Ostara, The Spring Equinox + The Goddess

As the wheel of the year turns east,

The air warms and sweetens,

And the sun stretches into the sky.

The ice of winter has thawed into a flowing stream,

Nourishing emergent life.

We call to you, Ostara, mother of the dawn,

to help our intentions grow and blossom

like your abundant wildflowers and your fruits.

Bless us as we seek to cultivate our dreams with inspired vitality.

We celebrate fertility of all kinds and honour our existence as creative beings,

Giving and sustaining new life.

With each new sunrise,

The great mother finds her balance.

Sun and moon entwined in their forever dance.

But now light takes over the sky.

All of life reaches upwards,

Above the crust of the Earth.

For expansion, abundance and healing.

And we sing the songs of springtime with the flicker of hope in our hearts.

~

Ostara, Oestre or the Spring Equinox is the first breath of spring within the Northern Hemisphere. Representing one of two moments in the wheel of the year where there is equal length of day and night and the light is expanding across the sky once again. The spring equinox is a time of celebration, of fertility, abundance, new beginnings and growth with roots in deep, pre-christian history across Europe and the British Isles.

Ostara is celebrated within many different cultures. The Norse/Pagan Goddess Oestre, represented by the egg of new life and growth, is the origins of the Christian holiday of Easter. When the Christians invaded the British isles and Europe they quickly found out they wouldn't be able to erase the current celebrations and rituals that were present within the Goddess traditions. The invaders imposed their belief systems of a more patriarchal, religious model but kept the original celebrations and holidays intact - so there wouldn't be too much initial pushback from the native people. This gave birth to what is recognised today as the Christian holiday of Easter (Oestre/Ostara), represented also by the egg of new life, but without the honouring of the divine feminine.

Ostara is a beautiful moment in the turning wheel of the year to begin to acknowledge the rising feminine energy that is sweeping through the planet. As the great and forgotten Goddess begins to rouse from her slumber of eons and rise in our consciousness, this is reflected in the thawing of the Earth from her winters rest. Ostara marks a moment in time when the birds are happily singing again, there is a warm breeze tickling our skin and the soft aroma of fertile earth in the air. This time of year is perfect for honouring the abundant and fertile energy of our Earth and honouring the Great Mother in her life-giving, sexual and creative capabilities.

Remembering and honouring the Goddess is a process of reclamation and de-conditioning of patriarchal values. The Great Mother is budding in all of our psyches, waiting to blossom and bloom with great love into our lives. Using this moment in the year to remember the cyclic wisdom of the Earth beneath our feet and retune our intentions for the season of spring is a beautiful way to honour the budding energy of Ostara.

Crystal Grid Ritual for Ostara:

You will need;

- Pen and small piece of paper

- Sacred herbs or incense for smoke cleansing

- An assortment of small crystals (rose, clear quartz, moonstone, selenite...)

- A larger crystal point or pyramid for the centre

- A sacred space/altar space for building your crystal grid

Ritual;

- Take a few moments to drop into your body and space. Smoke cleanse your altar and all your tools with the sacred herbs. Offer a prayer of intention to the Great Mother.

- Write your Ostara intention on your piece of paper and fold it three times.

- Pop your paper under the central crystal point/pyramid, keeping your intention in your minds eye.

- From the centre, mindfully build your crystal grid to enhance your magical spell.

- Offer your thanks and leave the grid for a full moon cycle.