Learn about the Spring Equinox & third sabbat on the Wheel of the Year: Ostara. All the history, correspondences, magickal workings, and more.
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What is Ostara?
Ostara (pronounced “ow·staa·ruh”) is one of the eight sabbats on the Wheel of the Year, and takes place on the Spring or Vernal Equinox, when day and night are equal. The name Ostara supposedly comes from a germanic goddess of the same name, and is very similar to the saxon goddes Eostre, (pronounced yow·str) the goddess of the Dawn. This sabbat marks the official start of Spring; and is a time to celebrate balance, and to prepare for increased daylight and the productivity that comes with having more hours of Sun! For our more agriculturally-based ancestors this symbolized the transition of harsh, but restful Winter, into the busy but more fruitful seasons ahead.
Other Names & Similar Celebrations
- Easter – Christian
- Palm Sunday/Good Friday – Christian
- Dionysus or Bacchus Day – Greco Roman
- Alban Eiler “Light of the Earth” – Celtic
- Resurrection of Attis – Roman Mythology
- No Ruz – Persian “New Day” festival
- Chahar-Shanbeh Suri – Iranian
- The Return of the Sun Serpent – Mayan
- Festival of Summer Finding – Asatruds
Common Ostara Traditions
Finding colored eggs, and the story of the Easter bunny are both tied to the pagan myth of Eostre, who to save a wounded bird transformed them into a hare. The hare continued to lay eggs like a bird, and would decorate them and leave them out to show their gratitude for Eostre. Decorating eggs is a great way to celebrate this sabbat, use any standard easter egg kit or try to research natural ways to dye eggs! Choose colors that match your intent, or paint the eggs with sigils or magickal symbols, and then place them on your altar!
Planting seeds or starting your garden are great ways to celebrate Ostara. For many of us we are starting to inch closer to our last frost date, so do some research on your planting zone and see if Ostara might be a good time for seed starting for your garden! If it isn’t, instead of planting your seeds, consider performing a seed blessing and letting them charge on your altar to prepare for future growth. You can even attach your own workings on the seeds, so that they might grow as the seed grows.
Ostara Correspondences
Colors
- Green
- Light Blue
- Pink
- Purple
- Silver
- Violet
- White
- Yellow
Crystals, Stones, & Metals
- Agate
- Amethyst
- Aquamarine
- Bloodstone
- Rose Quartz
- Silver
Animals
- Bees
- Boar
- Butterflies
- Chicks
- Hedgehogs
- Horse
- Phoenix
- Rabbits
- Ram
- Robins
- Snakes
Trees
- Alder
- Apple
- Ash
- Birch
- Hawthorn
Herbs/Plants
- Broom
- Columbine
- Crocus
- Daffodil
- Daisy
- Dill
- High John Root
- Honeysuckle
- Hyacinth
- Irish Moss
- Jasmine
- Lemon Grass
- Lilac
- Narcissus
- Primrose
- Rose
- Tulip
- Violet
Food & Drink
- Asparagus
- Breads
- Eggs
- Fresh Greens
- Honey
- Hot Cross Buns
- Lamb
- Mead
- Radishes
- Seafood
- Seeds
Deities
- Adonis
- Aengus MacOg
- Amalthea
- Aphrodite
- Blodewedd
- Cernunnos
- Demeter
- the Dagda
- Eos
- Eostre
- Epona
- Eros
- Flora
- Freya
- Gaia
- the Green Man
- Guinevere
- Herne
- Isis
- Kama
- Kukulkan
- Libera
- Maia
- Mabon
- Osiris
- Ostara
- Pan
- Persephone
- Rati
- Renpet
- Thor
- Umaj
- Venus
- Vila
Ideas for Magickal Workings
- Abundance
- Balance
- Change
- Egg Magic – protection, cleansings, or burying
- Fertility
- Growth
- Healing
- Light
- Love
- Lust
- Motivation
- New Beginnings
- Passion
- Prosperity
- Purification
- Rebirth
- Rejuenation
- Renewal
- Road-openers
- Seed Blessings
Download your FREE Ostara Grimoire Page!
Recommended Reading
Don’t want to wait to start your next Witchy read? You try Audible Plus and get two free Audiobooks here!
More on the Wheel of the Year
- Beltane 101: The History of the Sabbat
- 10 Easy Ways to Celebrate Beltane During Quarantine
- Your FREE Beltane Grimoire Page
- 3 Simple Recipes for your Beltane Feast
- What is Litha? Everything you Need to Know About the Summer Solstice
- Your FREE Litha Grimoire Page
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Sources
Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials Ostara: Rituals, Recipes, & Lore for the Spring Equinox
