Seasonal: Spring Altar

SPRING EQUINOX – Sunday, March 20th, 2011

The Spring Equinox or Vernal Equinox brings balance to the Earth once again. Day and night are equal. As the newly reborn sun moves across the sky of the Northern Hemisphere, the days become longer, the air warmer and, once again, life begins to return to the land. After a long, cold winter we are happy to reconnect with the Earth. It is a time of new beginnings, when the Goddess conceives a child to be born nine months from now at the next Winter Solstice. The equinoxes mark the time of planting (spring) and harvesting (fall.) In the old tradition of celebrating Springtime, the ancient goddess, Eostre/Ostara, a Saxon deity who marked not only the passage of time but also symbolized new life and fertility was the key symbol of the celebration of the Vernal Equinox (also known as Ostara.) Legend says that the goddess was saved by a bird whose wings had become frozen by the cold of winter. This process turned the bird into a hare. Yet this was no ordinary bunny; this long-eared rabbit could also lay eggs! I think you know who I’m talking about…read more about Ostara.

Vernal Altar
Themes: New Life, Growth, Balance

• Symbols of Balance: light & dark, male & female, symbols of polarities
• Spring flowers & potted plants: crocuses, daffodils, tulips, lilies, narcissus, violets, hyacinth, hibiscus, goldenseal, echinacea
• Colors: Spring colors (look around you)… I always love “new growth green”
• Seeds and bulbs
• Caterpillars, ladybugs, bumblebees, butterflies
• Symbols of nature deities: Gaia, Ostara, Freya, Sarasavti, Osiris, etc
• Gemstones and crystals such as aquamarine, rose quartz, and moonstone
• Baskets of Eggs
• Animal Figurines (lambs, rabbits, calves, foals)
• Milk & Honey – abundance, lactation
• Ritual fires in a cauldron

Spring Garden Ritual for Abundance
The planting of the new crops would often be held during the new moon closest to the Equinox (Monday, March 4th – New Moon in Pisces). In honor of this tradition, gather seeds to represent the things you want to grow during the new year (refer to your vision board/resolutions) — abundance, wisdom, understanding, patience, love, partnership, unconditional love, etc. As you plant your seeds in a pot of soil or in your garden, visualize those qualities coming into full bloom in your life. As you plant them, bless the seeds honoring the 4 elements: pat the seed in the dirt (earth), water it, blow on it (air) and light a candle by it (fire) or hold up to the sun. Express your gratitude to all the people, places and things that have gotten you to this point in your life. Invite the seeds out the formlessness of winter’s dreaming…asking them (and yourself) to awaken to the light of spring – to grow and thrive with new life and new possibility. YES!