Rebirth and Renewal During Ostara
The end of winter is here! Well…almost. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, winter can often be a time of darkness, stagnant energy, and depression. Many people spend a lot of time indoors, which can lead to cabin fever. If you have been feeling overly tired, restless, anxious, and trapped, chances are you are ready to bid Winter adieu and get back outside!
When we think of the end of Winter, we often connect it with the first day of Spring. This day is either March 20 or March 21, but the energy behind it remains the same. Ostara, or the Spring Equinox, is the day that we celebrate light’s triumph over darkness. Many people think of it as a day that has equal amounts of daylight and darkness, but that’s not necessarily the case (depending on how close to the equator you live.)
For thousands of years, people have celebrated Ostara. Structures all over the world can be found which have significant meaning for the Spring Equinox. The exact purpose of these structures may not be fully understood, but one thing is certain: the ancient peoples who built them found great significance in this day.
What was (and is) so important about the Spring Equinox? Mainly, it gives us the chance to begin anew. Just as Spring is the season of planting physical seeds, so, too, is it the season of planting figurative seeds. This is a beautiful time to plant your emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental “crops” which you aim to harvest by the Winter Solstice. It is time to evaluate your life and put it into balance.
As animals awake from hibernation and babies are born, we see the deep connection between Ostara and ourselves. Hope, growth, and anticipation are abundant with every new leaf that unfurls and each baby bird that hatches. The outside world is changing rapidly at this time, prompting our inner world to change as well.
Old messes and stagnant energy need to be cleared to make way for new ideas and plans. The light half of the year starts with Ostara and lasts for six months until the dark half of the year which begins with the Winter Solstice. We move from taking inventory of our lives and making plans to putting those plans into action.
What are your plans for action this Spring Equinox? What new path will you forge? Maybe you have always wanted to learn a skill, language, or craft. Perhaps you want to grow your spiritual practice through Reiki, Yoga, or Meditation. Now is the time to explore it! Try something new for a few weeks, even taking just 10 minutes a day for your new project is a great start. After a few weeks, reevaluate. If you don’t love it, quit. Not everything is for everyone, so release yourself from that guilt.
On March 20 (the date of Ostara this year), you may want to perform a celebratory ritual. Here are some things you could include:
*Bless your seeds for the year. Blessing the seeds you are planting this year (both figuratively and physically) is a powerful way to invite in the positive energy of growth and renewal.
*Meditate. Spend some time alone with your favorite God or Goddess associated with fertility and rebirth. Dionysus, Aphrodite, Gaia, Pan, Thor, and Osiris are just a few deities with a connection to Ostara.
*Decorate your altar. Incorporate eggs, rabbits, lambs, butterflies, and chicks into your altar space to welcome Spring. Use pastel colors and yellow to mirror the colors that will soon be emerging.
*Pour honey or syrup on the ground where you will plant. Honey and syrup and closely tied to Ostara. In the Spring, bees wake from their hibernation and honey production begins again. Additionally, as the days warm, sap beings flowing once again in trees. Using either of these as an offering on your altar or pouring them directly on the soil where you intend to plant will bring fertility and growth.
Just as the phoenix lives its life until it perishes in flames and is reborn again, so, too, do we emerge from our own ashes each Spring Equinox. Please know that I am here to help you emerge, grow, and thrive. It’s my honor to support you in your spiritual growth.
Namaste,
P.S. Ready to read more about Ostara? Check out my 2022 blog here!