Celebrating the Spring Equinox: A Look into Ostara
There comes a moment each year when light and dark stand in perfect balance — the turning point that signals the Earth’s tipping toward new growth, warmth, and renewal. This is the Spring Equinox, also known in many traditions as Ostara. It’s a time of blossoming possibility, awakening, and planting seeds — literally and metaphorically — for what is to come.
In this post we’ll explore what Ostara/ the Spring Equinox means, its ancient roots & folklore, how to tune into its energies, and ways to bring its renewal into your daily life.
What is the Spring Equinox / Ostara?
The equinox happens twice a year: once in spring, once in autumn. On these days, the tilt of the Earth is such that neither hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, creating (nearly) equal hours of daylight and night.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Spring Equinox typically falls around March 20–23; in the Southern Hemisphere it occurs around September 20–23.
Ostara (sometimes spelled “Eostre” or “Oestre”) is a Pagan/Celtic festival celebrating the arrival of spring — a time of rebirth, fertility, new beginnings, and growth.
Ancient Traditions & Folklore
Here are some of the ways people have honoured this turning point across cultures:
Pagan / Celtic Traditions — Ostara is one of the sabbats in the Wheel of the Year. It’s associated with renewal, fertility, and the balance between light and dark as days grow longer. Eggs and hares/rabbits are common symbols (fertility, new life).
Germanic & Anglo-Saxon — The goddess Ēostre or Ostara was celebrated; the word “Easter” is derived from her name in many traditions.
Vernal Festivals in Ancient Rome — Such as Floralia, celebrating flowers, fertility, and the coming of warm weather.
Spring Festivals worldwide — In many cultures, spring is a major renewal festival: planting festivals, celebrating birth, the return of life after winter, etc.
Ways to Recognize & Celebrate the Spring Equinox
Here are ideas to open to the energy of Ostara and integrate its renewal into your life:
Plant something
Even if it’s small: sow seeds in a garden or pots, plant bulbs, or nurture seedlings. The act of planting is potent — symbolically investing in your own intentions.Spring cleaning & decluttering
As the earth “stirs” from dormancy, it’s a great time to clear out the old: physically (spaces, wardrobe), mentally (habits, beliefs), emotionally (letting go of what no longer serves).Create an Ostara altar or ritual space
Use blossoms, budding branches, pastel flowers, fresh green leaves, eggs (real or decorative), small baskets, birds’ nests, candlelight. Use this space to reflect, to set intentions, or simply to rest in the beauty of new growth.Feast & nourish with seasonal foods
Include fresh greens, sprouts, early fruit, light meals, something fresh and rejuvenating. Think herbs, salad greens, edible flowers, young veggies. Perhaps make something symbolic — egg dishes, fresh leafy herbs, etc.Reflect, set intentions, dream
Journal about what you want to cultivate in the coming season: what seeds do you want to plant in your life physically/emotionally/creatively? What qualities do you wish to grow?Connect with nature
Take walks, notice blossoms, birds returning, fresh green shoots. Gather natural materials — twigs, buds, soft moss, flower petals — to bring back to your home or altar.Celebrate with ritual/action
Light candles (white / pastel tones)
Perform a simple ritual: maybe a blessing of seeds, planting in ceremony, or meditative walk.
Bake something fresh and light (herb bread, floral infused treats).
Share with friends or family: a small gathering, brunch, or picnic to welcome spring.
Ostara Affirmation / Intention
“I welcome new beginnings. May I plant seeds of kindness, creativity, and growth with patience and hope. I trust in the unfolding of this season, allowing myself to bloom in my own time.”
Celebrating Ostara is more than a pretty seasonal ritual — it’s a practice of aligning with natural rhythms, remembering we’re part of something larger, and nurturing the spaces within us that need awakening. In a world that often pushes for constant productivity, Ostara invites gentleness: the courage to begin, to sow slowly, to tend with love, to trust in cycles.
