Spring Equinox!

Does it feel like spring yet?

Today is the first day of meteorological spring! You may have heard this on the weather today. I’ve enjoyed some of the sunshine that we’ve had, and now have some gorgeous line-dried sheets on the bed.  So, what’s the difference between meteorological spring and atronomical spring?

Meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle and measure the meteorological state, as well as coinciding with the calendar to determine a clear transition between the seasons. By the meteorological calendar, spring will always start on 1 March; ending on 31 May.

Astronomical spring refers to the position of Earth’s orbit in relation to the Sun,  and refers to when we reach the point in Earth’s orbit where day and night are 12 hours. Everywhere on Earth will experience equal day and night! This is due to the 23.5 degrees of tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis concerning its orbit around the Sun. Since the seasons vary in length, the start date of a new season can fall on different days each year. This year, astronomical spring began on 20 March 2022 and ended on 21 June 2022.

So where does Ostara fit in? Spring Equinox is the time of year where we celebrate the coming of the light, at the point where daylight length becomes longer than the night. Ostara takes its name from the goddess, when celebrations in her honor were made for women’s fertility and the rebirth of nature. So, when does Ostara begin? You guessed it, on on 20th March 2022.

Food is really important during Ostara, As eggs are a symbol of fertility, why not decorate your altar with some painted eggs this year? You can just paint them, or boil them and paint them, but you may wish to have a go at blowing them. If you haven’t done this before, all you need is a large needle to pierce a hole with in both the top and the bottom of the egg. Make one hole large than the other.  Find a container to catch the egg and blow gently through the smaller hole. You may need to widen the holes if it doesn’t work. If you’ve blown your egg, you may wish to thread it and hang it up once you’ve decorated it. Don’t forget, you can use your kitchen magick to fry, scramble or poach them and eat them on the eve of the Equinox!

• You can also hard boil your egg and write a wish on it, and leave it in the woods as an offering.
• Collect some wild flowers and greenery and place them on your altar.
• Bake some bread and place some on your altar and leave some outside as an offering.
• Put some Green, pink, yellow, and purple spell candles on your altar and use them in the spell work.
• Use your cauldron because this is a symbol of fertility. Burn incense or place flowers in it if you are not incorporating it into a spell.
• You may if you wish include symbols of the Maiden Goddess and her reborn consort, Pan, within your altar decorations and your offerings.

Colors: Yellow, green, pink and purple

Foods: Eggs, honey, bread, cake

Stones: Rose quartz, emerald, amethyst, citrine, peridot

Symbols: Rabbits, eggs, spring flowers, lambs, bread

Flowers: daffodils, crocus, tulips,

Deities: Isis, Estotre/Ostara, Adonis

What’s new in the shop?

• Crystals! I have some lovely new stones in, so if you do want to buy some you can make an appointment with me. Just message me via Facebook or Instagram.

• I will be in the wild this year more than I was last year. Some key dates for the next month are:

March 19th – Charlwood Village Hall 11am – 3pm

April 3rd – Langley Green Scout Hut 11am – 2pm

• I have six different incense gift packs ready to go for just £8

• I have been working hard on launching my own brand of jewellery, called Sigrid’s Lair. This includes having registered the trademark for jewellery and clothing, so I can launch a witchy and Norse clothing range in due course. The jewellery range includes crystal bracelets, earrings and pendants, and hand forged silver items. All silver in this range is solid and either .925 or .999 purity, so there are no silver plated items.

You can check out the range by CLICKING HERE.