Welcoming the Spring Equinox

Today is the Spring Equinox (or Ostara for those who observe the old ways) in the Northern Hemisphere which means we’re officially out of our collective Death cycle and are commencing a Rebirth cycle (cue sighs of relief)!

What is Ostara?

Ostara is the neo-Pagan name for one of the eight festivals (or Sabbats) on the Wheel of the Year. Some prefer to call it the Spring Equinox or the Vernal Equinox while some prefer to use ‘Ostara.’ I tend to use both depending on whom I’m speaking to, so you’ll notice me switching between the two names.

While the Solstices mark the longest and shortest days of the year, the Equinoxes see a parity of daylight and darkness (hence ‘equinox’). They also initiate the four seasons while the four cross-quarter festivals (or Sabbats) of Beltane, Lughnasadh, Samhain, and Imbolc all mark seasonal peaks, or midpoints. In its ancient context, the Wheel of the Year festivals were exalted differently across the northern European cultures. For example, the Solstices and Equinoxes held more importance to the Anglo-Saxons while the Celtic peoples observed the four cross-quarter festivals more fervently.

Is there a difference between Ostara and the Spring Equinox? Technically, no. However, many people prefer using the neo-Pagan names (in this case, ‘Ostara’) as they tend to encompass more cultural, ancestral, and nature-based implications whereas the secular names (i.e. 'Spring Equinox’) may be considered more scientific. Also, it’s important to note that each culture has its own names for the festivals surrounding these seasonal mile-markers. The names I use are based on the Wheel of Year which is derivative of the Celtic/Germanic traditions because that’s what I grew up with, yet my Slavic ancestors honored the same festivals but by different names. Sometimes, I like to use those names interchangeably in my own practice because for many of us, connecting with our ancestral lineage is a key part of working with the earth’s rhythm.

Why Celebrate the Spring Equinox?

I speak often about the enriching impact that observing the Wheel of the Year seasonal festivals has had on my mental and spiritual health. Flowing with nature’s rhythm (which means moving with the solar/lunar cycles instead of a linear timeline arbitrarily broken into twelve months) has been the easiest way for me to release resistance and go with the flow.

While I struggle to steer the wheel of my life overall, the Wheel of the Year, or the wheel of nature, is not one I feel the need to control. While I could fill my flat with forced hyacinth bulbs in January, why would I? Watching them blossom in their own time is one of the sweetest blisses of spring!

This way of living teaches me that although I can’t rush the cold, dark winter months, I can lean into the process and use the recovery time for my healing. If I can’t rush it, I might as well look for the beauty in the Death cycle by taking winter walks and pausing to admire the architectural splendor of bare trees. I even discovered a love for rosehips, the autumn and winter fruit of the rose plants, who knew?

Can you imagine how this approach to flow could impact the rest of our lives if we could learn to honor cycles instead of trying to iron them into linearity? Respecting that healing, like nature and life, is a non-linear process is what I call Healing Seasonally. Flowing with nature also means flowing with human nature and it invites us to practice self-compassion as we ebb and flow on our journeys of healing, evolution, self-reflection, and recovery.

Observing the Spring Equinox also requires a certain amount of flow. Although we may be keen to stretch our arms and rush into the sunshine of spring, this festival reminds us that Rebirth is a process, a spiral like any other. We’re only just emerging from a Death cycle. We’re seeing buds and sprouts, not full blooms or stalks. Decaying foliage is interwoven with green shoots. Animal carcasses preserved by the winter frost may be revealed during this transition. As the ground thaws, we’re invited to plant seeds of intention in the mud and soil but we won’t see them break ground for some time yet.

How to Observe the Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox is a festival of hope and also of patience. It’s a a threshold between Death and Rebirth, reminding us that nature, like life, doesn’t change at the flick of a switch. It is a wheel that is constantly and gradually turning. In my favorite book about seasonal festivals - which I didn’t realize is actually a children’s book (HA) - The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature’s Rhythms, the author says the most beautiful thing about this:

“Hope keeps us moving in the direction of light, life, and longer days. Take your time; you don’t need to rush into anything. It’s normal to sometimes feel a little overwhelmed by change, especially since we’re still processing the lessons from Winter. If you feel hyper or pulled in too many directions, slow down. Focus on one thing: one small bud in a tree, or a single bird. The next six weeks until Beltane focus on growth, but also balance. Take them gradually, a little at a time, even it’s tempting to try to do everything at once.”

-Fiona Cook

There are many ways to celebrate the Spring Equinox, ranging from fun and simple spring-y activities to complex and esoteric Ostara rituals. Depending on how much energy I have available, sometimes I create an Ostara altar in my bedroom with fresh spring flowers (usually daffodils) or take a long walk through one of London’s Victorian cemeteries (most often Nunhead Cemetery, which I’m fortunate to live nearby) and notice the undisturbed purple, yellow, and pink blooms shooting up around crooked headstones.

Setting intentions for the new Rebirth cycle is probably my favorite way to celebrate Ostara and observe the Sabbat. After the long Death cycle that we’ve been in since the Autumn Equinox during which we released, rested, and recovered, our internal soil is fertile for new seeds to be planted. Everyone has their own method of manifestation, but for me, making a list of what I want to devote my energy to and realize in the upcoming months is enough.

If you need some help optimizing this new Rebirth cycle, visit the Healing Network on my site and explore different approaches to healing and achieving your Ostara intentions!