Ostara – The Spring Equinox
Spring is decidedly in the air, all around Edinburgh. Just underneath the surface of your senses, you can feel buds burgeoning, and flowers unfurling. Sometimes the weather will trick us into believing winter is completely over until a random rainstorm hits with its icy tendrils. The sun, however, is slowly getting stronger and brighter. This week we celebrate Ostara or the Spring Equinox, the second of three Celtic pagan Spring celebrations; the midpoint between Imbolc and Beltane. Ostara is the point at which light starts to overtake darkness, marking a shift in seasons, marking the astronomical beginning of Spring.
During the Equinox, day and night are of equal length in both hemispheres, all of Earth experiences the crossover between shadow and light. This is a time of great harmony, a moment when day and night stand in a perfect balance of shadow and light, of conscious and unconscious. This is a powerful time when the life force is strong, young and potent, a time to integrate our insight and learning over the long winter months, into positive force and action. This is the time to create opportunity, to take risks, to go for walks to connect with nature again, and to have a Spring clean to make way for the new.
Ostara in Celtic Tradition
The ancient Celts held a deep reverence for Ostara. Named after the Goddess Eostre, Ostara was a pivotal moment in the ancient Celtic calendar. Celebrating the Earth’s fertility and new growth, Ostara meant the resurgence of life in the natural world and the awakening of the land after the dead of winter. Plants begin to bloom, animals emerge from hibernation, and the land comes alive once more. The Celtic pagans viewed this time as a period of balance and harmony, when light and dark, masculine and feminine energies, were in perfect equilibrium.
5 Pieces of Silver Celtic Jewellery we Love as Symbols of Spring
Triple Spiral
During the Spring Equinox, The Triple Spiral or Triskele symbolises the perpetual cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Also known as the Triple Goddess, she shows the inevitability of passing through the stages of growth, maturity and wisdom.
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Simple Triple Spiral Sterling Silver Ring£32.00 -
Silver Triple Spiral Set£43.00
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Triple Spiral Studs (pair)£18.00 – £34.00
Green Man Pendant
Depicted as a wise and content face surrounded by leaves and foliage, the Green Man is a symbol of fertility, growth, and the life force of the natural world. Wearing a Green Man pendant during the Equinox is believed to invite abundance and vitality into one’s life, echoing the lushness of spring.
Tree of Life
A ubiquitous symbol in Celtic culture, the Celtic Tree of Life represents the interconnectedness of all living beings, balance and harmony. Wearing a Celtic Tree of Life pendant or Tree of Life earrings during the Spring Equinox honours the flourishing of life and the promise of new beginnings.
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Silver Tree of Life Earrings£52.00
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Small Celtic Tree of Life Pendant£28.00
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Round Tree Of Life Studs – Silver or Brass£15.00 – £20.00
Tribal Spiral Earrings
Found in abundance in Celtic art, they are thought to represent the continuous flow of energy, always reaching upwards. Wearing silver spiral earrings can serve as a reminder of the ever-changing, harmonious dance of the seasons and nature’s innate ability to transform.
Chunky Celtic Knot Rings
Symbolise the eternal and cyclical nature of our existence. Silver Chunky Celtic knot rings are great, solid talismans to steel oneself for the ever-changing aspects of life – and that the only constancy in life is change.
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Chunky Celtic Spinner Ring£62.00
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Continuous Celtic Knot Band Ring£52.00
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Chunky Open Celtic Knot Ring£46.00
Celtic Jewellery: A Reflection of Nature’s Beauty
Celtic jewellery has long been revered for its intricate designs and symbols, drawing inspiration from the natural world. During the Spring Equinox, silver Celtic jewellery is a powerful tool for those seeking to align themselves with the forces and rhythms of nature. Another ancient symbol with strong links to the Spring Equinox is the Vesica Piscis. The Vesica Piscis symbolised a woman’s womb, fertility and the Mother Goddess figure.
As the sun crosses the celestial equator, ushering in a new season of rebirth and renewal, we welcome the arrival of Spring; and pay homage to the Goddess Eostre, the Goddess of Fertility and Conception – without whom, there would be no life.
