“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
It is a time to celebrate the dawn and burgeoning light of Spring. As a witch who loves to be in her garden, let me unveil to you Ostara Traditions and Rituals for Spring.
At its core, the festival embodies the triumph of light over the darkness – symbolized by the increasing daylight, the earth begins to waken and the first dew drops glisten in the suns rays.
Typically, Ostara falls on March 20th or 21st in the Northern Hemisphere whereas in the Southern Hemisphere, it is approximately on the 21st of September.
Due to this, those who reside in the Northern Hemisphere may correlate celebrations with Easter activities, despite Easter falling a full month ahead of Ostara and the Spring Equinox.
The word Ostara is derived from Germanic Paganism and is believed to be named after the Germanic Goddess of Dawn, Fertility and Crops, Eostre.
While we do not know much about her, through the divinity of radiant dawn and emerging light, we can derive a few ideas on how we, as modern pagans and mystics, celebrate the Spring Equinox.
Eostre
The Spring (1851), by Franz Xaver Winterhalter
Symbols of Ostara
| Colours | Pale green, white, pastel yellow. |
| Food | Eggs, honey, lemon, orange, sprouted greens and baked goods. |
| Crystals | Aquamarine, amethyst and rose quartz. |
| Symbols | Eggs, spring flowers and baskets. |
| Flowers | Honeysuckle, Lilac, Rose, Chamomile, Daffodils and Tulips. |
| Herbs | Cedar-wood, Dill, Lemongrass, Lemon Balm, Mint, Patchouli, Thyme and Ylang-Ylang. |
| Deities | Isis, Estotre and Adonis. |
| Trees | Orange, Apple, Dogwood and Hawthorn |
| Animals/Bugs | Bee’s, ladybugs and butterflies. Hares and Lambs. |
Ostara Traditions and Rituals for Spring
- Planting Seeds and flowers
- Rebirth and Renewal Rituals
- Making Flower Crowns, Dream-catchers and Besoms
- Decorating Eggs
- Spring Cleaning
“Maidens clothed in white, who at Easter, at the season of returning spring, show themselves in clefts of the rock and on mountains, are suggestive of the ancient goddess.”
Jacob Grimm
For many green witches, the Spring Equinox is the beginning of the planting season. There are many correspondences specific that are best to work with in this time. Tinctures and oils are most powerful when you cultivate and harvest herbs and flowers yourself, matching the intentions of this time.
Whether or not you are someone who grows your own plants – even if you live in the city – I encourage you to make space for a small garden bed or find a community garden to sew seeds to bring in Ostara.
If you are unable to cultivate your own flowers and herbs, I suggest you take time to research and source ingredients that are free from negative intentions and are environmentally mindful. Your local florist or garden centre might have some ideas. Otherwise Wildcrafting is by far one of my favourite wats to source locally for my craft.
It must be remembered, the Spring Equinox marks the moment of balance, where night and day are in harmonious alignment. This echoes the ever changing flow of balance we strive to achieve in our own lives.
It is a wonderful time to focus on strengthening and nourishing your life and body. All around us, nature is sprouting and early wildflowers are starting to bloom, and so is our time to bloom. Think about what you want to see come to fruition in your life.
– Your Local Witch,
Lor
I invite you to awaken with Spring and Herald the return of warmth and fertility to the land.
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