What is Ostara? Ostara is the vernal equinox — when the day and night are exactly equally long. It takes...
What is Ostara?
Ostara is the vernal equinox — when the day and night are exactly equally long. It takes place March 19th thru 22nd. We celebrate this day with rituals that are focused on renewal and rebirth — new beginnings and life. This is the perfect time to create new habits or renew areas in your life.
Many consider Samhain to be the witches New Year, but I disagree. For me, it makes more sense that Ostara be celebrated as the New Year as it’s a time of birth and renewal, whereas Samhain is observed during a time of endings and preparing for the winter months ahead.
Fertility magick (especially through the use of eggs) and garden and seed blessings are commonly performed during this time.
Use this Sabbat to perform magick to break away barriers, start new projects or inventions and breathe new life into your home and garden.
This is also a great time to celebrate balance as day and night are equal on this day, and you can use that when decorating your altar. Color eggs to attract different things such as love, fertility, wealth, and prosperity.
Use symbols that symbolize duality, or simply use dual items. For instance, you could use a black and white candle, or a god and goddess statue.
Metaphysically, the Goddess and God energies of the Universe are coming together as one, birthing the energy of creation. The Goddess supplies the energy of Earth as she begins to grow into a Mother; the God supplies the energy of the Sun as he grows in strength and power.
Ostara Correspondences
Alternate names for Ostara: Eostre, Eostre’s Day, Spring Equinox, Vernal Equinox, Alban Eiber, Bacchanalia, Lady Day
Colors: pink, yellow, green, teal, aqua, lavender, robin’s egg blue, all pastels
Some symbols to decorate your altar: eggs, rabbits, lambs, butterflies, bees, potted plants, herbs, maiden goddesses, flowers, quartz crystals, amethyst, baskets, New Moon
Activities: conception, egg painting, garden rock painting, gardening/planting a garden, nature walks, beginning a new project
Spellwork: fertility, manifestation, healing, energizing, removing obstacles, restoring balance, home blessings, spring cleaning
Animals: rabbits, snakes, chicks, birds, burrowing animals
Crystals: aquamarine, amethyst, rose quartz, moonstone, bloodstone, red jasper
Foods: hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs, honey cakes, leafy green vegetables, sprouts, fish, hot cross buns, sweet breads, yogurt, chocolate, lemonade, fresh fruits, honey, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seed muffins and cake, banana bread, sweet wine, nettle tea, milk and other dairy foods
Herbs: acorn, celandine, cinquefoil, crocus, daffodil, dogwood, Easter lily, forsythia, ginger, hyssop, linden, honeysuckle, iris, jasmine, narcissus, peony, rose, strawberry, tansy, violets, woodruff, spring flowers
Trees: Birch, Ash, Alder
Meaning: balance, new life/rebirth, Goddess and God in youth, light overtaking darkness, fertility, balance, new beginnings, new love, growth,
Ritual Oils: lavender, lotus, magnolia, ginger, rose
Incense: jasmine, light scented florals
Mythical Creatures: mermaid, dragons, unicorn
Deities: Adonis, Aphrodite, Athena, Cernunnos, Cybele, Dadga, Eostre, Eriu, Freya, Gaia, Green Man, Isis, Juno, Lady of the Lake, Ostara, Persephone, Venus, Madhusri, Maiden, Mars, Melusine, Moon Mother, Odin, Osiris, Ova, Pan, Thor, Venus
🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷
New Year Workings
Release the old:
- bad habits and toxic relationships
- illness
- failure and poverty
- everything you don’t want to carry into the new year
- sweep negativity out of your home
- end quarrels
- settle debts
- make amends or restitution, if needed
- spells for prosperity and security for your family
Jewelry Charging Ritual
Below is a charging ritual that will help cleanse and charge your jewelry. It works best with pendants that have a birthstone or other crystals.
What you need
Piece of jewelry with a gemstone or crystal.
Preparations
The night before, you should leave your jewelry out in the moonlight to cleanse the crystal of any bad energy. The next morning, get up as early as possible to catch the sunrise and let the crystal absorb the energy of the sun.
Ritual
Light a candle — green or white is best.
Lay your pendant down beside the candle. Make sure the candle doesn’t cast a shadow over the pendant and the solar rays are hitting it. Say a prayer or poem. Something like this:
“Farewell to wintry spirits and friends;
On morrow we greet the spirits of spring.
Our blessings to thee as your way you wend;
And merry we’ll meet next winter again.”
Now, just stand or sit in the morning sunlight. Let the rays of the sun charge you and your pendant. Stay here for a few minutes while you welcome in spring.
Spring is the perfect time for when you want to start something new. Think about what you could begin this spring. Finally, snuff out (do not blow) the candle and say:
“Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!”
The ritual is now over. Go back inside, but leave your pendant or crystal in the sun. Take a few minutes and feel the cleansing and vibrant energies of Spring. Smell the air and the changes in the seasons. Appreciate the winter that has just ended and welcome Spring and the New Year.
Be magickal, y’all!
