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What materials to prepare for the Ostara altar? |
To celebrate the spring equinox from March 20 to 22 and thus Ostara, you can set up a small altar at home to symbolize this festival and express your gratitude for the arrival of the sun and warm days. Rest assured, an altar is neither complicated nor necessarily lavish; it simply needs to include certain elements that connect with the Goddess and the God and, above all, must be arranged with conviction and desire, regardless of the means. I explain everything below!
What materials to prepare for the Ostara altar?
To celebrate the arrival of spring, your altar should evoke nature, fertility, and blossoming. Here is a list of "basic" elements to structure your altar:
- Colored candles in green and yellow (make sure they are dyed through and through!)
- A chalice
- A statue of the Goddess (Freyja mainly, ideally Eostre but representations are very rare)
- Minerals linked to the sun and fertility such as Jade or Rose Quartz
- Flowers (daffodils which are easy to find in March, a Rose of Jericho for fertility and renewal)
- Painted eggs (wooden or real emptied eggs)
- A altar plaque
- A cauldron
- An incense burner and Oliban incense
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An altar cloth (ideally with floral patterns and/or the Triple Moon)
Now that you have the basics, you can also enhance it with these elements:
- Seeds
- A green ribbon
- Oracle cards representing the Goddess or animals
- A rabbit icon
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Any personal item that resonates with you and symbolizes the arrival of the beautiful days
How to make Ostara eggs?
A symbol of rebirth, the egg holds a central place at Ostara (as it has become with Easter). To respect the pagan tradition, it is customary to take eggs and paint them in bright and pastel colors recalling the awakening of nature.
You can use real eggs (which you will have emptied by making a small hole at the top and bottom) or wooden eggs. Then, let your creativity run free! Flowers, lines, curves, drawings, or simply coloring: dress your eggs in the colors of spring. It is also a great activity to do with family.
Ideally, use natural coloring methods (spices, leaves, etc.).
Then, assign a goal to each egg: a project, a challenge, an achievement... Place them one by one on the altar plaque or in the cauldron placed on your altar.
Where to place my Ostara altar?
Place it in an important spot in your home. On a piece of furniture you particularly like or in a place where you spend a lot of time. It can be in the living room, kitchen, or bedroom. The important thing is that the altar is nourished by your intention.
Traditionally, an altar is always placed facing north.
It should also be in your line of sight. Ostara lasts several days, and you should be able to admire it each day and also keep it alive (lighting candles, taking time for meditation, watering plants, etc.).
How to make an offering of my meal to Ostara?
Every sabbat is, of course, accompanied by a meal using seasonal ingredients. As always, remember to set aside a portion of this meal (or a dish) and place it on your altar as an offering.
To help you, here are the foods you should favor: spinach, young shoots, asparagus, radishes, eggs, milk, honey, bananas, apples, apricots, strawberries, carrots.
I have prepared a simple Ostara cake recipe step by step here.
Final tips for creating an Ostara altar
Remember that an altar lives through you. Creating this space is a sign of great respect but also gratitude for this new season that arrives. Take advantage of this setup moment to reflect on your goals, your obstacles, but also your failures. The arrival of spring is an opportunity to do a physical but also emotional cleansing: let the projects that have not blossomed return to the earth, and allow new ones to be born. Ostara symbolizes rebirth, open your arms wide to it!
