Working with the Goddess of Light: Rebirth, Balance, and the Magic of Spring
Who is Ostara?
As the Earth softens beneath our feet and green shoots pierce through the thawing soil, a powerful feminine presence stirs in the wheel of the year.
She is Ostara, goddess of dawn and spring, of fertility and awakening.
Long before modern Easter celebrations with pastel eggs and chocolate bunnies, Ostara was honored by ancient people as the divine embodiment of rebirth, growth, and renewal.
In this article, you’ll learn the history, mythology, metaphysical meaning, and modern revival of the goddess Ostara.
We’ll uncover her symbols and magical correspondences, her sacred presence in nature, and how you can honor her through meditation and ritual during the spring season.
Who Is the Goddess Ostara?
Ostara (also known as Eostre) is a Germanic and Anglo-Saxon goddess associated with the dawn, the spring equinox, and the fertile renewal of the Earth.
She’s thought to be a personification of the returning light, the warming sun, and the balance between day and night that occurs at the vernal equinox, typically around March 20–23 in the Northern Hemisphere.
The name “Ostara” comes from the Old High German word “ōstar”, meaning east or dawn, and is linked to the Proto-Indo-European root “aus” (to shine).
Her name is the linguistic root of the modern word Easter, and her presence is felt in many of the symbols and rites that survive in the holiday today.
Historical and Cultural Context
Ostara is primarily known from a brief mention by the Venerable Bede.
He was an 8th-century English monk who wrote in De Temporum Ratione (The Reckoning of Time) that the Anglo-Saxons named the month of April Ēosturmōnaþ in her honor.
Bede noted that the Christian celebration of resurrection coincided with her festival.
Though no surviving myths about Ostara exist from pre-Christian sources, her connection to spring fertility rites, animal symbolism, and seasonal balance suggest she was likely venerated in rituals that celebrated the Earth’s reawakening after winter.
In modern times, Ostara has been embraced by neo-pagan, Wiccan, and earth-based spiritual traditions as the goddess of the Spring Equinox.
Today, she’s often honored with rituals of fertility, seed-planting, and spiritual renewal.
Ostara’s Symbols
While specific myths are limited, Ostara is symbolically rich and deeply rooted in nature’s rhythms.
Her presence is found in:
- The rising sun – Her essence is in the dawn light, where darkness yields to day.
- The balance of equinox – She rules a sacred moment of equilibrium, when light and shadow meet as equals.
- The fertility of animals – Especially hares, birds, and other prolific breeders.
- The life in the soil – She awakens seeds, stirs the worms, and breathes warmth into the Earth.
Some folklore traditions speak of Ostara transforming a bird into a hare that could lay eggs—giving rise to the legend of the Easter Bunny and its magical eggs.
Ostara’s Metaphysical and Mystical Meaning
Ostara isn’t just a goddess of physical renewal.
She’s a metaphysical archetype of spiritual awakening. She represents:
- New beginnings and fresh starts
- Fertility—not just of the body, but of ideas and creativity
- Balance between inner and outer worlds
- Emergence from darkness—the soul rising after a winter of introspection
Working with Ostara helps you get aligned with the cycles of nature and spirit. She calls you to:
- Plant seeds of intention
- Embrace personal transformation
- Celebrate beauty, growth, and sensuality
Ostara is often invoked in rituals of self-renewal, creative inspiration, and energetic balance.
Ostara’s Magical and Spiritual Correspondences
Here are some of Ostara’s traditional symbols and energetic allies:
Colors
- Pastel pink
- Spring green
- Golden yellow
- Sky blue
- Soft lavender
Animals
- Hare / Rabbit
- Songbirds (especially robins and larks)
- Butterflies
- Lambs and chicks
- Bees (symbol of renewal and community)
Crystals and Stones
- Rose Quartz (love, harmony)
- Green Aventurine (growth, luck)
- Moonstone (intuition, cycles)
- Citrine (abundance, sunlight)
- Amethyst (spiritual awakening)
Plants and Herbs
- Daffodil
- Crocus
- Tulip
- Clover
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Violet
- Mint
Elements
- Earth (for planting and grounding)
- Air (for breath, balance, and intention)
- Fire (sunlight, dawn)
- Water (life force, fertility)
Directions and Energy
- East (dawn, new beginnings)
- The balance point on the Wheel of the Year (Spring Equinox)
Ritual Tools
- Painted eggs (intentions, fertility, manifestation)
- Seeds (intentions, manifestation)
- Candles (dawn light)
- Feathers (air and renewal)
Simple Rituals to Honor the Goddess Ostara
Here are some easy ways to honor the goddess Ostara and celebrate Spring:
1. Build a Spring Altar
Decorate it with her colors, a picture of her, crystals, fresh flowers, and symbols of balance (like a scale or egg).
Add an offering like honey, spring water, or a handful of seeds.
2. Plant Seeds with Intention
Bless seeds in your hands, breathe life into them, and plant them in soil while setting an intention.
As they grow, so does your goal.
Check out my Easy Seed Planting Ritual for Manifestation.
3. Decorate and Bless Eggs
Use natural dyes or herbal inks to paint symbols or words of power on hard boiled or blown eggs.
Bury them in the garden, place on your altar, or gift them as blessings.
4. Dawn Walk or Sunrise Meditation
Rise before the sun and walk barefoot on the earth.
Welcome the dawn, speak your gratitude aloud, and feel the energy of renewal moving through your body.
5. Balance Ritual
Place two candles (white and black, or gold and silver) on a table.
As you light each one, name something you honor from winter and something you call in for spring.
Guided Meditation to Connect with the Goddess Ostara
Find a quiet space. Sit comfortably. Light a candle if you like.
Close your eyes. Breathe deeply.
Visualize a wide, green meadow bathed in golden morning light.
Flowers bloom around you, and the air is alive with birdsong.
In the distance, a luminous figure approaches—radiant with the energy of spring.
She wears flowing robes in pastel hues.
Her hair shimmers like sunlight on dew.
She walks barefoot, scattering flower petals with every step.
She smiles and reaches for your hand.
In her gaze, you feel seen, refreshed, and awakened.
She asks you: “What are you ready to grow? What within you longs to rise?”
Speak your answer aloud or in your heart.
Feel her blessing your path.
When you’re ready, thank her.
Return slowly to your breath. Open your eyes and return to regular awareness.
Have a drink of water and a small snack to get grounded.
Write down any impressions or notes in a journal.
Embracing the Light: Ostara reminds us that life always returns.
After the long winter—both literal and symbolic—we’re called to rise with the sun, to stretch our roots and stems, and to blossom.
Ostara is a goddess of radiant hope, of creative spark, of balance restored.
In honoring her, you honor the part of yourself that’s brave enough to begin again.
So this season, paint your eggs, plant your seeds, walk barefoot, and let the light in.
Let Ostara walk with you—goddess of dawn, bearer of renewal, and guardian of the Earth’s awakening.
