The wheel of the year: Ostara, new beginnings.
Have you felt it? That rising sense of energy in your body? I can only describe it as all of my cells coming back to life. It’s a recognition or maybe a calling, my body mirroring nature beginning the next cycle. That’s why I love the wheel of the year, these celebrations throughout the year are markers for the cyclical way of living. Reminders that light comes and it goes, that we need winters to let things die & transform and springs for new beginnings and the opportunity to emerge.
Our bodies know.
You might have noticed that I didn’t write about Imbolc, truth was that I was deep into moving and February was a challenging month so finding time to write felt impossible. The move also completely threw my routine which I am slowly re-establishing now. The tail end of winter is always a challenge and we have had nothing but rain for weeks, it’s impossible to not feel out of energy.
But here we are, half way through March and my body is waking up, suddenly I am starting to feel capable again. The birds singing and the magnolias are blooming. The other day I stopped and watched bumble bees collecting pollen from inside crocuses for a good few mins. Every time the sun comes out my body responds with joy, we really are just over complicated plants.
And so we find ourselves about to welcome in Ostara over Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th, more commonly known as the Spring Equinox. We are also seeing the end of the astrological year as we close out Pisces season and welcome in Aries. This next week in my eyes is the actual new year. Suddenly I feel capable again and ready to take part.
I have spent the winter shedding old skins and now I am ready to emerge. All the inner work is ready to manifest into our outer worlds. Now is the time for action.
So what is Ostara?
It’s actually a Pagan festival that celebrates the arrival of Spring and it was hijacked by christianity and made into Easter. They like to do that. Rather than celebrating the resurrection of a man though, Ostara is a celebration of the return to the light and the awakening of the natural world. That I am here for.
The goddess Eostre watches over this time of year. Eostre represents fertility, new beginnings and the return of the light. She is always accompanied by a Hare or two. If you wanted a bountiful harvest this was your moment to seek blessings from Eostre through rituals and offerings.
While most of us no longer farm in the traditional sense anymore, I think it’s a really lovely time to slow down a little, set some intentions and soak in the beginnings that are unfolding at the moment. So today I thought I would share some things that you can do this week to celebrate Ostara.
Get out into nature.
I did a 13mile walk yesterday and took a moment to welcome in the Hawthorn blossom while walking over the cliffs from Dover. A simple ritual of acknowledging all of the new life. Tomorrow I will go and bathe in the forest near Pearl and witness the bluebell shoots coming up and maybe the first of the Chestnut leaves unfurling. Being in nature during this time grounds us into the moment and wakes us up from the inside out. I always feel like nature is my reminder that at any given moment I am exactly where I need to be, that if I just attune myself to my body and it’s natural rhythms that I can’t be anything less than exactly who I am meant to be.
Nature also reminds me that magic is real. How can it possibly not be when we have cherry blossom and magnolias in the world. So head out and find some magic to witness and let your body soak up the joys of a new cycle.
Plant some seeds.
I can tell you right now that if I had a garden I would be throwing down all the wild flower seeds so I could enjoy the process of watching them grow into bloom for June. I long for a garden so I can grow vegetables, so if you have access to a garden, go and plant something so you can enjoy witnessing new life arriving. I have some pretty big windows sills so maybe I will get some window boxes.
You can also plant some metaphorical seeds, what in your life do you want to nurture over the summer? What would you like to harvest come August/September? Now is the time to throw your energy into making shit happen.
Clean!
I love a clean. Now is the perfect time to cleanse your space and clean the windows to let more light in. Buy yourself some tulips and clear out anything you no longer want by donating or selling. We also have a full moon over the 24th/25th in Libra and it’s the first Lunar eclipse of the year. This is a time for leaving behind what no longer serves you. It can feel really uncomfortable as the eclipse alongside the full moon will magnify anything in your life that is out of alignment and needs course correcting. So it’s a good time for a life clear out.
Have a feast.
As we wake up from the winter we are probably feeling more inclined to gather and a Ostara feast is the perfect time for that. Spring vegetables like asparagus and peas, yummy salads and also lamb if you eat meat all make great Ostara foods. You could also make some honey cakes. And of course eggs are very symbolic of this time as they represent new life but also the cyclical nature of all things. As you prepare and share the food take a moment to express gratitude for the gifts nature gives us.
As well as sharing food with your immediate community, it’s also worth sharing with others who might not have the same resources as you. Donate to a food bank or spend sometime volunteering if you can.
Some journal prompts…
What needs to die away to make room for what you want to welcome in?
How would you like to feel at the Autumn equinox or Samhain?
What intentions would you like to work with over the next 6 months?
Are you holding on to any past resentments or patterns?