Spring Equinox
Ostara
March 19th-22nd
Spring Equinox 2023 falls on Monday, March 20th in the Northern Hemisphere
Day and night are of equal length. The first green plants cover the ground in a patchy fuz. This is the beginning of new life and fertility. Snow gives way to rain, petrichor invokes the sensations of contentment and presence. We are laying behind winter’s darkness and finally stretching ourselves to the sun, waking up to welcome the rebirth of the earth. The air is still cool and snow may still linger, but there is a real stirring of something in the works that will soon burst into sudden new life. The cold of winter will only live on in faint memories at the height of summer, we have so much to look forward to. The equinox is a time of transition.
Ostara or Ēostre was the Germanic fertility Goddess. She is the Goddess of dawn and springtime. It was she who ushered in spring, bringing life to the land. She brought blooming flowers and babies earthside. She is the invisible spirit that blows in the returning birds and the rabbits. She makes nature fresh again. Her symbols are rabbits, birds and of course, eggs. Ostara represents the resurrected earth.
Living in the Midwest, our winters are beautiful, but they can sometimes feel like they will never end! For me, the first sign of spring is the return of the bald eagles. Every spring, right around equinox, I cannot leave my home without seeing at least 10 of them! These beautiful raptors can be seen perched in the budding tree tops, fishing in droves atop the melting river and circling together in the cloud covered sky. They are my reminder every spring that soon I will feel the warmth of the sun again.
Spring Equinox Ritual
This is a lovely Spring Equinox ritual that you can customize however you like. Dye some fresh boiled eggs with natural colors and flowers. For this ritual you will want your eggs to be dyed naturally. Gather up some turmeric for yellow eggs to represent the sunlight of the summer to come, beets for pink eggs to represent the blooming of new life, and spinach to symbolize the earth’s fertility. Boil up about a quart of water, add in a hefty pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and your vegetable of choice. Simmer for 30 minute, remove plant matter and let cool. Another option is to wrap flowers or leaves around your egg and place in a cut off nylon stocking, tying it off tightly. This will leave a flower print on your eggs! When the dye is cooled, submerge your hard boiled eggs into the dye.
Take your egg out to your backyard or wild place. Bury your egg in the soil to symbolize the awakening of spring in the womb of the earth. While you meditate on the cold behind you and the warmth that lies ahead of you, think of something you wish to be reborn within you. Plant your egg into the ground and speak out loud your wish. Cover your egg in the dirt as if you were planting a seed. Water it in hopes that what you wish to be reborn will grow within you. Once finished take out your tarot cards for an Equinox spread.
Spring Equinox Tarot Spread
1. What is blossoming in your life?
2. What is taking root?
3 & 4. Things that, like the darkness of winter, need to be left behind?
5 & 6. Things that need to come into more of a balance.
About the Wheel of The Year
The wheel of the year is a round of festivals that celebrate the cyclical nature of the Earth. The wheel of the year integrates festivals from many ancient cultures. Living your life in accordance with the seasons and rhythms of nature will help bring you into balance and leave you feeling in tune with your non linear, cyclical self. Learn about all the other festivals on the wheel of the year in the Learning Center.
