Celebrate Ostara: Loving Yourself Back to Life
Spring equinox and the ancient celebration of Ostara occur on March 20th or 21st in the Northern Hemisphere.
It’s the beginning of a season of transformation that you can feel for yourself, as we slowly shift from the dark and cold of winter to the sunny warmth of spring.
As the Sun ascends higher in the sky, bringing longer days and more sunlight, the ancient celebration of the goddess Ostara marks the arrival of spring equinox and gives Pagans and witches a joyous focal point for spells, rituals, and creating the changes we want to see before fall and winter set in again.
Reading this after spring equinox? You’re not too late. You can try any of the rituals you’ll find here — anytime during Spring. That’s all the way until Summer Solstice.
It’s easy to learn to join in and celebrate Ostara. If you were raised Christian, you already know how, because nearly all Easter traditions were old pagan practices absorbed into early Christianity between the third and sixth centuries, so that the newly enforced religion would feel more familiar to people who may have preferred to keep their old religions and traditions.
Loving Yourself Back to Life
Just as we lovingly plant seeds and seedlings, enjoy the scent of spring in the air, and begin to put heavy coats and sweaters away for the season, this is also a time to love yourself back to life after the long period of cold, dark, and hibernation we’ve experienced. We’re ready for a rebirth, too!
Keep reading to find lots of things you can do to bring your body, spirit, and environment back to life. But, first, you may ask . . .
What is the Spring Equinox (or Vernal Equinox)?
Spring equinox (also known as the vernal equinox) marks the point when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, moving from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere.
At this moment, day and night are almost exactly the same length, symbolizing perfect balance between light and dark, active and passive, and the return to power of the Sun goddess.
In many ancient cultures, the spring equinox was seen as a time when the forces of light began to dominate over the forces of darkness. The Sun begins to come nearer, blessing us with warmth, growth, and abundance in all our activities.
What is Ostara? The Pagan Festival of Spring Equinox
Ostara is one of the eight Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year, a sacred cycle that marks the changing of the seasons in many Pagan traditions, particularly those with Germanic or Celtic origins.
The name “Ostara” is derived from the Germanic goddess Eostre, and her name may come from the Old High German word ōstarā, meaning “dawn.”
She is depicted as a beautiful, young goddess who assists the growth of plants, blossoming of flowers, and the birth of new animals. We can call on her to help us sow new ideas, inspire our creative projects, wash away the pain and sadness of experiences during fall and winter, and dance with us as we burst into this new season of hope, happiness, and possibilities.
Let’s find out how.
Symbolism and Powers of Goddess Ostara – and How to Tap Into the Magic
Ostara is a goddess to invoke whenever you begin a new chapter in yourself, start a new project, or need inspiration to make a change. Her spirit lives within you whenever you connect with her (not just on March 20). Here are some of her powers:
Dawn and the Rising Sun: Ostara is a Sun goddess, representing the “growing” Sun as she begins to rise higher in the sky, bringing light and warmth to the world.
Need a little help getting started with something? Ask Ostara to help you, and she’ll make the process joyous and easy.
If you’re someone who likes to rise early and see the dawn, say a prayer to Ostara as the light of the Sun warms your eyes and face. Ask her help on whatever you have to do today.
(Dawn at Stonehenge on spring equinox is shown here.)
Fertility and Renewal: As a fertility goddess, Ostara is the bringer of new life. Her energy was believed to inspire the growth of plants and the birth of new animals.
In pre-Christian Europe, this time of year marked the beginning of the planting season.
Need some help making a new habit stick, or finding a way to stay with a project that needs to be done (but you have zero desire to do)?
Ask Ostara for some ideas on nurturing that seed that you’ve planted (but isn’t growing right now).
Hares and Rabbits: The hare (or rabbit) is an important symbol of Ostara, representing fertility (and creativity) due to its prodigious reproductive abilities. Hares are said to be sacred to Ostara, and seen as her companions or sacred animals.
One of the most well-known stories involving Ostara is the transformation of a bird into a hare. According to legend, Ostara found a bird who had been caught in a cold storm. To save it, she turned the bird into a hare so it could survive the harsh weather.
In thanks to Ostara, the bird-hare began to lay eggs, symbolizing new life and luxurious profusion of spring.
This transformation from bird to hare is the origin of the Easter Bunny and the tradition of decorating eggs (more on that below).
Do you feel that you never have enough time to finish your to-do list (and more importantly, to get to the creative projects you really want to do)?
Enchant a rabbit image or a tiny rabbit figurine to help you get everything done by “doing it for you” in the easiest way possible. You’ll feel yourself moving through the day as if someone else were inside you doing the work. It’s the industrious power of rabbit-energy.
Eggs as a Magical Talisman: As mentioned above, eggs are an important symbol of Ostara’s power.
Enchant an egg, and cover it with symbols that represent what you want to give birth to in your life.
If you want to keep the egg to use in magic or to hold in meditation, create a small hole at either end of the egg, blow out the inside of the raw egg and let the shell dry before decorating.
You can also take the egg and plant it in your garden, planting herbs above it that relate to the magic you’re trying to create. (Rosemary for power, basil for business success, rose or lavender for beauty, thyme for health . . . .) The growth and health of the plant will reveal whether your wish/intention will be granted/realized.
Spring Flowers: Flowers that bloom in early spring, such as daffodils, primroses, and crocuses, are also symbols of Ostara.
These flowers were often incorporated into rituals as offerings to the goddess, symbolizing the first blooms of the season.
Make an offering to the goddess of little spring flowers you find on your path (snowdrops, lilies of the valley, violets . . .) or a sprig of cherry blossom. This is one way to connect with Ostara and make friends with her.
The Colors of Spring: The colors most closely associated with Ostara are pastel shades, particularly green, yellow, pink, and purple.
Green represents the renewal of the Earth, yellow reflects the light of the Sun, and pink and purple are connected to love, beauty, and the flowering of life.
If you like one or more of these colors, wear them, decorate with them, and bring spring into your home this March and April.
Spring Equinox and the Natural World: Effects on Animals and Plants
The arrival of spring equinox and the magical energy of Ostara brings profound changes to the natural world.
During the winter months, many animals hibernate, conserving their energy until the return of warm weather and food sources.
Around the spring equinox, animals begin to awaken. Birds return from migration and mammals emerge from their dens, bringing a fresh burst of life to the landscape.
This is the time when farmers and gardeners prepare for planting. The warmth and light of the Sun coax seeds out of dormancy, allowing them to sprout and grow. Trees begin to bud, flowers bloom, and the grass turns green once more. It is a time of incredible renewal for plants, as they absorb the Sun’s energy and begin their growth cycle.
It’s also the beginning of mating season, when many species will soon give birth to their young.
As part of the animal queendom, we humans, too, come out of our own dormant season. Many of us feel an urge to get back into action and start over, with increased energy and optimism — as if March 20 were the real new year. Here are some additional magical practices to assist with this “new year” feeling.
Magical Spring Equinox Practices and Spells
Whether you want to manifest new opportunities, sow the seeds of a new project, change your appearance and vibe, or attract love — or make any kind of transformation you desire — here’s how to invite Ostara to help you. Three super-powerful steps.
#1 Clean your living space, working space, and energy field
Let go of the dormant state of winter and embrace the beginning of the active, growth seasons of the year.
Do an old-fashioned spring cleaning — but make it fun by playing your favorite music and imagining the craziest dreams you have about what you want this year. If you hate cleaning (like I do), set a timer for just 10 minutes, and just do a little bit several times a day.
If you can, throw away all the rags or towels that hold old household dirt, and as you dispose of them, visualize everything that displeases you leaving your home or office along with the dirt.
Now, what about your personal energy field?
If you love herbs and essential oils, you can perform a ritual bath or shower with herbs like lavender, rosemary, and rose petals, all of which are associated with renewal and purification. To avoid clean up of the herbs, brew them into a tea and ritualistically rinse your body with the tea (if you’re taking a shower) or pour it into your bath water.
Other energy cleansing choices: citrus oil or citrus peels, or just plain epsom salt or table salt.
#2 Honor your shadow and light
Make a list of your Sun qualities (the way you want others to see you) and your Moon (shadow or hidden) qualities.
Are there personality traits that you want to strengthen? Any that you want to weaken —those that you feel have too much control over you?
Are there shadow qualities you have that can also be strengths? And light qualities that are too hard to maintain and actually hurt you sometimes?
What do you want to release? What do you want to embrace?
Light candles to represent the growing power of the Sun, and use black garden stones to represent the balance between light and shadow. Or try meditating with black-and-white rainbow moonstone to integrate both aspects in one.
Notice how our shadow aspects can ground us. Too much light can cause anxiety and overwork.
Honor and accept all aspects of yourself.
#3 Do a simple manifestation spell
Plant the metaphorical or physical seeds to manifest your desires.
Write down your goals on a piece of paper and bury it in the earth, watering it as you would water a plant. Or, even better, “plant” your petition paper under seeds you’re starting indoors and ask the seed to help your dream come into being as the plant grows.
You can also draw or collage a vision board using sigils or other symbols of what you want your life to look like this year.
If you’ve never tried automatic writing, it’s a way to let your higher self, ancestors, or spirit guides speak through your pen. Grab some papeer and a pen or pencil and just let your hand draw circles or squiggles on the page until words automatically start coming out.
The idea is to let your mind go blank and just let the writing occur. You might be surprised what you get. You can use the same technique to ask a question. For example, “What should I do about __________________?” See what advice automatically comes from your pen.
Traditional Ostara Practices of the Anglo-Saxons and Celts
Want to know more about how to celebrate pagan spring equinox and how it was marked by the ancient Saxons and Celts? Here are a few things we know.
Saxon Practices of Ostara
The Saxons lived in what is now modern-day Germany and parts of the United Kingdom. Here are a few ways they honored Ostara (or Eostre), as the goddess of spring and the rebirth of nature.
Celebrating the Return of the Sun
One of the core rituals among the Saxons during Ostara was to celebrate the return of the Sun and the triumph of light over darkness. This often included bonfires or hearth fires, symbolizing the return of the Sun’s power.
People gathered around these fires, dancing and singing to honor the Sun and to encourage its energy to grow.
Ritual fires and feasting around them celebrated the warmth and light that allow humans, animals, and plants to thrive.
Decorating Eggs
The egg was a mystical symbol of the beginning of new life and used in several ways during Ostara.
The Saxons offered eggs to the goddess Eostre, as a kind of sympathetic magic, decorating them with colorful dyes and symbols.
Eggs were also a medium for magic and divination. Some traditions suggest that the Saxons cracked open decorated eggs to read the yolk for insight into the future harvest, and egg shells may also have been used to tell the future.
(Ukrainian Easter eggs are shown here.)
Baking Eostre's Bread
In Saxon tradition, baked goods were an important part of ritual offerings, especially around Ostara.
The most famous of these is "Eostre’s Bread," which was often baked with precious ingredients of Earth’s bounty, such as honey, nuts, and seeds. The bread was shaped into symbols of the Sun or the goddess herself, sometimes with sunwheel designs or decorated with sacred geometric patterns.
This bread was shared around a communal fire, symbolizing unity and community prosperity.
The hot-cross bun pictured here pre-dates Christianity (as do almost all Christian holiday traditions). The equilateral cross is an ancient symbol of the Sun, and can also signify the four seasons or the four primary phases of the Moon.
Celtic Practices of Ostara
The Celts lived across a vast area covering parts of present-day Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and France. Their religious practices revolved around nature worship, and veneration of natural forces such as the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth itself. Celtic rituals often had a direct connection to the land and the agricultural calendar.
Fire Festivals and Sun Worship
Similar to the Saxons, the Celts also held fire festivals around the time of the spring equinox.
One of the most important of these was Imbolc, which occurred a few weeks before the equinox but shared many thematic ties with Ostara, particularly in its celebration of light and the rebirth of the Earth.
Imbolc marked the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and honored Brigid, the goddess of fire, healers, poets, blacksmiths, livestock and dairy workers, as well as serpents (in Scotland) and the arrival of spring.
At the spring equinox, the Celtic tradition continued to honor the Sun's return. The Celts believed that the Sun was a life-giving force that nourished the Earth. Offerings of milk, honey, and mead were made to the Sun or to the Great Mother, who was believed to give birth to all life.
(Solar goddess Graine is depicted here.)
Sacred Gardens and Planting Rituals
We are told that the Celts planted sacred seeds and created small gardens to honor the goddess of spring.
Sacred gardens grew herbs as well as flowers sacred to the goddess such as primrose, daffodils, and violets.
The Celts also believed that certain tree species were imbued with magical properties, and planting these trees during Ostara ensured that their protection for the coming year.
Another practice was “blessing the fields.” People walked among the fields chanting, singing, and offering gifts of flowers, seeds, and grain. In this way, they raised the energy of the land, connected with its spirits, and partnered with it to bring forth flowers, fruits, and vegetables during the coming seasons.
(A branch of an Irish fairy tree — a hawthorne — hung with wishes and offerings, is seen here.)
I hope this introduction to pagan spring equinox gave you some ideas on how to welcome spring in a nature-based way using some of the clues our northern European ancestors left for us.
If you like this kind of witchy, pagan deep-dive, you might want to click one of the links below.
