But first… winter
I don’t know anyone who isn’t inspired by spring, do you?
The winter in my neck of the woods – South Vancouver Island – has been mild except for a week or two of colder than usual for these parts, and a week of snow, when everyone lost their minds and stayed home. I lost my lemon tree and a small culinary bay shrub, because during that unusual cold snap the lights I had them wrapped in failed.
Even though winter did slip by quickly, and the cherry blossoms and magnolias are popping, the first two weeks of March seemed to drag. Then suddenly, warm weather and we all came scurrying out of our homes with rakes and shovels like a colony of industrious ants.
Here we are, at Vernal Equinox, or if you’re celebrating the Pagan Wheel of the Year – Ostara, halfway between Imbolc and Beltane. This is actually mid-spring, if you’re on the Celtic way of keeping seasonal time, or beginning of spring on the North American calendar.
*Southern Hemisphere observes Autumn Equinox. You’ll be noticing the shortening of days, and entering the ‘dark moon season’ of the year.
We Are Nature
Ostara reminds us that beyond the inevitable bleakness and sometimes harshness of winter, when we turn inward to rest and renew, lies renewal, hope, potential and budding dreams. Named after the Germanic goddess Eostre, Ostara sends surges of energy through our psyche and body. We are made to respond to the natural cycles of nature because we are nature. The season trigger an intuitive awakening in our bones to whatever is outside of us. If we listen closely to these internal whispers, we can align with the Great Mother and her grounding frequency.
I’m particularly fond of connecting with Persephone, the harbinger of spring, who leaves the Underworld – return of the light – to reunite with her mother Demeter. Spring flowers, especially narcissus, bring this archetype to the fore for me. She may visit you in your dreams, if you ask or are attuned to her.
Spring can make one a bit wobbly, however, what with the influx of rushing energy and light. There is also a level of expectation, that we will begin to ‘accomplish something’. I like to center and ground myself as soon as I feel spring’s impetus.
Rituals are one way of embodying the seasons as they unfold internally and externally. Following a pattern of activities around the Wheel of the Year offers a sense of continuity, presence and settled emotions.
Incantation
Ah, here I am again, doing what I know to have meaning for me, I honor the cycles within me and the cycles of the Great Mother. I call upon the goddesses and archetypes which support this season, and gather their wisdom. I feel whole in my being, as I acknowledge that I am part of the living, breathing planet, grounded in the frequency of the Earth and the season, the cosmos and the living waters within me.
Here are some rituals to observe at Ostara:
Walks in nature looking for signs of spring
Coloring eggs
Creating a spring altar
Planting seeds
Celebrating with loved ones over a spring feast
Gathering budding branches for your vase
Ordering and planting seeds
Lighting a bonfire – white candles will also do
Doing some volunteer work – you can plan a year ahead for each Sabbat
Planting a tree, or having one planted for you
Journaling spring gratitudes and what you’re looking forward to creating until Autumn Equinox
Collecting your friends together for an evening of circle dance
Gathering Energy
With ritual we can find balance for fluctuating emotions or anxiety. Predictable patterns that our body recognizes year to year as something supportive also rests our mind. These patterns allow us to gather our energy back to ourselves from wherever it has scattered to.
I’ll be using red and yellow onion skins to dye my eggs, and wandering the woods for the earliest pussy willows or freshly green sprigs. One year, a good friend brought tiny, colorful, wooden eggs that I will hang on the branches to decorate our table. The larger painted wooden eggs collected over the years in my Polish neighborhood back in the day, will sit in a basket beneath the vase, and some will bless my spring altar.
Blessed Equinox, Wildlings. You are the magic.
You’re Invited! I’d love to see you at my book’s first signing, give you a big hug and thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting this little book with big dreams of being of benefit.