Ostara / Spring Equinox One of the 4 Sabbats, Ostara, recognizes the start of Spring, and celebrates the Goddess, once again in her maiden aspect. Ostara is a time to celebrate the arrival of Spring and end of Winter. Ostara marks the day when night and day are equal and balanced. Christians celebrate Easter near this same time and is based on basically the same principles as ours. Easter is determined in a very Pagan manner, it always falls on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox. Even the name Easter, comes from the old religion, it was derived from the Goddess Eostre. Ostara is also known as the Vernal or Spring Equinox, the Rites of Spring, Alban Eiber, Bacchanalia, and Eostre's Day, and it occurs between March 19th and 21st. The reason for this variance, is due to the differences between the actual astronomical event and our calendar.

Symbols used to represent Ostara are: eggs, New Moon, the hare, butterflies and cocoons. Foods in tune with Ostara are: eggs (hard-boiled, egg salad, or any way you like them), honey cakes, biscuits, cheeses, ham, the first fruits of the season, any foods made with seeds, such as sunflower, & sesame seeds, sprouts and green leafy vegetables. The plants & herbs associated with Ostara are: crocus flowers, daffodils, Easter lilies, honeysuckle, iris, jasmine, roses, strawberry, tansy and violets. For Ostara incense and oil you can use any of the following scents, either blended together or alone: jasmine, African violet, rose, sage, strawberry, violet flowers, orange peel, rose petals, lotus, magnolia, ginger. Colors associated with Ostara are: lemon yellow, pale pink, grass green, all pastels, Robin's Egg blue. Stones associated with Ostara are: rose quartz, aquamarine, amethyst, and moonstone. Animals and mythical beasts associated with Ostara are: hares (rabbits), snakes, unicorns, merpeople, pegasus. Appropriate Ostara Goddesses are all Virgin Goddesses, Moon Goddesses, Goddesses of Love, Androgynous Deities, some Fertility Goddesses. Some Ostara Goddesses are: Aphrodite (Greek), Eostre (Teutonic), Ma-Ku (Chinese), Lady of the Lake (Welsh-Cornish), Minerva (Roman), Isis (Egyptian), Rheda (Anglo-Saxon), Coatlicue (Aztec).

Appropriate Ostara Gods are all Gods of Love, Moon Gods, Gods of Song & Dance, some Fertility Gods. Some Ostara Gods are: Adonis (Greek), Lord of the Greenwood (English), Ovis (Roman Etruscan), Dylan (Welsh), Odin (Norse), Osiris (Egyptian), Attis (Persian), Mithras (Greco Persian). Altar decorations can consist of: hard-boiled eggs colored and painted with magickal symbols - symbolizing fertility, flowers - wildflowers, a small potted plant, a lrabbit decorations, and a bowl of pastel colored jelly beans. Traditional activities during Ostara consist of: planting seeds, potting plants, working on magickal gardens, practicing all forms of herbal work, such as artistic, culinary, magickal, & cosmetic, taking walks through gardens, parks, woodlands & other green places and of course, decorating & coloring or dying hard-boiled eggs. Spellwork can be for: improving communications, fertility & abundance.