Happy Spring aka Vernal or Spring Equinox aka Ostara
March 20
“Spring adds new life and new joy to all that is.”–Jessica Harrelson
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”–Lady Bird Johnson
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”– Audrey Hepburn
“Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.” – Unknown
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
OSTARA
“Ostara is the personification of the rising sun. In that capacity she is associated with the spring and is considered a fertility goddess. She is the friend of all children and to amuse them she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. This rabbit brought forth brightly coloured eggs, which the Greek goddess gave to children as gifts. From her name and rites the festival of Easter is derived.”—The Encyclopedia Mythica
The Vernal or Spring Equinox or Ostara is one of the EIGHT Sabbats on the Pagan Wheel of the Year:
- Winter Solstice (Midwinter / Yule, around Dec. 21st)
- Imbolc (Candlemas, Feb. 1st)
- Spring Equinox (Ostara, around Mar. 20th)
- Beltane (May Eve around May Day, Mat 1st)
- Summer Solstice (Midsummer / Litha, around June 21st)
- Lughnasadh (Lammas, Aug 1st)
- Autumn Equinox (Mabon, around Sept 21st)
- Samhain (All Hallows, Nov. 1st)
“Equinox” implies equal and balance, as in re-balancing. “
Vernal” is about creation, birth, newness, creativity, and beginnings of all kinds.
Ostara is the Vernal or Spring Equinox, which occurs sometime between March 19 – 23, depending when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a “nearly” equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes.
Ostara is a pagan celebration of the German goddess Eostre and the origins of the Christian celebration of Easter. Ostara is an opportune time to literally and figuratively plant seeds for the future.
Ostara is a good time to actively develop and pursue the steps for achieving your ideas and goals that you set around Yule/Winter Solstice (around Dec. 21st) and Imbolc (Feb. 1st). Much of what you plant during Ostara will be harvested during the summer months aka sabbats of Beltane (May 1st), Litha/Summer Solstice (June 21st) and Lughnasadh (August 1st).
Ostara is also a suitable time to freshen up your your home and life. Spring clean all aspects of your life. Cleaning isn’t just limited to your home. Take some time to de-clutter and clean up areas where you spend a lot of time, such as your vehicles, your computer (delete those old emails, back-up your hard-drive) and your work office.
Symbols of Ostara
- Colors: Green, pink, blue
- Foods: Eggs, honey, sprouted greens, baked goods, asparagus
- Stones: Aquamarine, amethyst, rose quartz
- Symbols: Rabbits, eggs, spring flowers , lambs, clover, baskets
- Flowers & Plants: clover, daffodils, crocus, tulips
- Deities: Isis, Estotre, Adonis
Ways to Celebrate Ostara
- Planting seeds for a vegetable garden or flower garden
- Spring clean your house, office, vehicles, life
- Decorate an Ostara altar to honor your goddess of choice
- Make egg based dishes and dessert (custard pie, frittatas, egg salad, etc…)
- Take a nature walk with loved ones and look for signs of spring
- Host a tea party with a springtime theme
- Ukranian egg folk art
- Meditate/journal/think for the next few weeks about your intentions and the steps to achieve your goals