So you’re part of the Wiccan/pagan/witchy community and are looking for ways to celebrate Ostara. Or maybe you’re just curious about this celebration and want to know more. Whatever reason you have for wanting to learn more about this celebration, Ostara is an interesting event that might sound new to some people, but has actually been celebrated for a very long time. Ostara is celebrated by pagans/neo-pagans everywhere but it is also a holiday celebrated by other religions, though it is not always called by the same name. Whatever name it is given, Ostara celebrates the same idea about Spring bringing renewal.
But what is Ostara? Who celebrates it, and how? If you’re just now hearing about this celebration then these might be some of the questions you have. Ostara is sometimes not talked about much and this can lead to confusion about what it actually is. If you have questions about Ostara or just want to know more about it, keep reading to find out a little more about this Springtime celebration!
Before we can discuss Ostara, we first need to talk about what Ostara even is. Ostara is one of eight holidays on the Wheel of the Year that is celebrated by the pagan community. Because the Wheel of the Year does not follow the traditional calendar, Ostara usually does not fall on the same day each year. Ostara is also usually listed within a three day period because some places in the world celebrate it on different days depending on their time zone. This year, Ostara is set to be celebrated between March 20-22.
So what does Ostara celebrate? In a nutshell, Ostara is a celebration of rebirth and growth. Ostara celebrates the Maiden Goddess, Ostara. As the Maiden Goddess, she is the Goddess of Spring and regrowth. In many faiths, it is believed that as Ostara grows from a child to an adult she begins to come into her gifts and abilities. This is why our days become longer and our seasons become warmer. As Ostara gains control over her gifts, she is able to use them to replenish the earth.
Because Ostara follows the coming of age of the Maiden Goddess, Ostara is also seen as a time to get in touch with your inner child. It is a time to let go of the past year’s troubles and focus on all the new opportunities that face you. Marking the beginning of rebirth and Spring, Ostara represents a chance to start again. It is a positive holiday that is celebrated widely in many covens and communities.
Taking place on the Spring Equinox, Ostara signifies the beginning of Springtime in the pagan community. Ostara is seen as a time to cleanse your home, body, mind, and soul. This is a time for ridding yourself of bad habits and using your newfound empowerment to better yourself for the year. This can mean you make goals for the year to come and manifest good intentions into your spellwork. This is also a good time to set out fresh flowers on your altars, cleanse your tarot cards, and focus on the future and let go of the past.
Different covens and communities celebrate Ostara in different ways, but there are a few common ways that you yourself can celebrate this Springtime holiday. As said before, Ostara is a time to let go of the past and embrace the future. Cleansing your home and yourself of the bad that might hold you back is the most common way to celebrate this time of year and pay tribute to the Maiden Goddess.
Another way one might celebrate Ostara is to decorate fresh eggs with vibrant colors and designs. The egg is a symbol of rebirth and fertility, two gifts that the Maiden Goddess possesses. Decorating them with Springtime colors is a symbol of bringing the energy of Springtime for renewal and rebirth to meet with the Maiden Goddess’s powers of fertility and balance.
During active celebrations of Ostara, it is common for those attending to wear new clothes as a symbol of beginning again, and covens/communities often practice balancing spells to help them prepare for the holiday. It is common to light bonfires and there are ancient beliefs that drinking spring water the dawn after the celebration would symbolize the beginning of a new age.
Some easy ways you can celebrate Ostara at home are by preparing your home for the arrival of the Maiden Goddess with fresh flowers and colors of Springtime, practicing spells that promote growth and renewal, and focusing on centering yourself so that you are prepared for the start of Spring. You don’t have to have an altar or a spellbook to celebrate Ostara. Just taking the time to think about what the holiday is about and how you can use this time to benefit yourself and your life is enough.
Whether you’re already a part of the Wiccan/pagan/witchy community, you’re looking to start practicing, or you’re just curious, Ostara is a fascinating holiday that is celebrated widely around the world. Similar to other religious holidays that take place during Spring, Ostara is a celebration of a new time in the year where you can let go of things that don't benefit you and focus on the good. Ostara is about reevaluating yourself and those around you and really becoming centered with your beliefs and what you want.
Ostara is a happy holiday and is about letting go of your past self and reinventing a new one. It is a holiday honored with vibrant celebrations and traditions to honor the Maiden Goddess and the start of Spring.
