Recreating Oneself at Ostara

Ostara is the point of pure balance on the wheel of the year. A perfect equilibrium is reached as the light and dark equal one another. Just as the masculine and feminine balance out one another during this time, so do our inner and outer selves. In a brief moment after the balance, everything around us will shift slightly, and the light will begin to defeat the dark. As the year is now waxing, nature comes alive. The sun gathers strength, the seeds sprout forth from the cold ground, and the days become warmer with increased heat from the sun.

Our energy becomes more expansive as we wake from our dark slumber. Our projects fill with exuberance as the first day of spring fills our hearts. This time of year is marked by many different fertility rituals of renewal and rebirth throughout all cultures. The concept of renewal is often overused in rituals and loses its value when repeated over and over. But the celebration of Ostara can go deeper than the standard egg symbolism and the traditional rise of Persephone or Inanna from the underworld to renew the earth. In fact, if we look closely at the definition of renewal, it involves resuming something after being interrupted. But resuming an action after an interruption doesn’t account for growth or change; the action merely continues as it was prior to the interruption.

As for the earth, renewal is a vital component to the cyclical nature of our existence. Each year the light is interrupted by the darkness, as warmth and life wind down for cold and death to take over. As creatures of the earth, we have come to count on the renewal of spring for our survival. But in our own lives, renewal indicates a lack of growth and change, a continuance of where we were in a pattern rather than a step forward to where we want to be.

Instead of renewing our old self as the earth renews spring, what if we recreated small parts of ourselves to build a better life full of joy and passion? We can build upon what is already there to create something spectacular. Ostara is about life conquering death as the new seeds sprout and push their way up to the surface of the earth. As we recreate ourselves, we release what was hidden in the dark and bring forth new patterns and behaviors. In this way, we are using our own solar energy of the returning light to help nourish and grow our own change.

Before we can welcome a new beginning at Ostara, it is important to dig into our own lives with a good deal of introspection. Take a few days before the equinox, during the last period of darkness, to really examine changes you would like to make in your own thoughts, actions, and behaviors. Take the time to fall into yourself and explore what you most like about yourself.

Use this quiet period to go past your first few initial responses and find your passions deep in your core self. And then do the opposite, find what you don’t like about yourself from an objective standpoint. The hardest part of this is being honest with yourself. Once you are honest about the attributes or characteristics that you find less than desirable about yourself, you can make a more positive change in your life. Plus, looking at your flaws allows you to determine if you have the determination to change this negative behavior. If the answer is no, do not worry or berate yourself. Just keep in mind that it might not be the right time in your life for this change, as we can only take on what we are ready to face. Understanding that now is not the best time to tackle that challenge about yourself is important as well. If you are ready, then choose one characteristic or behavior to modify. Be sure to pick a realistic goal and consider the amount of time and energy it will take to succeed in your endeavor. You want to make sure you can devote the necessary energy to work towards a positive change.

On the wheel of the year, Ostara is the perfect time to feel the balance and then step forward into reinventing yourself. There are several techniques that you can use to help ensure your success. The best way to make a positive change is to visualize yourself having already made the change. See yourself going about your daily life with the change having already occurred. Explore how your life will be different and how the new you reacts to other people, handles difficulty, explores love, and nurtures themselves. If you are wanting to make a physical change to your appearance, keep in mind that having a support group is a great way to go. This could be a friend to help keep you on track or a medical professional providing advice. Don’t be afraid to lean on others when you need a boost to keep your goals on track.

During your period of change, stay positive and focused. Don’t berate yourself for a missed step here and there. Change doesn’t happen immediately, and it takes a lot of work. Be patient with yourself. Do your best to stop the inner negative self-talk. When you hear yourself saying something negative, stop mid-sentence and revise. Turn it into a positive statement. This is hard to do, so one technique is to speak to yourself as you would your best friend.

This Ostara, take time to celebrate the renewal of spring on Mother Earth. But also use this time as a springboard for positive change in your life. If your life has been out of balance from a job, a relationship, or your own negative self-talk, rebalance and spur your own change this Ostara by embracing the light.