The Wheel of the Year: Ostara

The Wheel of the Year: Ostara

Ostara (March 21st) welcomes and celebrates the Spring Equinox, which falls between March 21-23^rd each year. Ostara is the point of perfect balance on the wheel of the year, hence the reason so many people attempt to balance eggs or brooms on this day. Light and dark are at perfect equilibrium, making this a good day to balance the masculine and feminine aspects of ourselves.

As many know, Ostara is the origin of the well-known Judeo-Christian holiday of Easter. The Easter Bunny is derived from the hare, which is sacred to the Goddess. Hecate, Freyja, and Holda see the hare as a symbol of the moon. The hare births in the spring, much like Spring births new life to the earth. Similarly, the Easter Egg is derived from the symbolic usage of the egg in Celtic and Pagan rituals. The egg is the beginning of new life, containing the potential for birth and new creation. The egg contains the balance of masculine and feminine within the yolk and the whites, representing perfect balance.

During the season of Ostara is the time for new beginnings. It’s the perfect time to create balance in our lives and invite new beginnings in love, fertility, nature, and our creative minds.

Ways to Celebrate Imbolc

• Plant flowers, herbs, or vegetables.

• Bake Hot Cross Buns

• Dye eggs green, yellow, and purple for your altar.

• Bake a Vernal Equinox Cake to be served with tea steeped in the sun.

• Fill your home with flowers and use them in decoration for your celebration.

Ostara marks the start of the growth cycle. Take this time to reflect on the areas of life in which you could grow and set your intentions using your journal, or a spell.

Tarot for Ostara

Growth Spread: Five card spread, placed in the shape of a T.

Card 1 (bottom of the vertical line of the T): Which part of my life needs the most growth?

Card 2 (Middle of the vertical line of the T): Why do I need growth in this part?

Card 3: (Left Side of the Horizontal Line of the T) What challenges will be presented to me during this growth?

Card 4: (Right Side of the Horizontal Line of the T): What do I need to do to work through these challenges?

Card Five: (Middle of the Horizontal Line/Top of the Vertical Line): What will come out of this growth?