Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

As winter slowly fades and the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, we are reminded once again of renewal and rebirth. I look forward to planting my garden and airing out my house and the children look forward to being outside more. (I look forward to that, too.)

Spring is usually the time of year when we really start to think about the cycle of life. Plants bloom and new life blossoms everywhere. Ostara, or the spring equinox, is the time of year to celebrate rebirth. For that reason, it’s the perfect time to hold a rebirthing ritual, although there are other traditions that you might carry out as well.

You can hold a rebirthing ritual for Ostara as part of a group or on your own, if you’re a solitary witch. I have done both and find that there are advantages and positive energy either way.

The following is a ritual that I have performed on my own…

If the weather is nice, then I try to hold the ritual outside. Of course, if it’s still a little chilly in your part of the world then you might want to move it indoors. Some people prefer to go skyclad, but it really is a personal choice. If you have neighbors close by then it might not be the right choice for you.

I begin by setting up my Ostara altar. It usually contains a crystal, some bulbs, flower cuttings if they are available, my altar candle, and a couple of pink and yellow candles to symbolize the colors of the season. I also include a bowl of dirt and a bowl of water in honor of the planting that I will be doing.

After lighting my altar candle, I repeat the following:
“With the blessings of the earth, and the life within the soil,
I am reborn in the eyes of the gods.”
(At this, I sprinkle some of the dirt around me in a circular motion.)
“With the blessings of air, may knowledge and wisdom
be brought upon the winds.
May the fire of the spring sun bring growth and harmony
into my life.”
(At this, I light my pastel colored candles.)
With the blessings of water, may the chill and darkness of winter,
be swept away by the warm spring rains.
(And at this, I sprinkle some of the water around my feet in a circle.)

I then use time to meditate on the darkness and light that Ostara symbolizes and the balance that I wish to achieve in my own life.

I like to include the rest of my family in some of the Ostara traditions and it’s really quite easy to find things to do with them that are fun and meaningful. With my children, I do small crafts in order to help them celebrate the equinox. We color eggs using natural dyes in order to celebrate the renewal of the earth. It’s not as complicated as you might think. In fact, we have found that grape juice makes a lovely shade of purple!

Saint Patrick drove the “snakes” out of Ireland. Of course, this is often meant that he drove the pagans out. In honor of the “snakes” we make a snake wreath and hang it on the front door. It’s very easy to make and the children love it. I purchase a grapevine wreath at a local craft store and using a hot glue gun we glue artificial flowers on it. I also buy a bag of small rubber snakes that are glued onto the wreath as well.

The entire family helps plan the meal for Ostara, too. We make simple foods that honor springtime, such as deviled eggs, asparagus, spring salad, and lamb. Of course, if you are vegetarian or vegan you might want to improvise a little bit and find something that is more suitable for you.

Decorating is important at this time of the year to honor the rebirth of the world so we try to add some color to our home by picking fresh flowers and plants. It’s nice to include these in the house after a long, cold winter. Not only does it make the house brighter, but it also freshens it up after several months of feeling locked in from the cold weather.

Lastly, we always leave a special treat out for the faeries because we don’t want them causing any mischief! Our food of choice is freshly baked bread with a little bit of honey. This is something else that children can help you prepare and it’s fun to get them involved. It’s also been suggested that this tradition might have something to do with the modern Easter baskets.

Celebrating can be a very personal activity and you might have your own traditions that you practice year after year. Here is hoping that this Ostara finds you healthy and happy and that your upcoming spring and summer are filled with light and balance.

Brightest blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”