Welcoming Ostara: A Celebration of Renewal, Balance, and Fertility

Ostara, celebrated around the Spring Equinox, is one of my favorite markers on the Wheel of the Year. This is when the light and dark come into balance, and the earth begins to wake up in earnest. You can feel it in the soil, in the budding trees, in the birdsong that seems just a little more insistent. It’s a time of balance, yes—but also of fertility, movement, and the promise of new beginnings.

The name “Ostara” comes from the Germanic goddess Eostre, a radiant deity of dawn and spring. She’s often linked with hares and rabbits—symbols of abundance and new life—and many of the familiar Easter traditions we know today trace their roots back to her celebrations. As someone who works closely with the land, this sabbat feels especially alive to me. Everything is stirring—ready to grow.

Why Ostara Feels So Meaningful

Even if you don’t consider yourself Pagan or Wiccan, the themes of Ostara are universal: growth, balance, rebirth. These are ancient rhythms that speak to something deep within us.

As someone who gardens and keeps animals, I see this shift firsthand. Seeds start to go into the ground. The goats are restless. The chickens begin laying more eggs. Everything is waking up.

In fact, before the age of electricity, hens would only lay when daylight and darkness were balanced—just like they are at the Spring Equinox. Their bodies respond to the increasing light, and egg production naturally rises as the days grow longer. It makes perfect sense that eggs became such a powerful symbol of this season—not just as metaphors for fertility and potential, but as tangible signs that life is returning.

And then there are the rabbits. If you live anywhere near us at Three Leaf Farm, you already know that rabbits are everywhere this time of year. It’s no coincidence—spring is when baby bunnies are born. Long before modern agriculture, rabbits were an important early spring food source for people living on this land. Abundant, nourishing, and deeply tied to the season, it’s easy to see why the hare became sacred to the goddess of spring.

Ostara reminds me to align myself with that same energy—to stretch, to shake off the rest of winter, and to lean into the light.

Modern Ways I Celebrate Ostara

You don’t have to follow a set of strict traditions to honor the season. Over the years, I’ve found a few simple ways to make this time sacred:

• Build a Spring Altar
  I gather daffodils or tulips from the garden, decorate with eggs and soft pastel colors, and light candles to welcome the light. A little figure of a rabbit or a bowl of seeds often finds its way to the altar too.

• Plant Seeds
  This is the season for seed-starting—both literal and symbolic. Whether I’m planting herbs indoors or sowing intentions for personal growth, I try to do it with mindfulness and care.

• Decorate Eggs
  I love reviving the old practice of dyeing eggs—especially with natural plant-based colors like beet, turmeric, or red cabbage. Each egg becomes a symbol of potential, of hope.

• Reflect on Balance
  During the Equinox, I take time to check in: Where am I out of balance? What needs more light? What can I release? I’ll often write these reflections down, or speak them aloud while lighting a candle.

• Host a Spring Feast
  When I can, I gather friends or family for a springtime meal—fresh greens, goat cheese, sweet breads, and something honey-glazed. There’s something deeply magical about sharing food in celebration of life’s return.

Ostara Correspondences

Here are some of the seasonal energies, symbols, and tools I like to work with during Ostara. These can be used to inspire altars, rituals, journal prompts, or simply deepen your connection to the turning of the Wheel.

• Themes: Renewal, balance, growth, fertility, awakening, hope

• Symbols: Eggs, rabbits, seeds, flowers, the sunrise, birds’ nests

• Colors: Soft greens, pastels, yellow, pink, lavender, sky blue

• Elements: Air (for inspiration and breath), Earth (for planting and grounding)

• Crystals: Rose quartz, aquamarine, moss agate, moonstone

• Herbs & Flowers: Dandelion, tulip, daffodil, lavender, chamomile, nettle

• Foods: Eggs, dairy, leafy greens, honey, seeds, fresh breads

• Animals: Hares, birds, lambs, chicks, bees

Final Thoughts

Ostara always reminds me to be gentle with myself as I emerge from winter. It’s not about blooming all at once—it’s about waking up, inch by inch, and welcoming the light back into my life.

Whether you plant seeds in the garden or in your heart, take time this season to celebrate what’s growing. Honor what’s coming to life. Tend to your dreams the way you’d tend to a seedling—with care, consistency, and love.

The Earth is stirring, and so are we.