Ostara 2024

 

 

As you probably know, Ostara is the Spring Equinox, a time when we celebrate the rebirth of the land. This makes it an excellent time for both literal and figurative planting of seeds, which is supported this year by the waxing gibbous moon. Rebirth and renewal are similar themes to the new beginnings of Ostara. This makes it an excellent time for any workings involving growth and abundance, especially for new projects or parts of yourself you wish to place more emphasis on in the coming months. Typically, this is a favored time for spring cleaning. This could make sense for you if you perceive this as planting cleanliness. However, I tend to see spring cleaning as a cleansing, a banishing of mess, so I plan to defer as much of my spring cleaning as possible until the waning moon around the 27^th. Similarly, my focus in the garden would be on starting or transplanting the many plants that get started this time of year and I would leave as much clearing and weed pulling as possible until the waning moon, especially if insects are still overwintering in your region. The deity most closely associated with Ostara is, of course, Eostre, the Teutonic goddess of Spring, dawn, and new life. However, while most neo-Pagans imagine Brigid passing the torch to Eostre at this time of year, these goddesses come from different cultures and Brigid is still very much in ascendance as the reawakening land, the bright and shining one, and the goddess of transformation. (As a Brigid devotee, I’m certainly biased!). And, obviously, the many and diverse cultures of the world come with innumerable deities and other beings associated with Spring and fertility, such as Persephone, Ashanti, Saraswati, Zemyna, and Morityema. In fact, many cultures have multiple deities and other entities affiliated with Spring and its many aspects and associations. There are, honestly, too many to name even a representative sample. If you work within a specific pantheon or, especially, if you hope to begin working with a specific pantheon, this is an excellent time to connect with that pantheon’s deities and entities of dawn, life, fertility, flowers, rain, and Spring, even if you don’t usually work with those entities.

The Spring Equinox is also when the light hours and dark hours are in balance. This supports any working or activity meant to bring balance or to explore liminality. In fact, the day before Ostara begins the Celtic Tree Month of Alder, a tree associated with balance and liminality. The alder grows in wet areas such as swamps and riverbanks and its male and female catkins grow together on the same tree, thus it is seen as balancing male and female as well as earth and water and occupying the liminal space between dualities. Alder also expresses balance of opposites in that it is considered both nurturing and martial. It oozes a red sap very reminiscent of blood, thus it is associated with both the blood of life and the blood of the battlefield. It is a nitrogen fixer, which means its symbiotic relationship with a certain bacterium enriches the soil for all of its neighbors. Also, because it favors moist conditions and has very hardy roots, it is excellent at stabilizing soil and preventing erosion, helping to preserve wetland and riparian ecosystems. Alder is a pioneer species; it is able to grow in areas too barren for other species to thrive. It is a very hardy plant, even after being cut. It regenerates easily, it retains its leaves longer into autumn than most trees, and its wood hardens when wet, making it a versatile construction material and traditional wood for flutes and guitars. Due to these attributes, alder is associated with strength, endurance, and protection. Bran the Blessed, of Welsh lore, is said to have carried alder wands for protection in battle. Bran is a martial figure but he is not a bloodthirsty figure. When he went to war, it was to protect his sister Branwen. When he was slain, he had his men carry away his still-animate head and bury it in a special place to protect the land. The Mabinogion, in my opinion, portrays him as more just and lawful than most of those around him.

Alder’s associations are not the only thing bringing in martial energies this Ostara. Though this is not an attribute we commonly associate with Ostara, this year it falls on a Tuesday (ruled by Tiw or Mars/Aries) and the Sun enters Aries (obviously also associated with Mars/Aries). The moon entering Leo brings in even more fiery energy. It is important to remember that Aries often direct their notoriously passionate nature to righteous causes, that Leos are known for their loyalty, and that Tiw was a god of justice as well as warfare. As such, this is an excellent time to follow up on the justice workings you may have done on Lughnasadh, when many of these same energies were in force. While Lughnasadh was very much about harvesting what one had already sown, Ostara should be about what you wish to replace it with. For example, if your Lughnasadh working involved ending systemic social injustices, your Ostara working should focus on building, growing, and nurturing systems that support social justice and equity. In fact, an excellent addition to your Ostara workings would be to donate time, labor, or funds to a charitable organization that focuses on the issue you’re addressing in your working. Whatever your investment, flowing with these Ostara energies will help it grow and flourish into abundant returns. Remember, this Ostara is not bringing chaotic, mindless martial energies; these martial energies are softened by Spring and are distinctly protective and justice-oriented, so work accordingly. For example, if you’re addressing a DA situation, it will probably be more productive to focus on protecting and caring for the victim(s) rather than seeking revenge on the perpetrator(s). If they are still under the same roof, you could do a working to remove the perpetrator(s) from the home or find a new home for the victim(s). You may wish to petition Bran and Branwen for a better outcome than they themselves experienced. This would also be an excellent time to place new wards or recharge your wards.

Tarot cards you could incorporate into your working include 0 The Fool (new beginnings, lack of preconceptions), IV The Emperor (Aries, balancing strength and mercy), VIII Strength (strength in gentleness), and XIV Temperance (balance, past flowing to future). If you work with The Forty Servants, you could incorporate The Mother (fertility, security, nurturing), The Balancer (balance and harmony), The Protector (protection, security, safety), and The Fortunate (happiness, health, and abundance).

If you'd like music for celebration or ritual, check out my Ostara playlist on Spotify! I've organized the songs according to a number of thematic, musical, and other criteria to maximize the listening experience and to facilitate people hiding parts they're not interested in or adding the parts they are interested in to their own playlists. The full song list is available on my Drive.