Ostara 3/19

As Spring reaches its midpoint, night and day stand in perfect balance, with light on the increase. The young Sun God now celebrates a hierogamy (sacred marriage) with the young Maiden Goddess, who conceives. In nine months, she will again become the Great Mother. It is a time of great fertility, new growth, and newborn animals.

The next full moon (a time of increased births) is called the Ostara and is sacred to Eostre the Saxon Lunar Goddess of fertility (from whence we get the word estrogen, whose two symbols were the egg and the rabbit.

The Christian religion adopted these emblems for Easter which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The theme of the conception of the Goddess was adapted as the Feast of the Annunciation, occurring on the alternative fixed calendar date of March 25 Old Lady Day, the earlier date of the equinox. Lady Day may also refer to other goddesses (such as Venus and Aphrodite), many of whom have festivals celebrated at this time.

Traditional Foods:

Leafy green vegetables, Dairy foods, Nuts such as Pumpkin, Sunflower and Pine. Flower Dishes and Sprouts.

Herbs and Flowers:

Daffodil, Jonquils, Woodruff, Violet, Gorse, Olive, Peony, Iris, Narcissus and all spring flowers.

Incense:

Jasmine, Rose, Strawberry, Floral of any type.

Sacred Gemstone:

Jasper

Special Activities:

Planting seeds or starting a Magickal Herb Garden. Taking a long walk in nature with no intent other than reflecting on the Magick of nature and our Great Mother and her bounty.

There are many traditions you are likely familiar with for this season and the celebration of Easter. Here are some ideas of how you can celebrate this time of year in the spirit of the original festival Ostara: 

• Dress in new clothes, either make your own or refresh your wardrobe by buying some new pieces. Green is a symbolic colour to dress in for Ostara. 
• Make a miniature greenhouse, or plant seeds to grow plants for the coming seasons.
•  Take a walk and admire the coming of Spring. 
• Spend time looking at what new plants are growing and enjoying the spring flowers. 
• Cook some traditional Ostara food. See below for recipe ideas. 
• Make an Ostara egg charm 
• Try a simple Ostara ritual Participate in an easter egg hunt.

How to Make Your Ostara Egg Charm 

This is a simple way a solo Wicca practitioner can celebrate Ostara. 

What you need: 

• Eggs 
• Paints or pens for decorating 
• A needle to prick your egg or a pan to boil it in 
• Paint or other things to decorate your egg (optional) 

Decide whether to boil or blow out your egg. If you wish to perform a spell involving hanging your egg to make a charm or to put a spell in it, then blow out your egg. If you want the egg to remain whole, hard boil it. 

To blow out your egg, get a raw egg and carefully wash and dry it. Using a needle pierce the top and bottom end of the egg. At the bottom end wiggle the needle around to make the hole wider and to break the yolk. Over a bowl blow into the bigger hole until all of the contents of the egg comes out. 

Now you can decorate your egg. Decorate it with pictures, symbols, runes, words or write a spell on it. You can use the symbolic colours of Ostara to decorate your egg, such as white for the heavens, orange for Spring or red for fire and life force. 

If you have hard boiled your egg you can dye it. Mix half a cup of boiling water a teaspoon of vinegar and a few drops of food colouring. Carefully dip the egg in using a spoon. 

Ceremonial Uses for Your Ostara Egg 

• Thread a piece of embroidery through it and secure it with a bead. 
• You can use the egg charm to make a spell focusing on abundance, or to encourage positivity to come to you. 
• Bury them in your garden to encourage crops to grow. 
• Blow out your egg. Write a spell on a small piece of paper, roll it up and push it inside of the egg.
• Plant the egg next to a tree, ask the tree to guard your egg and fulfil your wish. 
• Ask for love, protection or prosperity. 
• Write your intentions on the outside of the egg, bury it in the garden and plant a seed above it and watch it grow, fulfilling your intentions 
• Use as seasonal decorations for your garden, house or altar.

Simple Ostara Ritual

Winter is over and the world is reawakening. The great Mother, our Goddess, breathes life into the world once more, and the Horned God is playing in the forest, resurrected for another cycle. Ostara is here, and before us lies spring and summer, warmth and comfort, thriving nature, and endless possibilities. 

Many Ostara rituals are intricate and beautiful, but if you don’t have the time or resources for those more complex undertakings, here is a quick and simple Ostara ritual to welcome spring.

What You Need

• A silver candle to represent the Goddess 
• A gold candle to represent the God 
• A plant – in a pot, or a tree or bush; anything that grows out of soil

Cast your circle. Place the two candles on either side of the plant. There you have your representation of the God and Goddess, and the plant representing the life they create together. As you light the candles, say the following: 

“Maiden Mother, Lord Father 

Once again you dance together 

We witness the glory of your union 

As the days grow longer 

And the light grows warmer 

Hear our celebration 

And receive our thanks 

May we live in harmony together

 Blessed be” 

Take a moment to contemplate any creative endeavours or new beginnings in your life. Visualise them taking form and manifesting for you. Feel the joy of all the possibilities that lie ahead. If you want to give your projects an extra push, you may ask the Goddess Ostara to help you: 

“Spirit of Ostara, for these new ventures 

I ask your blessing and aid.”

 Thank the God and Goddess, and close your circle.