10 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate the Spring Equinox (aka Ostara or Easter)

Wheel of the Year

Mar 13

Discover rituals, spells, and ways to celebrate the Spring Equinox

As the days and nights finally balance once again, I feel the gentle arrival of Ostara. This sabbat falls on the spring equinox, usually around March 20th–23rd. Just like Mabon in the fall, day and night are equal here, but instead of tipping toward darkness, the scales shift toward light, warmth, and growth.

The name Ostara is associated with a Germanic goddess of spring and dawn, sometimes referred to as Eostre. While scholars debate her historical worship, modern Pagans embrace her as a symbol of rebirth, fertility, and the return of life after the long winter. Many traditions associated with Easter—such as eggs, rabbits, and blossoming flowers—have roots in these same springtime associations.

Historically, communities marked this season with planting festivals, feasts of fresh greens, and rituals celebrating fertility and renewal. It was a time to honor the earth as it woke up, to bless the fields and seeds, and to prepare for the work of the growing season ahead.

Today, the spring equinox reminds us to honor new beginnings, embrace balance, and align with the rising energy of the year. It’s the perfect moment to plant both literal seeds in the soil and metaphorical seeds in your life. Whether through gardening, spring cleaning, or rituals of renewal, the Spring equinox calls us to welcome the light and step into growth with gratitude.

✨ Looking for a ready-to-use ritual and correspondences? Join the Blog Reward Program to download my free Ostara Celebration Guidebook—part of my Wheel of the Year Series.

Here are ten ways to make the most of the Ostara seasonal energy.

1. Plant Seeds 🌱

The Spring Equinox celebrates new beginnings, making it the ideal time to plant seeds—both literal and metaphorical. If you have a garden, balcony pots, or even a sunny windowsill, consider sowing herbs, flowers, or vegetables. As you press each seed into the soil, imagine planting your intentions alongside them. Visualize your hopes sprouting and growing strong as you tend them through the season.

If gardening isn’t possible, you can still work with the symbolism. Write down a goal or dream on a small piece of paper and bury it in soil, either outdoors or in a potted plant. Each time you water or care for it, you’re nourishing that intention. This simple act connects you to the cycle of growth and reminds you that magic begins with small, mindful steps.

2. Decorate Eggs 🥚

Eggs symbolize fertility, rebirth, and the beginning of life, making them a powerful symbol of the spring equinox. Instead of real eggs, try decorating wooden, clay, or paper-mâché eggs. Paint them in bright spring colors, carve designs, or use natural dyes for an earthy look. Add personal symbols—spirals for growth, hearts for love, runes for protection, or a sigil of your own design—to charge them with meaning as you create.

Once finished, place them on your altar, bury one in the garden to bless new growth, or share them as gifts with friends. Because they’re reusable, you can return to them year after year, adding new layers of energy with each season. Over time, these eggs become cherished talismans of your magical journey, carrying the essence of renewal and continuity.

3. Bake Bread or Cake 🍞

Baking at Ostara is a sacred act of transformation—taking raw ingredients and creating something nourishing and wholesome. As you knead dough or stir batter, focus your thoughts on abundance, gratitude, and the fertility of both body and spirit. The rising dough mirrors the expansion and vitality of the season, bringing a touch of magic into your kitchen.

Once baked, share your bread or cake with family, friends, or neighbors. This act of giving turns a simple meal into a ritual of connection and love. Each slice carries the warmth of your intentions, blessing those who eat it. In this way, baking becomes both nourishment and offering, reminding you that joy and magic grow when shared.

4. Meditate on Balance ⚖️

The spring equinox is a rare moment when day and night are perfectly balanced. It’s the ideal time to reflect on balance within yourself. Find a quiet space and place a lamp on one side of the room, leaving the other side in darkness. Observe how they meet in harmony. Then, close your eyes and sit in quiet reflection.

This meditation helps you notice where your life feels aligned and where it leans too heavily in one direction. By honoring both sides, you embrace the wholeness of your experience. Carry that awareness into the brighter half of the year, using balance as your foundation for growth.

5. Make Flower Crown 🌸

Spring flowers bloom abundantly during Ostara, inviting us to celebrate the beauty and growth of the season. Gather fresh blossoms, herbs, or greenery to weave into a crown or garland. As you work, assign each flower a meaning—daisies for joy, violets for peace, roses for love. The act of weaving plants together becomes a joyful meditation, celebrating your own blossoming spirit. This transforms your creation into a living charm of seasonal energy.

Wear your crown during ritual, meditation, or a simple walk outdoors to connect with the earth’s renewal. Alternatively, hang it as a wreath above your altar or doorway to invite spring’s vitality into your home.

6. Honor Hares 🐇

Hares and rabbits are long-standing symbols of fertility and rebirth, deeply tied to Ostara’s lore. You can honor them by placing figurines, artwork, or images on your altar. If you’re artistically inclined, sketch or paint a hare as an offering of gratitude for the season’s fertility.

If you live where rabbits or hares roam, consider leaving offerings of water, herbs, or fruit to support them. Their energy is lively and abundant, reminding us of quick growth and new possibilities. By honoring these creatures, you align yourself with the fertile energy of spring and the cycles of nature’s renewal.

7. Clean Altar ✨

Spring cleaning isn’t only for your home—your altar deserves fresh energy too. Begin by removing everything from the surface and cleansing it with smoke, sound, or water. Take time to dust and clear away any stagnant energy that has gathered over winter.

Then, redecorate with seasonal items, such as fresh flowers, pastel candles, seeds, or symbols of fertility. This refresh not only beautifies your sacred space but also clears energetic blockages, making room for new blessings to arrive. Your altar becomes a reflection of the season’s renewal, encouraging you to revisit and deepen your practice.

8. Create a Flower Mandala 🌼

Gather flowers, petals, crystals, and candles to create a mandala that embodies spring’s beauty. Arrange them in spirals, circles, or intuitive patterns, allowing each placement to carry its own intention. This creative process is both grounding and magical, as it weaves your energy into the design.

Once your mandala is complete, sit quietly in meditation before it. Breathe deeply, taking in the colors, scents, and energy you’ve created. Let the mandala serve as a mirror for your own blossoming spirit. Over time, this practice can become a seasonal tradition, reminding you of the harmony and renewal that the Spring Equinox brings.

9. Journal Growth 📓

The Spring Equinox invites reflection on what new growth you’re ready to nurture. Open your journal and write about areas of life—relationships, creativity, career, or spirituality—that feel ready to blossom. Consider what seeds you want to plant this season and what support they need to thrive.

Add affirmations, sketches, or symbols to bring your pages to life. Journaling clarifies your intentions and helps you track progress through the year. By putting words on paper, you anchor your dreams in the physical realm, transforming ideas into steps you can grow alongside.

10. Sunrise Ritual 🌅

Rise early on Ostara morning to greet the sun as it climbs over the horizon. Whether outdoors or at a window, breathe deeply and stretch your arms toward the light. Feel the warmth of renewal filling your body, as though the sun’s rays are weaving through your spirit.

Offer a prayer, affirmation, or chant to welcome the season. Light a candle, raise your voice in song, or simply sit in gratitude. This ritual aligns you with the balance of light and dark while celebrating the return of the sun. By welcoming the dawn, you step into spring renewed and in harmony with the cycles of nature.

Bonus: Acts of Service 🌟

The Spring Equinox marks the celebration of balance and renewal. Here are a few ideas:

Plant for the future. Volunteer at a garden, or join a tree-planting project.
Provide essentials. Donate hygiene and household items to shelters.
Support local growers. Shop at farmers’ markets or food co-ops.
Give a second life. Donate clothing or organize a community swap.
Mentor and teach. Help a student with learning or creative growth.

Each offering nurtures beginnings, planting seeds of harmony in the wider world.

Along with rituals and traditions, you can also work with materials—crystals, herbs, and colors that align beautifully with this sabbat.

💎 Crystals for the Spring Equinox

Crystals can nurture fertility and balance at the Spring Equinox. My favorites include:

Rose Quartz – love and compassion
Green Aventurine – growth and prosperity
Citrine – abundance and optimism
Moonstone – cycles and intuition
Peridot – renewal and vitality
Carnelian – creativity and energy
Clear Quartz – amplification and clarity
Amethyst – balance and peace
Aquamarine – flow and harmony
Chrysoprase – joy and heart healing

🌿 Herbs for the Spring Equinox

Herbs awaken fertility and balance in spring. My favorites include:

Daffodil – joy and hope
Jasmine – love and creativity
Violets – harmony and renewal
Rose – beauty and devotion
Mint – vitality and clarity
Lemon Balm – joy and healing
Dandelion – strength and perseverance
Primrose – luck and beginnings
Tulip – passion and prosperity
Parsley – protection and fresh growth

🌷 Spring Equinox Themes

Spiritual Focus: balance, fertility, awakening, growth, joy
Magical Focus: planting, prosperity, attraction, renewal
Suggested Workings: garden blessings, egg magic, balance rituals, love spells

Colors of the Season:

Green – fertility, abundance, renewal
Pink – love, playfulness, compassion
Yellow – optimism, joy, vitality
Purple – wisdom, spiritual awakening
Light Blue – peace, balance, truth

✍️ Journal Prompts for the Spring Equinox

Where in my life do I feel the energy of balance and harmony?
What seeds—literal or symbolic—am I ready to plant this season?
How can I invite more joy and playfulness into my daily routines?

✨ Spring Equinox Seeds of Renewal Ritual

At sunrise, decorate two small stones or wooden tokens with symbols of renewal. Bury one in the earth as an offering, and keep another on your altar. Breathe deeply, inviting balance and fresh beginnings into your life as day and night stand equal.

📚 Bringing It All Together

The Spring Equinox is more than the balance of day and night—it’s a call to embrace growth, fertility, and fresh beginnings. Let your celebration reflect what’s budding, what you’re nurturing, and the joy you’re welcoming in.

✨ Want to keep the magic close? When you join the Blog Rewards Program, you’ll get instant access to my Ostara Celebration Guidebook—a printable mini grimoire packed with correspondences, rituals, a tarot spread, recipes, and journal prompts.