Celebrate Spring, the Equinox, and Ostara!

"Marking the end of winter, the equinox is indicated by the equal length of day and night all over the world. Trees and plants begin new cycles of growth. Butterflies emerge. Birds remember their songs. People leave scarves and winter coats at home in exchange for cardigans and brighter colors.
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The beginning of spring can ignite a desire for renewal and new beginnings. Consider greeting spring with some rituals to welcome change, growth, revitalization, and renewal for yourself. Rituals—those symbolic behaviors you perform before, during, and after a meaningful event—can help mark the beginning of a fresh start or new direction.
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Although there is an extraordinary array of specific traditions, rituals exist in all cultures and traditions throughout the world. Rituals can intentionally and effectively impact feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. They are often used to mark the passage of time or commemorate an ending or a beginning."

~Lena Schmidt for Chopra.com

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Ritual is a way to bring sacredness into our day to day lives. Here are some ways to Celebrate Spring, the fertility of the land, and our souls, and invite a little (or BIG!) dose of magic into our experience:

‍Create an Altar

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Making an altar is a beautiful way to honor and call in the divine. This can be done either inside or outside. Inside, place a beautiful fabric where you would like your altar. Then you can think of the elements; wood, earth, fire, water, air as you connect with your creativity to create a beautiful altar for Spring.

Place stones, crystals, candles for fire, feathers for the air element, a bowl of salt water, and flowers or plants on your altar. Flowers and plants are great for representing new growth and blooms.

~Candles: green for growth and new life, yellow to represent the sun, purple to represent the divine in our lives

 ~Incense may be jasmine, rose, ylang ylang or any floral that suits your nose

 ~Decorate the circle with spring wildflowers.

 ~Place an earthenware or wooden bowl containing soil or a large seed of some kind on the altar.

When making a an altar outside, you can create a border by gathering sticks or stones, then gather anything that speaks to you, You would be surprised by how abundant nature is in providing you elements for your altar. You can also bring crystals or other sacred objects from inside.

There are no rules. Let your inner child create magic.

Learn about Ostara...Oestres...Easter

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Ostara is the third pagan festival of the Wheel of the Year. The name Ostara or Oestre refers to the goddess of Spring and dawn. As a holiday, Easter predates and was originally the name for the spring equinox. Here are some traditional herbs and flowers to use in your magic at Ostara:

Lily of the valley, tansy, lavender, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, lovage, lilac, violets, lemon balm, dogwood, honeysuckle, oakmoss, orrisroot, sunflower seeds, rose hips, oak, elder, willow, crocus, daffodil, jonquil, tulip, broom (Scotch or Iris), meadowsweet, acorn, trefoil (purple clover), vervain.

 
Some good crystals for Ostara are:

~Clear Quartz for clarity, vision and amplification

~Rose Quartz for all kinds and forms of love and heart-healing

~Agate for protection and harmony

~Lapis for self-expression and creativity

~Amazonite for achieving balance of intellect and intuition

~Garnet for connection to the Earth

‍Wake UP with the Sun

“Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields...Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.”  

~Mary Oliver

Get outside

“Earth” your bare feet for 30 minutes

Create a ritual of going outside at the same time each day or to the same spot each week to better notice the Spring awakening occur.

Connect to the Cycle of Your Breath

“Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.”

~Gustav Mahler

Allow the slowness and intention to continue as you breathe a quiet meditation practice that connects the rhythm of your breath to the rhythm of the seasonal cycle.

 The inhale — the beginning of the cycle — is spring.

 The top of the breath — the peak of expansion and brightness — is summer.

 The exhale — the release and letting go — is autumn.

 The bottom of the breath — the end of the cycle — is winter.

 As you breathe, consider how the 4 phases of breath feel in your body. Pay special attention to how the inhale, the beginning of the cycle, feels. Complete a minimum of 10 breaths in this quiet contemplation, trying your best to keep your awareness linked to your breathing.

Write, dance, sing!

“My favorite weather is bird chirping weather.”

~unknown

In any way you wish, give "voice" to your heart's desire for rebirth, growth, a fresh new beginning. Express your appreciation for the greening of the world, the longer days of light...GIVE THANKS!

Create your own cleanse

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"Spring cleaning doesn’t need to be limited to your home (though perhaps it could use a deep de-cluttering). As you head towards Spring, consider what areas of your life could use an old-fashioned tidying up, and then dig deeper. Let your intuition guide you: what are you truly needing to release? Don’t let old habits stand in the way of new ones: this cleanse doesn’t have to be a permanent change, just a one-time refresh. Get creative. Rearranging your room to boost your mood, go through old birthday cards, deep clean the cat box, or donate old books to the library."

~Lena Schmidt

~Yourself, your aura

~Your home

~Open the windows

~Clean out the car (inside and out)

~Sweep away bad vibes

~Simplify the papers, notes, and lists

~Create a food challenge for something you’ve been curious about: try a week being vegan or try really eating an apple a day

~Try purging all processed foods for a full cupboard overhaul

~Toss all the carcinogenic toiletries in your bathroom

‍Have some blessed food

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Whether you just are adding a couple of these ingredients to your diet, or creating a whole feast to mark the date, here are some foods to honor the turning of the Wheel of the Year:

~Tea

~Honey

~Hard boiled eggs

~Sprouts

~Young greens

~Dates, fruits, nuts

Set Some Intentions

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Choose what metaphorical seeds you are planting this season, and how you will water them. What values are you hoping to align yourself with? What desires are you following?

~Consider pulling affirmation or tarot cards

~Create a vision board

~Journal about your latest goals to inform your intentions.

~Light a candle or set up an altar to create a sacred space.

~Choose one to three positive intentions to really hone your focus.

~Tell someone you trust about your intentions to help keep you accountable, or just keep track yourself with a journal or planner.

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“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love.”

~Sitting Bull