My Ostara Altar and Ritual……..

Merry Meet everyone.  I hope that you are all well and I continue to pray for Japan and the victims of all the terrible things going on over there.  The risk of a nuclear meltdown is very real  now and I am praying it doesn’t happen…..would not be good for the entire world for that to happen.  I am doing my best to stay positive and not to let it drag me down to the point I can’t help.  If I don’t have positive energy, I can’t send it out to the Universe.

So today I am undergoing a very unpleasant day of prep for a medical test tomorrow so I am close to home.  Yes, at my age, and some history, I’m having a colonoscopy tomorrow.  Nuff said.  Ugh.  It’s raining and gloomy so I finally took the time to get my Ostara altar completed and wanted to post some pics here for you.  I am quite happy with it.

I posted the correspondences for Ostara in a previous post so I’m not going to list them again.  I think the items on my altar are pretty easy to understand why they are there, but I’ll talk a little bit about each picture.

Sorry for the pics being a little dark..but well, its raining out and I don’t have a lot of light where my altar is.  This is the left side of my altar.  As you can see, in the center is my usual working items to represent the elements..they are always there.  I have fresh cut tulips, an egg basket, lamb, chick, bunny for obvious reasons.  My little goddess my hubby gave me for Yule, cauldron where I will burn my Ostara loose incense, Gaia, and my illuminator and goddess candle.  I picked all pastel colored crystals..rose quartz, blue calcite, amethyst, citrine, green flourite..just because I love the way they look 🙂

Right side of Altar…  Greenman, god candle, my pentacle and chalice, then I have a bird house and birds nest which speak of Spring to me, A garden faery for the same reason.  Another bunny I love..looks like he’s praying to me 🙂  and my altar tools. I wanted to put some seed packs here too but I did that ritual already as I posted a couple of days ago..but that would be a great idea too! 🙂 

 

Sorry agan about the darkness…my altar cloth is pink checked by the way….very soft and Spring-like.  I used soft green and pink candles..would have loved to have added some yellow elements but I had a terrible time finding pastel colored candles this year.  Was actually told at my local craft store that nobody uses taper candles anymore! LOL..I told them I beg to differ.  Oh well, I’m happy with it and it will feel most magickal to me on Ostara night.  And I know that you all KNOW there is a Full Moon the eve of Ostara..a SuperMoon actually….so it will be a most magickal weekend!  Make the most of it!

Oh yes, I also do a simple altar on my kitchen counter for the Sabbats as well.  Here is the one for Ostara I finished today as well.  I am wanting to get a potted plant for it but the tulips worked for now. I love the sparkly stones around the candle…so pretty.  As I’m in the closet with some family members, this altar is perfectly accepted as an Easter altar 🙂  But I add the crystals which gives it the witchiness I need. 

So my altars are ready and I have decided what ritual I’ll be doing as well.  Thought I’d post another here for you all..again, I have no idea where I got this as I’ve had it for sometime.  It may have come from the internet or it may have come from a book…I’m keeping better track of those things now that I’m blogging, but I didnt’ use to unfortunately.  I love this one because it should be done outside!  A great one for the full moon and Ostara this year!

 Ostara Ritual for Outdoors

Gather the supplies you’ll need:

-Two chalices of wine or water

  -Two white candles or pastel if you’d like

  -matches or lighter

  *Two bowls are necessary if working indoors

   Arrange a small altar placing one candle to the left of the altar and one to the right.  Place the chalices next to the candles.  If working indoors put the two bowls on the floor on each side. Offer prayers of thanks to the Lord and Lady for the blessings of Ostara.  Say them out loud being thorough.  Then say:

I stand at the center and balanced be,

the change of seasons meets here in me.

From wintertime’s dark and lonely nights,

to summertime’s warm and lively light.

     

  Light both candles:

 Now at the center at Ostara am I,

not light or dark to dominate the sky;

but a time of lengthening light and day,

as we pass from balance to summer’s days.

 

Extinguish one candle to represent the balance of light and dark.

Take the chalice to your right and hold it up, saying:        

 God of the Sun and Lord of Light,

I honor your spirit in which I delight.

Pour the water or wine onto the ground to your right or into the bowl to be poured onto the ground later.  Then take the chalice to your left, hold it up and say:

 Goddess of the Earth and of the night,

I honor your spirit as the earth turns light.

 Pour the contents of this chalice on the ground to your left or into the bowl.

 Spend as much time as you’d like at your altar, speaking with your deities, meditating, praying.  When you are ready, extinguish the candle and thank the Lord and Lady.  If you performed this ritual inside, take the bowls outside and pour them on the ground as an offering to Mother Earth.

 This is a very simple and beautiful ritual that will add beauty to the Sabbat for you.  As Spring comes in…whether like a lion or a lamb…honor Mother Earth and her greening.  No matter what is going on in the world, one thing is constant.  We can count on the turning of the wheel of the year, that Spring will come again after a long, cold, snowy winter.  That trees and flowers and grass will bloom and grow, that critters will come out and bask in the Sun and gather food again, that we will shed our heavy winter clothes and head outside to our gardens, porches, picnics, and we too will re-connect with the Earth Mother.  And She will re-connect with us.  I wish you all a Blessed Full Moon and A Blessed Ostara.  May Spring bring you great joy!

Love and Light, Autumn