Ostara and the Rites of Spring

March 21st is widely-known as the Spring Equinox, one of the two days a year where there are equal amounts of hours of daylight and nighttime. Many ancient cultures noticed this, and marked the day as a special holiday. The goddess "Eostar" was the patron of spring, and this holiday came to be known as "Ostara."

From an astrological viewpoint, this holiday marks the movement of the sun into the sign of Aries the Ram. Looking at the date from the point-of-view of an agrarian society, it's considered the beginning of spring, with flowers staring to bloom, trees budding and the weather has finally warmed enough to begin preparing for planting crops.

Eggs are a very common symbol of fertility, which is what this holiday is really honoring. When this holiday was adapted and changed by ancient Christians, they changed the theme of the Earth being reborn to that of Jesus, and Easter eggs are still a very popular item for this time of year. There's even a folk myth that eggs can be balanced on their ends right at the moment of the equinox, but in truth, this can be done most anytime of the year if one has a very steady hand and a very fresh egg.

For an Ostara altar, think about

• This is a great time for that proverbial spring cleaning. House are often aired out and refreshed after being closed up tightly for most of the winter months.

• Fresh flowers - early spring bloomers and pastel colors are symbolic of this time of the year.
• Branches from budding and blooming trees
• Symbols of spring fertility - eggs were always associated with this holiday as were rabbits, which breed plentifully.
• Crystals - stones that reflect the colors and shapes (eggs) of the season are appropriate, such as rose quartz, pale aquamarines and amethysts, light tourmalines and moonstones.
• Incense - gentle, floral scents

For an Ostara meal, think about

• Breads that are very light in texture
• Eggs or dishes based primarily on eggs
• Fresh baby greens or dandelions
• Light meads or dandelion wine, or herbal teas