Hello, my loves and welcome to WiccaNow. Recently I’ve been talking about some of our Sabbats, like these posts on Samhain, Imbolc and most recently this post on Ostara. I want to continue down this path today and talk about some of the fun ways you can set up a powerful Ostara altar.
I’ve mentioned before that I like to set up a separate altar for the sabbats. This is a personal choice however and really isn’t something you have to do if you don’t want to. You can add extra things to your existing altar, or if you choose not to have a dedicated altar space you can simply add a few touches to a mantlepiece or table. Basically, you can do whatever you want, in whatever way works best for you!
I tend to set mine up pretty simply, with some fresh spring flowers, some painted Ostara eggs and some of my favourite crystals. Because this is a Sabbat which represents the balance of energies, it’s also nice to add some objects touching on this to your Ostara altar. You can add a black and a white candle, a yin and yang symbol, or something a little more abstract like an un-sprouted bulb and a flowering one. Anything that reminds you of the power of opposites and the balance of the universe is great.
Below I’ll outline some of my favourite decorations for my Ostara altar along with some tips and tricks on how and where to set your altar up. If you are interested in reading more about some of the Sabbats, check out these posts on Imbolc symbols, an Ostara ritual, some festive recipes for an Imbolc feast and a guide to setting up your Imbolc altar.
Ostara Colours
This is something that people often ask me about. While there are no prescribed colours, pastels are often recommended to symbolise the softness of spring. I think there is a little room for other colours here too though.
What makes you think of spring? For me, the neon green that comes with new leaves is particularly poignant and a shade I absolutely love. In saying that, it’s a colour that’s incredibly hard to find outside of nature so I don’t add that to my decorations unless I find a particularly pretty branch with new leaves.
Other colours closely associated with Ostara
- Pastel pink
- Pastel green
- Pastel yellow
- Pastel purple
- White
- Pastel blue
Ostara Altar Cloth
Whether you want to use an altar cloth or not is up to you, personally, I like to use one. I’ll often use a quiet colour, or even just a white linen because I don’t want the base of my altar to be too bright here. Again, pastels are your friend but don’t feel obliged to use them.
If you are crafty, you might choose to paint something onto your cloth or embroider something that makes you think of spring. Have fun with this and use something that brings you joy and makes you happy when you look at it. Ostara is all about frivolous fun and childish joy.
Ostara Altar Decorations
There are a lot of different things you can use to decorate your altar that represent Ostara. Fresh spring flowers are a favourite of mine, things like daffodils, irises, hyacinth and snowdrops are great. Add something to represent the growth that’s about to occur. I like to do this by adding a potted bulb or two. Hyacinths are great here because you’ll have both the flower and the bulb on your altar. Did I mention how amazing they smell?
Small trinkets which represent the season can be fun. I found a small brass rabbit at a fleamarket which I love and looks great among my spring flowers. Add a candle to represent the warmth and power of the sun.
One of the major decorations I always add to my altar is Ostara eggs. I’ll find a pretty branch outside and make an “Ostara tree” by hanging my painted eggs off it. It’s such a nice way to display your decorated eggs and encompasses everything about the season. Creativity, budding growth, new ideas and fertility of mind and body.
Ostara Eggs
These are really fun to make. We always used to make them in my family for Easter, so it’s actually really nice to still be able to paint them now. There is an old folktale that the Goddess Ostara (or Eostre) saved a bird from dying by turning it into a hare, but didn’t complete the transformation and so the hare ended up being able to lay eggs. In gratitude for saving its life, the hare decorated the eggs it had laid and then gave them to the Goddess.
Another version of this story is that all the animals in the kingdom wanted to thank the Goddess Ostara for bringing them spring. The hare found an egg, which she desperately wanted to eat as they were rare and incredibly delicious. She made a…
Click here to read this complete article.
