I don't know about you, but I have spent the past few weeks peering hopefully at the garden for those first signs of new shoots. The days are stretching longer, the light is shifting from cold and flat to something warmer and more promising, and the earth is quietly stirring back into life. Spring is on its way, and here at Elsie Moss Botanical, that means one thing: it is Ostara season.
What is Ostara?
Ostara is the Spring Equinox, one of eight Sabbats or sacred turning points on the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. It falls around the 20th or 21st of March, the precise moment when day and night are of equal length. From this point onwards, the light wins.
The name comes from Eostre, an old Germanic goddess associated with spring and dawn, and many of the symbols we associate with Easter today, eggs, hares and spring flowers, have their roots in the older traditions of Ostara.
The energy of Ostara
If the Wheel of the Year were a breath, Ostara would be the inhale. After the quiet, reflective months of winter, it is a time of waking up, of setting intentions, and of planting seeds, both literally and metaphorically. Not in a rigid, resolution-making way, but gently.
Energetically, it is also a season of balance and possibility. The equal hours of light and dark offer a moment of stillness before the momentum of spring really builds, and it is a beautiful time to think about what you would like to grow in the months ahead.
Bringing Ostara into your home
Scent is one of the ways I most love to mark the turning of the seasons. There is something about fragrance that shifts the atmosphere of a space immediately, in a way that nothing else quite does, and it is a simple but meaningful way to anchor yourself to the present moment.
For Ostara, I wanted something that felt like that first proper spring morning. You know the one, when you open the back door and something in the air has changed overnight. The blend I landed on is bergamot, neroli and lavender. Bright and citrusy to start, then softening into something more floral and sun-warmed. It makes me genuinely happy every time I smell it.
A simple Ostara ritual
You do not need to follow any particular spiritual path to find meaning in the turning of the year. If you fancy marking the equinox at home, here is what I do: open a window first thing in the morning, light a candle or get the diffuser going, and take a few quiet moments to think about one thing you would like to nurture over the coming months. It could be a creative project, a new habit, or simply a more intentional way of moving through your days.
That is it. Simple, but it feels meaningful. Ostara is a gentle reminder that things change, and that change can be beautiful. After all, something has to thaw before it can bloom.
