Ostara: Balance and Rebirth
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Ostara: Balance and Rebirth
By Beth Allen
Ostara is one of the eight sabbats of the Wheel. Celebrating the Spring Equinox, it falls sometime between March 19 and March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. At this time, as if by magick and only briefly, darkness and light are balanced.
Ostara is the second of the three Spring festivals after Imbolc and before Beltane. Literally and metaphorically we are nourishing the seeds that we planted at Imbolc.
Ostara holds the energy of Aries: bold, active, and courageous! This is the life force energy Nature takes on as she awakens and is reborn. We are moving away from the introspective, reflective Crone energy of Winter and we’re bounding outward toward Spring with vigor and renewed purpose, our vitality matching the Maiden’s.
A Bit of Background: Ostara was named for the Germanic goddess of dawn, and while there is agreement that the goddess Ostara is connected to the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (the origin of the word Easter), as well as the Greek goddess of the dawn Eos, there are multiple theories as to how those connections came about.
The hare and egg origin story: Ostara transformed a bird into a hare and, in turn, the hare gave her colorful eggs as gifts. (These symbols were then used by Christians in the celebration of Easter.)
Celebrating Ostara in ritual, be it solitary, small, or with your community, can be a joyful and fulfilling experience.
Below are some suggestions for tools to use in your daily practice or in ritual.
Symbols: The hare, eggs, flowers (especially daffodils, violets, dandelions, and primroses), honey, mint, strawberries, and spring vegetables.
Crystals: Yellow aventurine, peach moonstone, sunstone, citrine, clear quartz, rose quartz, amazonite, and amethyst.
It’s nice to use or carry sunstone with a moonstone to symbolize the balance at the Equinox. Also, please incorporate any stones that resonate for you.
Candles: Use the colors of Ostara, for example, yellows, lavender, light blue or green candles, really any pastel-colored candle or, of course, a white candle.
Deities: Other than Ostara, there‘s the Greek goddess of Nature and the hunt Artemis, the Welsh goddess of flowers and initiation ceremonies Blodeuwedd, the Norse goddess of fertility Freya, the Greenman, who symbolizes the cycle of new growth, and the Greek god of the woods and fields Pan.
Deities: Other than Ostara, there‘s the Greek goddess of Nature and the hunt Artemis, the Welsh goddess of flowers and initiation ceremonies Blodeuwedd, the Norse goddess of fertility Freya, the Greenman, who symbolizes the cycle of new growth, and the Greek god of the woods and fields Pan.
The maiden Persephone is a wonderful energy to tap into as she now comes up from the underworld to reconnect with her mother Demeter. Also, the crone Ceridwen, who represents rebirth and transformation.
Tarot Decks: Green Witch Tarot, Linestrider Tarot, Ostara Tarot, Tarot of Mystical Moments, Tarot of the Witch’s Garden, Under the Oak Tarot, and The Witch Sister Tarot.
Oracle Decks: The Seasons of the Witch: Ostara, The Earth Speaks Oracle, Goddess Dream Oracle, Green Witch Oracle, The Herbana Witch Oracle, the Oracle of Mystical Moments, and The Solitary Witch Oracle.
Of course, there are many decks to choose from and your personal favorite(s) will work best for you.
Creating a dedicated practice around a sabbat allows that time to feel magical and special, but if you’re slammed for time or feeling overwhelmed, try the following:
Creating a dedicated practice around a sabbat allows that time to feel magical and special, but if you’re slammed for time or feeling overwhelmed, try the following:
Plant your feet
Grow your spine
Breathe in “I feel balanced”
Breathe out “I feel connected.”
And just enjoy!