I don’t know about you, but when Ostara rolls around in my part of town, I feel ALIVE. I enjoy the Winter season, but I can’t deny how vibrant and joyful my entire body feels when the Spring Equinox comes. It’s a great time to get outside and re-connect with Mother Nature and really dive into one’s witchcraft practice. Here we provide you with ideas for Ostara rituals as well as Spring-themed divination methods. And, more importantly, offer you our Ostara Blessings so that you might pass them on to others!
Ostara is a modern sabbat based on an ancient Germanic festival that celebrates the Spring Equinox. It occurs annually in the Northern Hemisphere around March 22nd and in the Southern Hemisphere around September 22nd. This is a time when life has returned to the earth – plants are sprouting, flowers might be blooming, and baby animals are nursing. It’s also an Equinox, which means the day is equal to the night, a time of perfect balance on the planet and in our lives. Themes of Ostara include fertility, creativity, love, renewal, and balance.
The name Ostara is believed to derive from a Germanic goddess’s name Eostre. According to Bede the Venerable: “Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated “Paschal month”, and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance.”
We celebrate this sabbat by painting eggs, going on egg hunts, carrying on the “Easter bunny” tradition, honoring Spring gods and goddesses, and feasting. Magick casted on Ostara might include fertility and love spells, egg cleanses, cleansing rituals of home and self, and egg magick of all kinds.
Whether you celebrate Ostara with family or a coven or all by yourself, we offer Ostara blessings to you and yours! We welcome you to share the Ostara blessings below with your pagan kinfolk with credit to Otherworldly Oracle:
“All of nature sings,
of the MAGIC of Spring.
Come out of hibernation,
show your Vernal appreciation,
It’s an Ostara celebration!”
~ Otherworldly Oracle
“May this Spring season bring you love, prosperity, and success.
May Eostre, the maiden Goddess, bless you this Equinox.”
~ Otherworldly Oracle
“Winter is over. Spring is here.
Sounds of laughter and wildflower aromas fill the air.
Paint your eggs; honor your god and goddess.
Ostara blessings to you, this Spring Equinox!”
~ Otherworldly Oracle
Colors | Animals | Themes | Foods | Herbs |
Pink | Birds | Balance | Eggs | Rose |
Green | Sheep | Fertility | Grains | Verbena |
Yellow | Rabbits | Purification | Dairy | Lavender |
White | Butterflies | Rebirth | Greens | Wildflowers |
Always remember to celebrate Ostara in your own unique way. Do what vibes with you, not what we say. But, if you’d like some suggestions on Spring Equinox rituals, we have you covered. You can always substitute ingredients, steps, and modify the rituals to fit your preferences and needs.
You’ve heard of Spring cleaning, right? There’s a reason we feel the need to declutter and clean our homes after a long Winter season. This is because the energy in our homes sort of goes stagnant over the Winter, due partially to closed windows and doors. And partially due to ourselves being more still and quiet during the Winter months. In addition, we often bring in illness and sometimes negative energy from holiday guests can linger. SO after you’ve done your Spring cleaning, cast this purification Spring Equinox ritual to rid your home of funky vibes AND balance the energy.
This Spring Equinox ritual of purification is a multi-step process. It will take you some time, so give yourself at least a few hours to complete it. Any time of day on the Spring Equinox is perfect or the week leading up to it.
When Spring comes, we often feel that pull to express our love and receive it from others. And, if you’re single, you might be considering a love ritual to draw that love into your life. Ostara is the perfect time to cast a love spell. It’s a time of balance and renewal. If you’re looking for a balanced love, try this Spring Equinox ritual to find a mate.
Ostara is the perfect time to reach beyond the veil and speak to your guides, gods, and even elementals. There is balance between day and night, of which also gives us a balance between the physical and spiritual worlds. Plus, Ostara is the day when the faeries start to become more active, and in my opinion, the day the Green Man returns from his Winter hibernation. I’ve heard some say the Green Man returns at Beltane. I don’t know for sure, but I feel when the earth starts to spring to life again is when the Green Man also springs back to life. Speaking of trees and the Green Man…
The Druids most sacred tree is the Oak. I surmise oak was a widely honored tree to the ancient Germanic peoples, as well. This Spring Equinox, honor that time-old tradition of tree-worship and weave dendromancy into your divination. Dendromancy is divining by oak tree. How you connect with the Oak and read its messages is entirely up to your abilities and preferences.
Simply ask the tree a question and wait for an answer. Some people sit under an Oak tree and gaze up into the branches. They might watch the leaves blowing in the wind and see a pattern that brings up an image in their minds. Some might close their eyes and listen to the wind blowing through the Oak leaves. Maybe you’ll hear the tree whisper your answer. And even still, you might choose to gather a few oak leaves, acorns, and pieces of bark. Then drop the items onto a flat surface and read the pattern it makes.
One of my favorite Ostara rituals involves connecting with flower spirits. Flowers are abundant at the Spring Equinox, and so it only makes sense to use them to divine a message from the Otherworld. There’s a few ways to perform floriography on Ostara:
Next to the rabbit, no other symbol is more prevalent at the Spring Equinox than the egg. Witches enjoy using eggs in their Ostara magic as well as to divine a spiritual message. Divination by egg is called oomancy. This form of divination is also done in a few ways:
We’d like to finish by saying, no matter how you decide to celebrate Ostara this year, we wish you all the prosperity, love and happiness this season! May the Goddess and Green Man bless you and yours.
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Citrus_Verbena | 20th Apr 23
Same here
| 5th Mar 23
I know its early but i hope everyone has a good ostara