Ostara
Spring has sprung! Yay!
If you’re anything like me, you get to a point in Winter where a 40 degree (celsius) day sounds just darling. Conversely, the same thing happens in reverse at the end of Summer, where a new ice age sounds marvellous.
Anywho, its finally Spring. Flowers are blooming their hearts out, my lavender is covered in so many bees it sounds like a light plane has landed in my front yard, and the Celtic festival of Ostara is upon us.
"Ostara" - 100% Buttercream Mural Cake by Kerrie Wyer
The Spring Equinox
Ostara marks the Spring Equinox, the halfway point between Winter and Summer (Mabon marks the Autumnal Equinox on the other side of the world). The days and nights are of perfect equal length (which this year is Sunday 22nd September at 10:43pm), with days getting longer each day until the Summer Solstice at Litha.
The Equinox is a great time to ‘Spring clean’ both physically and metaphysically. Clean out your cupboards, donate unwanted clothes, ready garden beds for planting. Its also a great time to shake off the quiet energy of Winter, and bring some warmth into your world. Refresh your alter space, bake some delicious goodies, maybe even make a flower wreath!
I’ve wanted to make a flower wreath for EVER, and it always seemed to hard, or wouldn’t end up the way I wanted it, so I kept putting it off. Silly really.
In the last few weeks, two people from my past have passed away, and another has received a life ending diagnosis. Life is breathtakingly short. Make the wreath.
A Witch and her Wreath
A close up featuring: Lavender, Snapdragons, African Daisies, Pansies, and Rosemary.
Colour everywhere!
Ostara is about colour, lots of it. Plants, art, and of course, food!
One of my favourite foods for Ostara is my Five Colour Salad, which helpfully doubles as ridiculously healthy too which is handy.
The general guide is pick something form each colour group: here I have chosen Beetroot, carrot, corn, spinach, and purple cabbage. I also add a little minced garlic for punch. Its great as a stand alone salad, but also makes a great coleslaw base!
Five Colour Salad: Beetroot, carrot, corn, spinach, and purple cabbage.
Intentions
Clearing out the old also means it’s a great time to bring in the new, whether its planting seeds for your Spring garden, or setting goals and intentions for the upcoming season.
I hate setting goals, my ADHD gremlin brain prefers to fly by the seat of my pants, but I hear some people enjoy that sort of thing. I do however enjoy making a collage style vision board themed to things I want/find of interest at the moment. It helps to serve as a visual reminder when my brain shuts down.
I also like to refresh my alter for the season. Fresh flowers from my garden, along with a selection of appropriate stones and some items of personal importance, like handmade items. Even something as simple as sitting down in your garden (or a public garden!) can help you focus your intentions.
However you chose to mark this holiday, I hope it filled with sweets and joy! Happy Ostara!
Kerrie x
