Ostara - Spring Has Finally Arrived!

This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the transition seasons of spring and fall. So I’m really enjoying where we are in the wheel of the year. Spring seems to have come early. And I revel in the beauty of the earth awakening.

We were blessed with a mild winter, but still winter has a roughness to it even when the weather isn’t as fierce.

Feeling the earth come alive is healing. Witnessing the trees begin to bud as they break free from winter’s hibernation is a gentle reminder that we too can begin anew this time of year.

Why only wait for the start of a new calendar year to make resolutions and change? Now is as good a time as any. 

Imbolc was a sabbat about planning and beginning to awaken from our winter slumber. Ostara is sabbat about action while we begin to see the reward of spring awakening. 

How to celebrate

This is the time of year where we clean house. Ostara, also known as the Spring Equinox, is a time of new energies and beginnings. What better way to start that then by getting rid of old energies and items that are no longer used?

Here are some simple ways to usher in spring:

Open windows

Even if it’s still too chilly to open your windows, at least open the curtains. Let some of that beautiful sunshine in. Watch too as the sun shifts. I’ve been watching it for months now, seeing it slowly rise and set further north as the earth shifts. If you can, get some fresh air in your home. Fresh air can be very revitalizing and cleansing.

Sage

Cleanse your home with sage. If you can’t, or are too sensitive to burning sage, you can mix sage and water in a water bottle for a gentle spritz in each area of your house. If you can’t do that, then take a piece of selenite and walk throughout your house. Selenite is a cleansing stone.

Organize and declutter

Rummage sales seem to start popping up in spring as people start cleaning their house and getting out more. Now is a good time to organize your home. Decide what you want to keep and what you no longer need or have outgrown. Selling or donating your gently used items is a good way to clean your home and help others while making sure items that still have use don’t end up in the trash. 

If you are like me and feel that items have personal energy attached to them, you can wash or cleanse your items with sage or crystals while giving positive energy to them that they will go to someone who needs them. 

Cleanse and refresh your altar

As you clean your home, make sure to give your altar some extra loving too. Gently dust everything and cleanse it with sage or crystals. If you have crystals on your altar, remember you can cleanse/recharge them with selenite too. 

Consider adding some items symbolic of spring. If you are a gardener, you can add seeds giving them strength and positive energy to enter the earth and grow strong and healthy. Spring flowers such as daffodils, tulips or crocuses can be added for a nice, fragrant touch. 

Nourish your body

I love soups and can eat my vegetarian soups year round (and I typically do!), but as the weather begins to warm up, I eat more salads as well. Prepare a meal representative of spring, whatever that means to you. As a vegetarian, it means more cool foods like cucumbers in my salads, fresh pasta salad or quinoa dishes with fresh tomatoes.

Cleanse your personal energy

As you are cleansing your home and personal space, don’t forget to cleanse your body and energy. If you have worries lingering, give space to those and consider actions you can take to help resolve them. 

Treat yourself kindly, spoil yourself. Take a nice cleansing shower or bath. Imagine all the harshness of winter washing down the drain. Let the water cleanse your body and soul. 

Take time to meditate and get in nature. Soak in the sunlight.

For me, this time of year is utterly beautiful. While daylight savings time through me for a loop by losing an hour of sleep, I relish in listening to the birds and having the longer days.

Our robins and red-wing black birds have migrated back up from their southern slumber and are creating a symphony every morning and evening as the sun slowly rises and sets. It makes even the chilly spring days much more tolerable knowing that each day the earth is awakening a bit more.