Celebrating the Spring Equinox and Ostara

The daylight is getting longer and the hints of Spring have been in the air here in New York City. In the morning now I can hear the birds chirping with their joyful song that promises the earth is springing back to life after its’ long Winter slumber. Purple and white crocuses are peeking their heads out of the soil to greet the bright sunshine and blue skies. I have been waking up to warmer days as well this week and the snow for the year seems to have said goodbye.

Spring begins on the Spring Equinox which here in the United States is always around March 20 and 21st. This year the Spring Equinox is Saturday March 20. On this day we have equal amount of day and night. Dark and light are in balance. After this equinox days will begin to get lighter and longer each day until the summer Solstice on June 21 this year.

Spring is a wonderful time of growth, renewal, new beginnings, balance, and fertility. It is a hopeful time of year when nature comes to life and is alive with energy, warmth, and light. The Spring season is also a time of rebirth in the cycles of seasons. This is a great time of year to plant the seeds of your goals, dreams, and intentions for the year. You can also choose to just focus on the goals and intentions you have from the Spring Equinox to the Summer Solstice.Some ways to do this are to write your goals, dreams, and intentions in a journal or on a piece of paper. If you garden you can plant seeds that symbolize your goals, dreams, and intentions in your garden and focus on them with each seed you do. If you do not have a garden you can even plant a few seeds in a pot of dirt and place on your windowsill to grow as Spring blossoms.

Other questions to reflect on this time of year around the Spring Equinox are regarding balance and what ways you can create more balance in areas of your life or in your life in general. Ask yourself some of these questions: What areas of your life need more balance, more time, or more attention? Have you been neglecting anything that needs more attention? Do you have enough work life balance right now? Are there new projects you’d like to begin, new goals, and dreams? Are there any goals or projects you stopped working on that you’d like to renew and work on now that Spring has arrived? How would you like to grow this Spring? What needs to be reborn? If you like to write you can write them down in a journal or just reflect on them. You can also do a simple ritual for the Spring Equinox that includes reflecting on these questions such as the one I will share with you here.

In the Wiccan and Pagan traditions we celebrate the Spring Equinox as one of the 8 Sabbats on the Wheel of the Year called Ostara. Ostara is named after the German Goddess Ostara or Oestre who is the Goddess of Spring. Some symbols of Ostara and the Spring Equinox are eggs, baby chicks, butterflies, Spring flowers, and bunnies for fertility, renewal, growth, new life, and rebirth. You can create an altar and have a ritual honoring the Goddess Ostara and Spring if youd life using these symbols.

You can think of other ways you’d like to enjoy and celebrate this Spring Equinox and season. You can go enjoy nature in a local park or garden, meditate and connect to Spring’s energy outdoors, you can go hiking, take a bike ride, plant a flower or garden, go bird watching, draw the trees blooming outdoors or paint them with water colors, dance or do yoga in the sunshine, or sit outdoors and contemplate these questions for Spring in your journal. There are many ways to celebrate this beautiful, abundant season of Spring when everything is vibrant with color and life.

Have a blessed and beautiful Spring season!


Here is a simple ritual for the Spring Equinox and the Goddess Ostara.

Spring Equinox and Goddess Ostara Ritual for Renewal, Balance, New Beginnings

Need:White Candle, Green Candle, Yellow Candle
Incense(optional): Sage, Lavender, or Rose
Oils: Rose, Lavender, or Jasmine
Journal or Piece Paper and Pen
Any symbols youd like to include to represent Spring and Goddess Ostara such as flowers, eggs, bunnies, baby chicks, and butterflies

You can take a purifying bath with bath salts before this ritual and reflect on renewal and self cleansing but this is optional.

Cast circle.

1.Annoint candles with the oil. Light incense and the white candle.

State:“Ostara, Goddess of Spring be with here in this ritual on this Spring Equinox as I reflect on renewal, balance, and new beginnings. Guide me in manifesting the intention, dreams, and goals I set for myself this Spring.”

2. Light green candle and say blessings and welcome Spring.

“Welcome Spring with your beauty, hope, and promise of renewal, rebirth, growth, balance, and new beginnings. I celebrate you today on the Spring Equinox.”

3. Meditate as long as you’d like I silence clearing your mind.

4. Light the yellow candle. Contemplate the questions you have this Spring that relate to renewal, balance, and new beginnings as well as your goals, intentions, and dreams in silence after your meditation.

5. On your piece of paper or journal write down these answers you receive, goals, dreams, and intentions you have right now.

6. Ask the Goddess for her blessings with these and guidance:

“Goddess Ostara please guide me this Spring to manifest these intentions, goals, and dreams. Help me bring balance, renewal, and new beginnings to these areas of my life. Blessed be.”

7.Thank the Goddess Ostara and open the circleYou can joy some celebratory food and drink in honor of Spring after.

Blessed Be.