• also called Ostara, Eostre, the Vernal Equinox, etc.
  • date varies from year to year, typically on or near March 21st; calculated as the sun at 0 degrees Aries.
  • a Lesser Sabbat, one of two equinoxes, days where darkness and light are evenly balanced
  • the second Sabbat in the season of Air
  • the time between Imbolc and Spring Equinox is good for cleaning, organizing, and preparing seeds for planting
  • the God is a young man now, growing strong and handsome; this is a time of new love between himself and the Goddess, full of pleasure and joy
  • themes include the balance of light and dark, celebrating the return of Spring and new life, sowing new intentions or desires, celebrating renewed fertility, preparing the earth, and planting seeds.

    Symbols

  • dyed eggs
  • seeds
  • fresh spring flowers
  • rabbits and hares
  • sun and moon together
  • snakes
  • colours include white, pale shades of blue, green, and yellow, gold, and silver

    Activities

  • decorate with fresh spring flowers
  • decorate eggs with natural dyes and beeswax
  • balance an egg, or use an egg for divination (oomancy)
  • observe the movements of birds for divinatory purposes (augury)
  • do some spring cleaning
  • plant some seeds; potted indoors, or outside
  • make a bird feeder or a birdhouse
  • take a long nature walk and see what is emerging from Winter
  • make new ritual clothing

    Food

    Food for Ostara is often light and fresh, with an emphasis on sweets.

  • egg dishes of all kinds
  • chicken and other fowl
  • fish
  • fresh baked sweet breads, esp. hot cross buns
  • honey cake

    Gemstones and Minerals

  • Amethyst
  • Ametrine
  • Aquamarine
  • Kunzite
  • Moonstone
  • Pale chalcedony
  • Pale green jade
  • Peridot
  • Rose quartz
  • Serpentine

    Herbs, Oils, and Resins

  • Dittany of Crete - lifts moods, happiness, magic, psychic development, growth, visions.
  • Dammar - a light, sweet Air resin. Joy, happiness, love, and protection.
  • Dandelion - good luck, growth, magic, psychic development.
  • Fern - weather magic, protection, luck, health.
  • Jasmine - aphrodisiac, joy, dreams, passion, pleasure, sensuality. (*Warning* - handle with care; may cause allergies. Highly toxic; do not take internally.)
  • Lady's Mantle - beauty, compassion, gentleness, modesty.
  • Lavender - rest, calm, consecration, keeping secrets, love, peace, tranquility. (*Warning* - can cause minor photosensitive irritation.)
  • Lemon Verbena - happiness, harmony, love, to prevent nightmares, protection, rest, sleep, spell-breaking, tranquility.
  • Lily of the Valley - lifts spirits, gentleness, happiness, modesty, protection. (*Warning* - toxic if taken internally.)
  • Mace - the lace-like cover of a nutmeg fruit. Fertility, gain, good luck, love, and protection.
  • Marjoram - lifts spirits, happiness, harmony, protection, psychic development, tranquility, weddings.
  • Rose - clairvoyance, consecration, divination, good luck, harmony, transformation
  • Violet - beauty, fidelity, gentleness, harmony, love, modesty, tranquility. (*Warning* - this oil can cause photosensitive reactions on skin.)
  • Yarrow - boost spellwork, clairvoyance, consecration, divination, fertility, love, magic, protection, spell-breaking, weddings.

    Incense Recipe

    This is my own recipe for an Spring Equinox incense; it is loose, and meant to be burnt on charcoal. A part is simply whatever you choose to use as a measure. A 'few drops' is to your taste, but typically less than ten drops per ounce of incense.

  • 2 pts. dammar
  • 2 pts. rose
  • 2 pts. yarrow
  • 1 pt. jasmine flowers
  • 1 pt. lady's mantle
  • 1 pt. mace
  • 1 pt. red sandalwood
  • (Optional - a few drops violet or wisteria oil)