowers in your hair, or as a necklace, and strew them around and on your alter.
- Fill your house with spring flowers
- Offerings of food and milk are left for the fairies and other spirits who live in and around rocks and are responsible for the fertility of the land. Leave a few fruits from the last harvest for the nature spirits.
- If you didn’t do your spring cleaning at Imbolc it is an ideal time to clean your home to welcome the new season. Do a spring cleaning rites/ritual and cleanse your home of negativity and any energies that might prevent you from taking advantage of prosperity in your life.
- Meditate on beginnings, on the East, on air, on dawn. In meditation, note how these symbols connect organically and how you relate personally to them.
- Light a candle on Ostara Eve, and give a blessing to the departing spirits of winter. Welcome the arriving spirits of spring.
- Let the whole family create a dance depicting the rising of new shoots from the earth to greet the sun. Create your own music with drums, rattles and whistles, or choose music that reminds you of spring. Bundle up, spread out a blanket, and watch the sunrise. Eat honey cakes and eggs for breakfast.
- Do egg hunts with the family.
- Light a bonfire at dawn on the Equinox to honor the light half of the year.
- At this time, witches cast spells for careers, relationships, and love. It’s a time for planting new ideas. Seek harmony and balance in the incredible energy of the season, and project good health, good fortune, and confidence in achieving goals.
- Color hard boiled eggs and add symbols for the Fertility God, the Goddess, the Sun God, unity, fire, water, agriculture, prosperity and growth, strength and wisdom, spring, love and affection, and protection.
- Reconsecrate your tools.
- Ashes from the Ostara eve bonfire mixed with the planting seed as a fertility charm
-A tradition that did not exactly move over into the popular celebration of Easter was having sex in freshly ploughed fields. This tradition came from the pagan farmers who would finish ploughing and planting their fields. Once the crops were all planted, the farmer and his wife would make love in the field, the idea being that the fertility of their sexual act would help the plants grow into a bountiful crop. Another variant of this is leaping in the fields. Instead of having sex in the freshly ploughed fields, the farmer and his family would go out into the field and leap as high as they could into the air, the idea being that the crops would grow as high as their leaps into the air. This is an example of sympathetic magick, where the crops are supposed to imitate the actions of the farmer’s family.
- Let tonight’s meal be the first picnic of the season—even if you’re dining on a blanket in the living room.
- Write a spring poem and tuck it under your child’s pillow to find at bedtime.
- Create a list with your child of all the spring treats the earth delivers—robins’ eggs, green grass, warmer air, blue skies, purple crocus…
- Throw open the windows and imagine that the breeze, even a cold one, is blowing out stale energy and old habits that you would like to release. This can be the day to spring-clean your psyche.
- Create a collage of your family’s dream garden using pictures you and your child cut out of magazines and catalogs.
- As the sun goes down, light lots of candles, turn up your favorite music, and dance together to celebrate the beginning of spring.
- Perform magick to give back to the earth. Raise and send energy to return to the Earth, our mother, some of the bounteous energy and fertility She gives to us.
- Meditate on the Moon-Hare, rabbits provide an obvious symbol of animal fertility and see what comes to you about literal or creative fertility in your own life.
- Honor the spring or Earth goddess or god of your choice, or a goddess or god of balance.
- Let the whole family create a dance depicting the rising of new shoots from the earth to greet the sun. Create your own music with drums, rattles and whistles, or choose music that reminds you of spring. Bundle up, spread out a blanket, and watch the sunrise. Eat honey cakes and eggs for breakfast.
- If you live near a river or pond you can look for tadpoles in the water. (Be sure you return later to see the frogs which have grown from those tiny creatures)
- Take time to notice what birds have returned from their winter homes. Place feeders and/or a bird bath out for them.
