Egg Magic for Ostara: Natural Dyes, Rituals, and Intention
Eggs have always been one of my favorite symbols of Ostara. They carry so much magic—fertility, new life, transformation—all tucked inside a simple shell. Every year around the Spring Equinox, I set aside time to decorate eggs as a personal ritual and often share the practice with my coven or family. It’s joyful, creative, and deeply symbolic.
In this post, I’ll share how I like to make natural egg dyes from things in my kitchen or garden, some favorite decorating techniques, and a few magical ways to incorporate eggs into your Ostara celebration.
Why Eggs Are Sacred at Ostara
For generations, eggs have symbolized the potential of life—tiny vessels holding possibility. At Ostara, when the earth is waking and the balance of light and dark tips toward growth, eggs feel especially sacred. They remind me of the unseen magic happening underground, in the seeds, in the womb, in our own lives.
When I decorate eggs, I think of it as more than a craft—it’s a way of honoring the turning of the season, setting intentions, and connecting with the cycles of nature. I’ve used them on altars, offered them to the land, and even tucked them into my garden beds as little blessings for fertility and abundance.
How I Make Natural Egg Dyes
There’s something very satisfying about using plant-based dyes. Not only do they create beautiful, earthy colors—they also bring a little bit of kitchen witchery into the ritual. Most of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry or growing nearby.
Here are some of my favorite natural dye materials:
Yellow: 2 tbsp turmeric powder
Pink/Red: 2 cups chopped beets or red onion skins
Blue: 2 cups chopped red cabbage
Green: Spinach or parsley blended with turmeric
Orange: 2 cups yellow onion skins
Brown: Strong brewed black tea or coffee
Instructions:
Combine your dye material with 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid into a heatproof bowl and let it cool slightly.
Submerge hard-boiled eggs in the dye and let them soak—anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight, depending on the richness you want.
Magical Techniques for Decorating Eggs
These are a few favorite techniques I’ve used over the years—some simple, some more involved, but all lovely and full of intention.
Wax Resist (Beeswax Batik)
Melt a little beeswax and use a small brush, stylus, or even a toothpick to draw symbols or designs on the eggshell. When you dye the egg, the wax will resist the color. Gently melt or wipe away the wax to reveal your design.Herb & Leaf Stenciling
Place a small herb sprig or leaf (like parsley or violet) on the egg, wrap it tightly in a piece of nylon or cheesecloth, and secure with a rubber band. Dye the egg, then remove the wrap to reveal a delicate imprint.Ombré Dipping
For a layered look, dip the egg in stages—holding it in the dye and lowering it bit by bit over time to create a gradient.Glitter Magic
For a little sparkle, brush parts of the egg with glue and sprinkle with fine glitter. I like to add glitter only to the top or bottom of the egg for a kind of “egg crown.”Intentional Egg Writing
Use a wax crayon or fine-tip marker to write wishes, affirmations, or blessings on the eggs. These can be placed on the altar or buried in the garden to symbolically plant your intentions.
How I Use Decorated Eggs in Ostara Rituals
Once the eggs are decorated, they become part of the magic for me. Here are a few ways I love to use them:
Altar Decor – I’ll place the prettiest ones on my Ostara altar alongside candles, seeds, and flowers to represent the balance of life and the power of growth.
Egg Hunt with Intention – Organize an egg hunt with kids, friends, or even adults, hiding eggs filled with candy, tiny treasures, charms, or handwritten blessings. Over the years, I’ve had mixed feelings about this tradition—but we’ve reshaped it into something that feels joyful and more aligned with the spirit of the season. (See sidebar below for a personal note.)
Garden Offerings – Sometimes I bury an egg at the edge of a garden bed, especially where I’m planting herbs or vegetables. It’s a way of blessing the soil and asking the land for fertility.
Gift Giving – A hand-decorated egg makes a lovely Ostara gift, especially when paired with a few seeds or a handwritten wish
A Personal Note on Egg Hunts
I’ll be honest—I’ve had a bit of a complicated relationship with the egg hunt over the years. When my kids were little, along with my nieces and nephews, I’d watch them tearing around the farm looking for candy-filled eggs, and more often than not, the youngest would end up in tears. It left me with a bad taste… it just felt like competition, greed, and a sugar-fueled frenzy.
For a while, I got a little high-and-mighty about it—maybe even declared we were done with egg hunts altogether. But eventually, I stepped back and saw it differently. The kids loved it. The parents loved hiding the eggs. We laughed, we played, and we started making new traditions that felt a little more balanced.
Now, it’s a beloved part of our Ostara celebration—especially since we started including an adult version too. After the kids are done, we hide mini booze bottles in eggs for the grown-ups (not everyone plays, but those who do have a blast). And for the kids, we’ve softened the focus on candy. Some eggs still have sweets, of course, but others hold little toys, stones, charms, or handwritten fortunes. In the end, it’s just a modest handful of surprises—not a haul like Halloween.
And while I’m confessing things, I’ll also admit I get a little judgy about the plastic. It’s hard to feel aligned with an enchanted, earth-based lifestyle while scattering plastic eggs across the land. So, we try to blend it. A lot of the eggs we hide are just good old-fashioned hard-boiled eggs, lovingly decorated, and then turned into a delicious egg salad for lunch after the hunt. But yes—we still use plastic eggs too. The saving grace is my sister-in-law, who is a total fairy godmother when it comes to cleanup. She quietly and efficiently gathers every single plastic egg at the end of the celebration and reuses them year after year.
What’s shifted most is the intention. We’ve re-centered the egg hunt around joy, connection, and play—not acquisition. And that, to me, feels much more aligned with the spirit of Ostara.
Post-Hunt Tradition: My Favorite Egg Salad
After the eggs are gathered and the giggles die down, I usually head to the kitchen and turn those beautifully decorated hard-boiled eggs into one of our favorite simple springtime dishes: egg salad.
It’s nothing fancy—just the kind of comforting, flavorful food that brings everyone back to the table.
Sara’s Egg Salad Recipe
Hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
Finely diced celery
Finely diced onion
Mayonnaise (as creamy as you like it)
Salt, pepper, and just a pinch of garlic powder
Mix everything together in a big bowl, adjust seasoning to taste, and serve it alongside sliced bread, pita, and crackers. I also like to put out a plate of fresh lettuce leaves and spring greens so folks can make wraps or little herb-packed bites.
It’s the perfect way to ground the day—nourishing, simple, and tied directly to the season’s magic.