Planting Seeds For Ostara – 4 Blooming Great Cards
Hi Musers and Blessed Ostara! Admittedly Ostara was last Tuesday but we are in Ostara season so it still counts to plant seeds for Ostara. If you’re wondering what Ostara is, it’s one of the eight sabbats of the year. These eight sabbats, known as the wheel of the year, are primarily observed by Wiccans but that’s the fab thing about being an eclectic practitioner, you can choose the bits you like and that fit your beliefs.
I wrote a previous blog post about how we humans suffer due to how far removed from nature and the earth we have become. I am trying to recapture some of that by observing the wheel of the year. A large part of each sabbat is watching and celebrating the changes in the natural world.
What Is Ostara Celebrating?
According to the Outdoor Apothecary, “Ostara is a modern pagan holiday that celebrates the spring equinox, which typically falls on March 20th or 21st and marks the beginning of spring and the awakening of nature. It is named after the Germanic goddess Ostara or Eostre, who was associated with the dawn and new beginnings. The holiday is often marked with the lighting of fires, the decorating of eggs, and the honoring of nature’s rebirth and renewal.”
My personal practice at this time of year is:
- A full clean and smoke cleanse of my altar
- Redress it with eggs, baby blue, pink, green and yellow candles
- Lay out goddess cards to celebrate Persephone, Isis, Freya and other goddesses associated with Ostara
- Making a feast for my family including eggs, lemons, and fruit. This year was a cheesy asparagus quiche with potatoes, salad and slaw followed by blueberry & lemon and hot cross bun muffin
- As it’s a time of rebirth I also consider what seeds I want to plant, or in other words, intentions for this season.
The last one is the point of this blog post.
Seeds For Ostara
If you’ve looked at my favourite tarot creators page, you’ll know that the spreads created by Jenn @notsomysticaltarot are my favourites. I saw this seeds for Ostara spread on her page but as it wasn’t her spread I must give credit. Jen often collaborates with Katherine who is known as @owlandbonestarot and this spread is hers. It gave me A LOT to think about so I’m excited to share it with you.
The Spread
Ok, so the whole seeds and growth idea wasn’t mine, but it’s a great way of looking at it so I’m happy running with it. I decided to use Tarot of the Witch’s Garden by Sasha Graham and Natasha Illincic as it’s very nature based and seemed to call to me.
My Cards
Now it’s the moment of truth, the cards I drew. I won’t lie, I was surprised. These cards are pretty powerful.
Seeds – The Emperor. Boundaries. I need to plant seeds that will create a big, strong hedge to protect me and my needs. I might build a gate too, but it will be locked until I choose to let someone in. I also need to remember this boundary is to keep me from acting in unhealthy ways and will reinforce my self-discipline.
Clearing – Two of Swords. In this deck rather than being blinded by indecision, it’s a deliberate act allowing me to go within and seek the truth. Right now I need to stop looking outside for answers, and clear away other people’s advice however well meant. The answer I need is inside myself I need to shut out all distractions and listen to my intuition, my inner voice. Journaling, meditation and soul searching are the way to go.
Nurture – Lovers. I can lean into the love I experience in my partnerships, with my husband, my sister and my spiritual guides. If I let my love flow out to nurture others then I believe I will receive that love back, helping me to grow and thrive. Love isn’t meant to be one way and I need to accept as much love, care and support as I offer.
Balance – The Tower. Rather a cryptic card in this position. I know I need to go through a fair bit of pain and emotional turmoil over the next few months as i work through my childhood trauma in psychotherapy but I need to balance that pain with hope as this is clearing away a lot of stuff that weighed me down and held me back. This is going to be a hard journey but I need to keep faith I will be transformed by the end.
Final Thoughts
It’s rare that my cards mirror what’s going on in my life but these were pretty damn close. Healing, boundaries and self exploration are my seeds for ostara. I hope you enjoyed reading my interpretations and if you plan to plant some seeds of your own please let me know in the comments. Take care xx
