Ostara - Spring Equinox: A Time of Rebirth

When we think of Spring, we are flooded with images of blooming crocus, warming temperatures and nurturing rains. The emergence of green life is encouraging and rewards us for tolerating another winter of long nights and chilled days.

The power of the Spring equinox itself takes on many forms beyond the basic longing for more sunlight and the welcoming of new life. This geological and astronomical event is celebrated by individuals and cultures throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In each observance, the focus revolves around hope, reflection and rebirth.

Scientifically speaking, the Spring equinox (also known as the March equinox or the vernal equinox) occurs when the sun is positioned directly over the equator. This near-perfect alignment results in an equal balance of daytime and nighttime with both hemispheres seeing equal illumination. 

Each day following the Spring equinox sees an increase in daylight (in the Northern Hemisphere) up until the next seasonal event of the Summer solstice.

The etymology of “vernal equinox” is simple. In Latin, ver means spring, aequus means equal and the word nox means night. Planets with a rotational axis are capable of equinoxes and those with a greater tilt will see more extremes during this changing relationship with the sun’s angle. The Earth, for example, tilts at 23.5 degrees whereas Mercury tilts at only 2.11 degrees. 

Another significant cultural observance is Nowruz (also spelled Noruz and Norooz), a 2-week celebration honoring the Persian or Iranian New Year. Nowruz occurs on or near the vernal equinox and marks beginning of the Iranian calendar.

“Noruz is about reflection and new beginnings,” says Iranian-born anthropologist Katayoun Khorramzadeh. "And so we set our intentions for the New Year by purifying our homes and spirit to welcome in health, prosperity, and blessings. It’s a magical time of year filled with the perfume of hyacinths, delicious sweets, and visits from loved ones.” In addition to sacred family time and spring cleaning often incorporating smudging, a special table called a haft-sin is assembled featuring symbolic items associated with the Persian alphabet.

The Wheel of the Year is a modern paganism celebration of seasonal festivals including both solstices, both equinoxes and the midpoints between them all. The equivalent of the Spring equinox is called Ostara and marks the midpoint between the Gaelic festivals of Imbolc and Beltane.

It is believed that Ostara is derived from Ēostre, a Germanic dawn and fertility goddess. In an 1835 text titled “Deutsche Mythologie”, Jacob Grimm (yes, he had a brother) dissects the connection between a pagan deity and the most hallowed of Christian holidays – Easter. He wrote, “This Ostarâ, like the [Anglo-Saxon] Eástre, must in heathen religion have denoted a higher being, whose worship was so firmly rooted, that the Christian teachers tolerated the name, and applied it to one of their own grandest anniversaries.”

In the Celtic tradition, Ostara is celebrated with traditional gemstones, incense and colorful flowers.