The spring equinox whispers promises of rebirth, and what better way to welcome spring's vibrant energy than by crafting a beautiful Ostara altar? Incorporating colors, flowers, and symbols of spring is an intentional way to invite the fresh energy of the season into your space. Imagine a personal sanctuary brimming with blooming symbols, bursts of color, and the gentle glow of renewed life. This guide will help you transform your space into a powerful portal for spring's magic, from selecting the perfect elements to infusing your altar with personal meaning.
Ostara is my absolute favorite wheel of the year celebration to decorate my altar around. After the long, dark Minnesota winter, the vibrant spring colors and increased daylight work wonders for my seasonal depression. Here are a few tips to help you create your own personal spring sanctuary.
Choose a space for your altar
Two key considerations for this are: visibility and tranquility. Ideally, select a location where you'll see it daily. Secondly, pick somewhere that is peaceful and you can comfortably work at undisturbed. If your altar is for pure aesthetic and decoration, this second tip may not be relevant. A third tip, if you're fortunate enough, is to choose a spot near a window that offers natural light. This allows the soft light to infuse your altar with the growing energy of spring. My own altar resides in my office, a room with a door that I frequent daily and happens to get direct sunlight. A bedroom is a suitable alternative, for those in shared living situations. Most altars are crafted on their own dedicated table, shelf or windowsill. If space or discretion is an issue, try using a decorative tray, cake display tray, or even a plate to make a mini altar.
Spring flowers & symbols of new life
I love incorporating tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and whatever fresh flowers my local Trader Joe's offers (can't beat those prices either!). What's wonderful about Trader Joe's is their selection of blooms always aligns with the season. I particularly enjoy their bulb flowers that come in a glass water vase. Watching the buds flourish to blooms on my altar is it's own kind of glamour magic. Bulb flowers are also flowers that keep on giving. Once they've faded, I plant the bulb in my outdoor garden, so I can enjoy their beauty with each returning spring.
Honoring the elements
One altar tip that applies year round is to add something for each of the four elements. Foraging items you find outside in nature around this time of year adds the element of earth. Water from your flower vase covers the element of water. Candles carved with symbols of spring brings in the element of fire. Feathers and incense completes the circle honoring the element of air.
Adding childlike wonder
Spring begins with the sun's entry into Aries, the 'baby' of the zodiac. As spring symbolizes rebirth, we can embrace the theme of reclaiming our inner child. For some, childhood was never a carefree experience—playfulness and joy were overshadowed by early responsibilities or even the struggle for survival. Spring offers an opportunity to create meaningful rituals that facilitate healing from lingering wounds. If you were fortunate enough to enjoy a happy childhood, consider displaying cherished mementos or baby gifts you still have on your altar. To truly tap into childlike wonder, incorporate trinkets that would have delighted your younger self.
Symbols of the season
As the equinox celebrates the balance of equal night and day, consider incorporating items that reflect harmony, duality, and balance, such as representations of the Sun and Moon. Enhance the energy of renewal and growth by choosing crystals that resonate with the spirit of spring. Aventurine, symbolizing abundance and new opportunities, and clear quartz, renowned for its clarity and amplifying properties, are excellent choices.
Eggs are also prominent symbols of spring that represent fertility. Save your egg shells to make candles, hold flowers, or make a hanging egg basket. To save your eggshell, take a blunt ended knife and gently tap all around the top of the egg to make a hat, this should create an opening big enough to get the yolk out. Give your egg a careful wash inside and out, and let it dry.
Spring Correspondences for your altar:
Symbols: seeds, rabbits/hares, eggs, fairies, feathers, flowers, candles, goddess statues
Colors: pastel shades of yellow, pink, green, purple, blue
Goddesses: Eostre/Ostara, Asase Yaa, Persephone, Freya, Isis
Crystals: amethyst, lapis lazuli, rose quartz, aquamarine, moonstone, aventurine, clear quartz
Flowers/plants: hyacinth, tulips, crocus, daffodil, iris, forsythia, azalea, bluebells, snowdrop, hellebore, lilac, magnolia, rose of jericho
Herbs: lavender, dandelion, rosemary, nettle, lemongrass, clover, lemon balm,
Oils & Incense: jasmine, violet, rose, honeysuckle, anything floral
Animals: butterfly, hares, rabbits, snakes, birds
Refreshing your altar for a new season is a ritual in itself! Decorating allows your creativity to blossom, aligning you with the spirit of spring. Approach it as an expressive outlet, not a source of stress. I strongly encourage using items you already have at home rather than purchasing new decorations solely to fill your altar. Altar items should be intentionally chosen, purposeful additions, not trend-driven, mass consumption acquisitions. My own altar is composed of pieces I've collected over the past decade, including a few gifts from when I was born (I'm a spring baby). I love to thrift unique knick-knacks but I also can't deny that I have a lot of luck at HomeGoods, especially when spring decorations hit the shelves. This is a space that took me years of work to acquire and make my own. Don't let elaborate altars on social media make you feel like that is the norm. An altar's power stems from its creation--built by your hands, imbued with your intentions, and adorned with items that are meaningful to you.
To get the most out of celebrating Ostara, check out our blog on Ostara: A Guide To Celebrating The Spring Equinox
If you're looking for a ritual to do at your altar on the spring equinox (and want to support our small business), check out our Ostara Ritual Kit: Using Color Magic to Decorate Eggs and Plant Intentions
Wishing you a lovely spring season and blessed Ostara!
-Kendra
About the Writer
Kendra is the creator of Luna Lifted, an eclectic witch with a passion for sharing her craft and knowledge of magick with the world. When she's not designing and creating new things for Luna Lifted, you can find her reading a fantasy novel, gardening, gaming, or indulging in a long bath. Kendra resides in Minnesota with her three cats: Tunechi, Rumi, and Marceline.
