Ostara (say it "oh-STAR-uh") is the Wiccan and pagan celebration of the spring equinox, around March 20, when day and night are equal and the light begins to win. It's a festival of balance, fertility and new growth, full of eggs, seeds, flowers and hares, and it's one of the eight sabbats on the Wheel of the Year.
If that sounds a bit like Easter, you're not imagining it. The two holidays share a season, some symbols and, in English, possibly even a name. In this guide you'll learn what Ostara is, the real history behind the goddess Eostre (and what we don't know), the symbols and correspondences of the festival, and simple ways to celebrate on your own or with others.
Quick answer: what is Ostara? Ostara is the spring equinox sabbat, celebrated around March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere (between March 19 and 21) and around September 22 in the Southern Hemisphere. Its name comes from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon spring goddess mentioned by the monk Bede. Wiccans celebrate balance, fertility, new beginnings and the Goddess as the Maiden.
How to Celebrate Ostara in 6 Simple Steps
- Open the windows. Air out your home and give it a fresh spring clean.
- Take a spring walk. Notice the first flowers and buds, and gather a few fallen twigs or stones for your altar.
- Decorate eggs. Dye or paint eggs with symbols and colors for what you want to bring into your life.
- Set up an Ostara altar. Add fresh flowers, a white and a black candle for balance, and a nest of eggs.
- Plant seeds. Plant a few seeds in a pot or garden and name an intention for each one.
- Share a spring meal. Enjoy eggs, fresh greens, honey cakes or lemon treats with friends or family.
What Is Ostara? Meaning and History
According to the Wheel of the Year, the eight Wiccan sabbats mark key points in the earth's journey around the sun. The two solstices, Yule and Litha, give us the longest night and the longest day. The two equinoxes, Ostara and Mabon, are the days when light and dark are in balance.
Ostara is the first equinox after the winter solstice, falling between Imbolc and Beltane. At Imbolc, spring was only a promise. By Ostara it's really here: the days are as long as the nights and growing longer, and the land is waking up. In Wicca, it's one of the four Lesser Sabbats, and the name Ostara for this festival was suggested by the writer Aidan Kelly in the 1970s.
When Is Ostara?
Ostara is celebrated on the spring (vernal) equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere that's usually March 20, though it can fall between March 19 and 21 depending on the year and your time zone. Many witches celebrate on the equinox itself; others choose the nearest weekend.
In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed, so many witches there celebrate Ostara around September 22, at their spring equinox, and Mabon in March.
Ostara and Eostre: The Goddess of Spring
Almost everything we know about the goddess Eostre comes from one short passage. In 725, the English monk Bede wrote a book called The Reckoning of Time (De temporum ratione), which explains the old Anglo-Saxon calendar. He wrote that the month roughly matching April was called Eosturmonath, named after a goddess called Eostre, in whose honor feasts were once held. By his time, he said, the month's name had passed to the Christian Easter festival.
That's it. Bede is the only early source for Eostre. No other early text names her, and no temples, myths or images of her survive. Some scholars have wondered whether Bede guessed at the name. Others think she was real, pointing out that her name is related to old words for "dawn" and "east," and to Roman-era inscriptions in Germany to mother goddesses with a similar name. The honest answer is that we don't know much about her.
The name Ostara comes from Jacob Grimm, of the Brothers Grimm. In his book Deutsche Mythologie (1835), he suggested that the German word for Easter, Ostern, pointed to a German version of Bede's goddess, which he called Ostara, a goddess of dawn, light and joy. He linked her to spring customs like Easter fires, but much of this was his own educated guesswork. The painting above, by Johannes Gehrts, shows Ostara as the 19th century imagined her.
None of this makes Ostara less meaningful today. Like the whole Wheel of the Year, it's a modern festival built from older pieces, and you're free to honor Eostre, Ostara or simply the spirit of spring.
Is Ostara the Same as Easter?
No. Easter is the Christian festival of the resurrection of Jesus, and its date is based on the Jewish Passover and the first full moon after the spring equinox. In most languages its name comes from Pascha, the word for Passover. Only in English and German does its name seem to come from the old spring month that Bede linked to Eostre.
Still, the two holidays share a season and a lot of symbols: eggs, flowers, new life and, thanks to German folk custom, the Easter hare. Many pagans enjoy both, and it's easy to see why some people call Ostara a "pagan Easter."
The Goddess at Ostara and Other Spring Deities
Most Wiccans don't honor Eostre in the way the Anglo-Saxons might have. Instead, many honor the Triple Goddess, who at Ostara is in her Maiden form: young, joyful and full of potential. The young Sun God grows stronger, and the two begin to court, a story that comes to its height at Beltane.
Many cultures have spring goddesses you might feel drawn to instead. Persephone returns from the underworld each spring in Greek myth. Eos (Aurora to the Romans) is the Greek goddess of the dawn, and her name comes from the same ancient root as Eostre's. In Slavic folklore, Vesna is the spirit of spring, and in parts of Central and Eastern Europe people still carry a straw figure of Morana, the winter goddess, out of the village and burn or drown it to welcome spring. If you're not sure who you connect with, our Discover Your Deity course can help.
Because day and night are equal at the equinox, Ostara is also a festival of balance: light and dark, rest and action, the Goddess and the God. It's a perfect time to ask what in your life needs more balance.
Ostara Symbols and Correspondences
Many Ostara symbols overlap with Easter, and they all point to the same themes of fertility, rebirth and balance. Here are the main correspondences at a glance. For more, see our free Ostara cheat sheet.
| Correspondence | Ostara associations |
|---|---|
| Colors | Pastel green, yellow, pink, lavender, light blue, white |
| Flowers and herbs | Daffodil, tulip, crocus, primrose, violet, jasmine, lavender, lemongrass |
| Crystals | Rose quartz, clear quartz, amethyst, moonstone, aquamarine, carnelian |
| Foods | Eggs, honey, seeds, sprouts, fresh greens, lemon, bread, hot cross buns |
| Animals | Hares and rabbits, chicks, lambs, songbirds |
| Symbols | Eggs, seeds, flowers, nests, baskets, butterflies |
| Themes | Balance, fertility, new beginnings, growth, renewal |
Hares and Rabbits
Hares are famous for their fertility, and spring is their breeding season. In March they chase each other and "box" in open fields, which is where the saying "mad as a March hare" comes from. Brown hares can run at up to about 45 miles per hour, and their wild spring displays must have been a striking sight in the countryside.
The Easter hare first appears in German writings in the 1600s, as an animal that brought eggs to good children, and German immigrants later brought the tradition to America, where it became the Easter Bunny. There's no ancient source linking the hare to Eostre; that connection is a modern one. The hare is also linked with the moon in many cultures, which is why many witches see it as a lunar animal of rebirth.
Eggs
Eggs are a natural symbol of new life and potential. People in many parts of the world have decorated eggs in spring, and in Christian Europe eggs were traditionally given up during Lent, so they became a treat at Easter. For witches, the egg also stands for balance: the yolk and white can represent the sun and moon, or the God and the Goddess.
Flowers and Herbs
Flowers are the most obvious heralds of spring. Daffodils, tulips, crocuses, violets and primroses are all lovely on an Ostara altar, and lavender and lemongrass make good cleansing herbs. For incense, try dried jasmine, rose, sage, rosemary or magnolia. Keep in mind that daffodil bulbs and flowers are toxic to pets.
Colors
Ostara colors are soft and lively: pale green and yellow for new growth and sunshine, pink and lavender for love and gentleness, and light blue for clear spring skies. Our guide to candle color meanings explains how to use them in your spells.
Crystals
Clear quartz and rose quartz, amethyst and moonstone are wonderful for Ostara. Carnelian and red jasper add courage, energy and strength for the new season.
Ostara Foods
Eggs are the star of the Ostara table: boiled and painted, deviled, or in a quiche or frittata. If you paint them, choose colors to match your intentions. Bread and baked goods are popular too, and seeds and honey add a touch of spring to almost anything.
Lemon cakes, lemon bread and other citrus desserts bring sunshine to the table. Fresh greens, sprouts, asparagus and spring onions are perfect for a seasonal salad.
Hot cross buns are traditionally a Christian Good Friday food in England, but many pagans enjoy them at Ostara too, seeing the cross as the four elements, the four seasons or the four quarters of the moon. For drinks, try milk, mead, wine or herbal teas like chamomile, linden or lemon balm.
How to Celebrate Ostara
You can celebrate Ostara on your own or with a coven, family or friends. Here are some favorite Ostara traditions to choose from.
Open the Windows and Cleanse Your Space
Ostara is all about fresh starts, so the first thing to do is simple: open your windows and let the spring air in. Sweep, dust and clear out anything you no longer need. For a deeper refresh, try a spiritual cleansing of your home or a spiritual bath for yourself, and cleanse the items you'll place on your altar with incense or sound.
Take a Spring Walk
Go outside and look for signs of spring: buds on the trees, early flowers, birds building nests. Gather a few things for your altar, like fallen twigs, pretty stones or a feather. If you cut anything from a living plant, do it gently and say thank you. Many witches leave a small offering for the land spirits, or the fae, such as a little honey, birdseed or crushed eggshells to feed the soil.
Set Up Your Ostara Altar
Start with a base of fresh moss on a tray, or a pastel cloth. Add fresh flowers in a vase or scatter their petals, a nest with real or wooden eggs (or just a few eggshells), seeds, and the crystals of your choice. Moss stays green for weeks, so your altar can last until Beltane.
A black and a white candle side by side make a perfect Ostara centerpiece, because they stand for the balance of dark and light at the equinox. A single white candle works too, for the growing light. New to altars? Our beginner's guide to Wiccan altars covers the basics.
Decorate Ostara Eggs
Decorating eggs is a fun spell in disguise. Dye or paint hard-boiled, blown or wooden eggs with colors and symbols for what you want to grow: green for prosperity, pink for love, yellow for joy and success, plus runes or sigils for your goals. Keep them on your altar, give them as gifts, or bury one in the garden as an offering for a good growing season.
Plant Seeds
Planting is the most natural Ostara ritual of all. Fill a pot with soil, hold a few seeds and name an intention for each one, then plant them and water them with care. As they grow, so will your wish. Herbs like basil, mint or parsley are easy to grow and useful for future spellwork.
Make an Ostara Blessing Water
Ostara is a great time for blessings of courage, growth and abundance. Here's a simple blessing water. You will need: a bowl of rainwater or moon water, an agate or other stone egg (or any crystal), dried lavender, rose petals and leaves, parsley and a strip of lemon peel.
- Place the stone egg in the bowl of water while you prepare your herbs.
- Grind the lavender, rose and parsley in a mortar and pestle, thinking of peace, love, growth and protection.
- Add the herbs and the lemon peel (for happiness) to the water.
- Hold the stone egg, rub it gently to wake it up, and speak your intentions for the season.
- Pour a little of the water into a small bottle to keep. Leave the bowl on your altar, then pour it onto the earth when the sabbat is over.
This water is for blessing your space and altar, not for drinking. Patch-test before putting any herbal water on your skin.
Do an Ostara Tarot Reading
Many witches mark the new season with a tarot reading. A simple three-card spread works well: what to plant, what to nurture and what to let go. Even if you don't read tarot, you can choose a card that represents your hopes for the season and place it on your altar. The Empress, a card of fertility and abundance, fits Ostara beautifully, and the Star brings hope and inspiration. Members can also ask the cards in a tarot reading on our site, which you can try with our 7-day trial.
Have an Ostara Feast
The best way to celebrate a season of growth and abundance is with good food and good company. Cook a few of the Ostara foods above, invite friends, and share what you each hope to grow this spring. For tips on cooking with intention, see kitchen magick for beginners.
Safety notes: never leave candles unattended, keep spring bulbs and flowers like daffodils and lilies away from pets, and wash your hands after handling raw eggs.
Final Thoughts
Ostara is a time to celebrate balance and new life, and to set intentions for the season ahead. Whether you honor Eostre, the Maiden Goddess or simply the green world waking up, keep your celebration true to you. If you'd like guided rituals and lore for every sabbat, our Wiccan Holidays course walks you around the whole Wheel of the Year.
What are you planting in your life this Ostara?
Sources
- Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 1996.
- Cunningham, Scott. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Llewellyn, 1988.
Check out our other articles:
Wheel of the Year: The 8 Pagan Sabbats
Imbolc: Meaning, History and How to Celebrate
Wiccan Holidays: Beltane
Moon Water
See All Articles
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Ostara FAQs
When is Ostara?
Ostara falls on the spring equinox: around March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere (between March 19 and 21, depending on the year) and around September 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.
Who is the goddess Eostre?
Eostre is an Anglo-Saxon spring goddess known from a single early source: the monk Bede, who wrote in 725 that the month of Eosturmonath was named after her. Nothing else about her survives, so scholars still debate how she was worshipped, or whether Bede had the full story.
What is the difference between Eostre and Ostara?
Eostre is the Anglo-Saxon name recorded by Bede. Ostara is the German form suggested by Jacob Grimm in 1835, based on the German word for Easter. Modern pagans often use both names for the same goddess of spring and dawn.
Is Easter named after Ostara?
In English and German, the name Easter may come from the spring month Bede linked to Eostre. But Easter itself is a Christian festival based on Passover, and in most other languages its name comes from Pascha. The two holidays share a season and some symbols, but they are different celebrations.
What do Wiccans do on Ostara?
Wiccans often spring clean, decorate eggs, plant seeds, set up an altar with flowers and a black and white candle for balance, do a tarot reading, and share a spring feast. Many honor the Goddess in her Maiden form.
Why are rabbits and eggs symbols of Ostara?
Hares and eggs are both natural symbols of fertility and new life in spring. The Easter hare comes from German folk custom first recorded in the 1600s, and eggs have been decorated in spring in many cultures. Their link to the goddess Eostre is a modern idea.
How do you pronounce Ostara?
Ostara is usually pronounced "oh-STAR-uh." Eostre is often said "YO-stra" or "EE-oh-stra."
