Ostara 2024: Phoenix Rising
“I give you this to take with you:
Nothing remains as it was. If you know this, you can
begin again, with pure joy in the uprooting.”
-Judith Minty, Letters to my Daughters, 1980
Ostara is upon us once again and with it comes warmer weather, longer days, and an abundance of new life being brought into this world. This sense of renewal and rebirth courses deeply through all of us at this turning of the wheel.
We often celebrate this season by focusing upon planting both figurative and literal seeds and embracing the awakening abundance happening around us, however there is an important facet to this cycle of rebirth that can go somewhat neglected. Quite simply, in order to experience rebirth, you first must experience a death.
When I was work-shopping topics before I began writing, the first image I thought of was that of the mythological fire bird, The Phoenix. This creature is the epitome of the ideas of death and rebirth; as when it perishes, it is reborn from the ashes of its former self to live on. Furthermore, the idea that a Phoenix must experience this cycle to become a stronger version of itself sparked within me the basis for my topic for this Ostara.
The cyclical nature of life and death
We all know that the eventuality of life is that it will end, however this knowledge doesn’t make the truth any less hard or unpleasant to swallow. In American culture especially, we have a complicated relationship when it comes to grasping the idea of death, probably because of the sense of finality that is associated with it. Death in all of its forms means change and change is frightening.
Now, just to clarify, this post is not written to really talk about the literal cycle of birth and death. While these events are indeed intertwined with the sabbat of Ostara, our focus on these terms is in more of a metaphorical sense.
If you will, walk with me through a scenario…
Spring has finally come back around and you travel out to your garden. As you inspect it, you inevitably find that any remnants of growth left from your fall harvest have withered and piled up over the winter; scattering debris all over the garden. While you could just opt to till this debris back into the soil and plant over it, it’s entirely possible that your garden may not flourish as well as it could have if you took the time to clear the bulk of it away and start fresh.
This scenario can easily be translated into how we might find ourselves at this time of the year. We are craving the renewal of Ostara; chomping at the bit to plant the seeds of new ideas and explore new paths in this season of growth. However, if we don’t take the proper time to look inward and pluck away anything we are holding on that no longer serves us, just like our garden, we won’t be able to grow to our full potential.
Performing an emotional and mental health cull can be really difficult; especially if you have carried a lot of this weight with you for a long time. You might be clinging to negative thought patterns that you’ve allowed yourself to fall into or holding on to outdated ideas. You could even be bogged down by relationships that longer align with who you have or want to become, but are afraid to let go of because of the pain it could cause. It is so easy to feel like shedding this excess baggage we carry is impossible because to some extent you’ve grown attached to it all. Even so, we all have to face the uncomfortable truth at some point, that in order for us to grow, some of the obsolete behaviors, thoughts, ideas, and relationships we harbor have to go. Only then can we rise up like the Phoenix from the ashes of who we used to be and become the strongest and healthiest versions of ourselves.
Quick Ritual: Metaphysical Spring Cleaning
One of the oldest “rituals” we perform is that of spring cleaning. We take advantage of the warmer weather to throw open our windows and doors to refresh everything from the stagnant energies of winter. We clear away the dust and dirt from our homes that have collected over the season and de-clutter to make way for the new.
While doing this physical form of spring cleaning, I have found it is a great time to perform an internal spring clean as well. This casual ritual is a great way to capitalize on the influx of renewal energies of the season and allow you to unburden yourself of anxiety and negativity.
Some quick examples? While you are dusting around your house, imagine you are removing stale energies from your body as well. Sweeping, vacuuming or mopping your floors? Use this time to also cleanse your thoughts of negativity. De-cluttering? Take the opportunity unload some unneeded internal baggage that’s weighing you down to make way for a fresh start.
It’s okay if you feel like you have to do this ritual several times; these burdens didn’t accumulate within you over one day and they might take some time to clear away. The most important part to remember is to give yourself some grace while you allow yourself to grow.
Recipe: Refreshing Spinach Salad
Traditional food associations with this sabbat lean into the bounty that the spring has to offer. Wholesome dairy products, eggs, and the first fresh vegetables and herbs of the season are all eaten to honor and celebrate this time of fertility, growth, and rebirth.
In the spirit of renewing both our outer and inner selves, I thought a simple, yet beautiful salad would be just the ticket for us! Below is a quick cheat sheet of what magical intentions some of the main ingredients of this salad offer:
Baby Spinach: With it’s deep green hue, spinach is often used in money-drawing magic, however in this recipe we are focusing on its restorative properties to boost our physical and mental health.
Asparagus: Further enhancing the focus upon improving our health and vigor the help us clear away the cobwebs, we are opting to use fresh shaved asparagus in our salad.
Snap Peas: Snap peas are one of my favorite springy veggies and are a great addition to any fresh salad; magically speaking they can be used to infuse your food with refreshing energies.
Goat Cheese: While not a favorite of everyone, creamy goat cheese can be used in the magical kitchen when you are looking to boost attraction of desired elements towards you.
Parsley: Criminally underrated, parsley not only adds a ton of freshness to a meal, but when used intentionally, it assists in the death and rebirth cycle and helps to ensure victory.
To dress this salad, I am opting to use the recipe for my Everyday Vinaigrette to boost the intentions I’m weaving through the dish, however you can feel free to use whatever dressing you like!
We hope that this season of rebirth brings you all some much needed physical,mental,and emotional refreshment and renewal!
Be sure to keep an eye on this space as well as our socials for some exciting updates to our blog coming soon!
Refreshing Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 1-10 oz bag baby spinach, washed and dried (health, restoration)
- 4 oz fresh raw asparagus, thinly shaved (health, vitality)
- 2 oz snap or snow peas, roughly chopped (refreshment)
- 2 oz red radishes, sliced thinly (health, joy, protection)
- 2 oz crumbled goat cheese (attraction)
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped (protection of the mind, concentration)
- 2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped (health, protection)
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (death/rebirth cycle,victory)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place all ingredients but the goat cheese. Toss to combine well.
- Serve and top with goat cheese and dressing of choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can feel free to add a protein of your choice to this salad to make it into a light dinner option. Our recommendations include grilled or roasted chicken, medium or hard boiled eggs, grilled salmon, or shrimp.
