Indigo Moons
  • Home
  • About
    • About the Store
    • Our Team
    • Practitioners
    • Herbal Grimoire
    • Lucia's Altar
    • FAQ
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Gallery

The Indigo Muse: A Magical Blog

Wheel of the Year: Ostara, the Spring Equinox

3/18/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
The last cold front has pushed through. Your microwave’s clock is an hour “behind.” Restaurants across the city boast buckets of crawfish. That’s right: it’s springtime in Houston.

The spring equinox brings equal amounts of day and night, representing the balance of the earth and rebirth after winter’s chill. And while we may not see tiny buds poking up through the latest snowfall in our part of the world, we’ll watch new leaves and fresh wildflowers dot the landscape.

Thoughts of the timeless cycle of nature lead us to celebrate Ostara, the first abundance and fertility holiday on the pagan Wheel of the Year. It began as a festival celebrating Eostre, the goddess of the dawn (from a root word meaning “morning”) in old Germanic paganism.

Picture
Customs surrounding the start of spring began in antiquity, and many of them survive today - in more ways that one. The language connection between Eostre and Easter is clear, but modern people may be confused about how rabbits and eggs factor in. The reason is simple: fertility. The hare is sacred to the Goddess, and has an ability to reproduce quickly and abundantly. Eggs are an almost universal symbol of fertility, and in some cultures they represent good luck and purity as well.

Celebrating Ostara can become an important springtime tradition, but it can be as simple or complex as you like.

  • Dye or paint eggs for hunting or simply for display. Depending on the method you use, you can then use the insides to make custards, cakes, or salads.
  • Give your home a spring cleaning. Focus on removing worn-out energy and starting anew.
  • Decorate an altar for Eostre or other goddesses, adding flowers like crocus and violet, crystals like peridot and sunstone, and ribbons or altar cloths in green, yellow, and lavender.
  • Plant seeds for colorful flowers, especially those that attract bees and other pollinators.

Other world cultures also have celebrations dedicated to this important point on the Wheel. Marked by rituals recognizing family ties, rebirth, and new beginnings, as well as “spring cleaning” of home, hearth, and spirit, they are unique in origin, but carry a common significance to Ostara.

Nowruz is the Persian New Year, celebrated in Iran and across broad regions of Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as by international immigrants. Originating in the Zoroastrian religion, it is celebrated by some religious groups as a holy day, more broadly as a secular festival. Traditions and feasts vary across locations.

Shunbun no Hi (Vernal Equinox Day), a traditional Japanese festival stemming from Shinto, is the non-religious successor to Shun-ki koreisai. Long observed as a time to visit loved ones' grave sites and pay homage to the ancestors, it now has much in common with other spring festivals.

Whatever you choose to celebrate, remember to dive deep into the joy of rebirth and abundance! (And don't forget that Easter candy works for Ostara too.)


Susan (aka the Dragonfly Charmer) is an Indigo Moons staff member and an intuitive reader with over 25 years of experience. She also teaches Tarot classes at the shop; her next Tarot Essentials class is coming March 29. If you’re interested in online Tarot learning, check out her new Patreon, Dragonfly Academy. Visit her Linktree for all the other places you can find her.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Us

    Indigo Moons has everything you need for your spiritual journey. Follow us to learn about the shop, our products, and all things magical!

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021

    Categories

    All
    Cancer
    Gemini
    Sun Signs
    Tarot

Indigo Moons

1900 Blalock, Suite J, Houston, TX  77080

Hours

Tue-Sat 11 am-6 pm

Telephone

(281) 974-1043

Email

indigomoons.info@gmail.com
  • Home
  • About
    • About the Store
    • Our Team
    • Practitioners
    • Herbal Grimoire
    • Lucia's Altar
    • FAQ
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Gallery