Spring Equinox 2023 in Northern Hemisphere will be at Monday, March 20, 9:24 PM. The equinox is an unique phenomena of nature. This is the period when the Sun crosses the equator in its apparent movement along the ecliptic. It moves from one hemisphere to the other & these days in all countries the day is almost equal to the night.
Ostara marks the Spring Equinox in Celtic tradition & is a festival adopted from the ancient germans into the Celtic Wheel of the Year. The goddess Ostara was considered to be the patroness of all plants, seeds & growth & symbolized land & fertility. To get a rich harvest, it was necessary to appease this goddess Ostara who gave fertility, but only related to the Earth. Spring Equinox marked the arrival of spring & a new harvest year. It was from this day that our ancestors began preparing for work on the land. It was believed that the regeneration, revival & rebirth of nature would begin from this day: the first Spring thunderstorm, the swelling of the buds on trees & flowers, the sharp emergence of greenery, strength & fertility awaken. The Spring Equinox represents the return of light & life, the birth of baby birds & animals.
The astronomical context makes this day very magical.
Spring Equinox is a time of renewal, both in nature & at home.
Now it's a good time to clean up around the house to remove the negative or old energies that have been accumulated over the winter months. Free up your space to fill it with the incoming light from the Sun. Discard, not hide, fold or scatter in the corners, all the unnecessary, old, broken, useless things.
Decorate your home with budding twigs, sprouting bulbs & Willow catkins, Spring flowers like Daffodils, Violets, Iris.
Plant seeds or start your herb garden.
Take a long walk in nature with no intent other than reflecting on the magic of nature & our Great Mother Earth & her bounty. Try to get as close to nature as possible, merge with it, enjoying the beauty of the forests & the songs of birds. During the Ostara holiday nature is especially healing. All those who can't go to the nature should bring home some spring blooms like Primroses or Willow branches to increase the vital energy & strength of the weakened body.
One of the symbols of the Ostara holiday is a Dove. This bird has a calm & harmonious energy. If you find her feather during this holiday, it will symbolize the upcoming good luck.
Ostara colors are white, green, yellow, golden.
Leafy green vegetables, seeds such as Pumpkin, Sunflower & Pine. Edible flowers & sprouts.
Drink dandelion, nettle & burdock teas & cordials at this time as these herbs help to cleanse the blood & are a good tonic for the body after its winter hardships.
Any dairy food is an Ostara food.
Sorrel Fritatta:
1 handful of sorrel (find it here), chopped
4 boiled potatoes, sliced
4 eggs
150 ml milk (you can combine it with sour cream or natural yogurt)
1 small red paprika, chopped or sliced
half onion, chopped finely
4 tbsp flour
0,5 tsp salt
parsley
Heat the pan (about 25 cm diameter)on the medium heat. Add a good knob of butter.
Arrange the sliced potatoes over the bottom, cook until golden brown then turn around.
Mix everything else, season, pour over the potatoes.
Ostara colors are white, green, yellow, golden.
Leafy green vegetables, seeds such as Pumpkin, Sunflower & Pine. Edible flowers & sprouts.
Drink dandelion, nettle & burdock teas & cordials at this time as these herbs help to cleanse the blood & are a good tonic for the body after its winter hardships.
Any dairy food is an Ostara food.
Goat cheese in particular have a very close connection with Ostara.
Finnish Egg Butter:
How To Sprout Lentils:
Lentils sprouts are fabulous mixed into salads, sandwiches & on crackers. They taste absolutely yummy with fresh lettuce, tomatoes & mayonnaise..
If you dont want it to be too healthy, then spread loads of real butter on to the home baked, still oven-warm rye bread & eat with your sprouts!
1/2 cup lentils (I use brown lentils)
2 cups water
Place lentils into the 1l jar & cover with 2 cups of water.
Cover the top of the jar with cheesecloth & secure with a rubber band or just make loads of holes into the jar's lid.
Let sit in water overnight.
The next day drain off water.
Rinse & drain daily & keep out of sunlight.
On the third day you will have sprouts ready to eat!
Keep in fridge.
Roast Beetroot & Feta Salad:
6 small raw beetroot, unpeeled
olive oil
salt, pepper
1 red onion, very finely sliced
50 g rocket
100g feta cheese, cubed
handful of mint leaves for garnish
For dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Leafy green vegetables, seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower & pine. Edible flowers & sprouts.
Drink dandelion, nettle & burdock teas & cordials at this time as these herbs help to cleanse the blood & are a good tonic for the body after its winter hardships.
Drink dandelion, nettle & burdock teas & cordials at this time as these herbs help to cleanse the blood & are a good tonic for the body after its winter hardships.
4 eggs
2 -3 tbsp butter, softened
salt
chives or parsley, chopped
Hard boil the eggs.
With back of the fork crumble the eggs & mix them with butter together until spreading consistency.
Add salt.
Spread on the bread or toast.
2 -3 tbsp butter, softened
salt
chives or parsley, chopped
Hard boil the eggs.
With back of the fork crumble the eggs & mix them with butter together until spreading consistency.
Add salt.
Spread on the bread or toast.
How To Sprout Lentils:
Lentils sprouts are fabulous mixed into salads, sandwiches & on crackers. They taste absolutely yummy with fresh lettuce, tomatoes & mayonnaise..
If you dont want it to be too healthy, then spread loads of real butter on to the home baked, still oven-warm rye bread & eat with your sprouts!
1/2 cup lentils (I use brown lentils)
2 cups water
Place lentils into the 1l jar & cover with 2 cups of water.
Cover the top of the jar with cheesecloth & secure with a rubber band or just make loads of holes into the jar's lid.
Let sit in water overnight.
The next day drain off water.
Rinse & drain daily & keep out of sunlight.
On the third day you will have sprouts ready to eat!
Keep in fridge.
Roast Beetroot & Feta Salad:
6 small raw beetroot, unpeeled
olive oil
salt, pepper
1 red onion, very finely sliced
50 g rocket
100g feta cheese, cubed
handful of mint leaves for garnish
For dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Place the beetroot in a roasting tin. Pour little water around, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt & pepper. Cover with foil & roast for 1-1,5 h or until tender. Cool. Peel & cut into large cubes.
Put the beetroot & onion into the bowl & toss them in the dressing, then scatter rocket over.
Put the beetroot & onion into the bowl & toss them in the dressing, then scatter rocket over.
Top with feta cubes, garnish with mint.
1 handful of sorrel (find it here), chopped
4 boiled potatoes, sliced
4 eggs
150 ml milk (you can combine it with sour cream or natural yogurt)
1 small red paprika, chopped or sliced
half onion, chopped finely
4 tbsp flour
0,5 tsp salt
parsley
Heat the pan (about 25 cm diameter)on the medium heat. Add a good knob of butter.
Arrange the sliced potatoes over the bottom, cook until golden brown then turn around.
Mix everything else, season, pour over the potatoes.
Cover & cook about 10 min or until you can see it starts to turn crisp on the bottom.
Now place it under the grill (uncovered) until ready.
Serve with fresh salad & mayonnaise.
Goji Berry & Hazelnut Cheesecake:
Banana Sunshine Cake:
White Chocolate & Passion Fruit Souffle:
90 g white chocolate, melted
4 eggs
pinch of salt
Juice of half lemon
4 tbsp sugar
1 passion fruit
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Place the baking tray into the oven to warm up.
Butter 4 ramekins. Dust with sugar & cocoa powder. Shake out any excess.
Melt the chocolate, set aside.
Beat the egg whites with pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2 tbsp sugar, still whisking, until thick & glossy. Add lemon juice.
Whisk the egg yolks with 2 tbsp sugar until pale yellow. Stir in the chocolate & passion fruit pulp.
Fold in 1/4 of the egg whites, to loosen it up, then turn in rest of the egg whites.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins, run your finger around the edges, lift them onto the baking tray.
Bake 12 min or until well risen & golden on top.
Dust with dusting sugar. Serve immediately with raspberry-, strawberry- or cherry coulis.
Rhubarb Soup with Cheese Cream:
For Soup:
2 big rhubarb stalks
600 ml water
2 tsp cornflour+ 1 dl cold water
2 dl sugar
For Cream:
250 g soft cheese
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla sugar
8 digestive biscuits
Chop rhubarb, boil in the water ca 7 min.
Crème Brûlée with Rhubarb:
500 ml fresh cream
vanilla extract
125 g sugar
6 egg yolks
1 big rhubarb
splash of water
2-3 tbsp sugar
6 tsp sugar for sprinkle over the Crème Brûlées.
Bake rhubarb with sugar & water.
MAGIC & FOLKLORE:
One swallow does not make a spring.
Don’t say that spring has come until you can put your foot on nine daisies.
Use a broom to sweep hard-boiled eggs from outside your home to inside to bring in abundance & fertility.
Brown eggshells can be added to protective or healing magic for pets or livestock.
Bury rotten eggs near a crossroad to cause an abundance to be taken away from an enemy.
To ensure that there will be no shortage of food at your home during the winter & to keep those living there safe, bury one egg at each of the four cardinal points of your property: east, south, west, north.
Decorated eggshells hanging from bushes & trees shed blessings of abundance on the land they surround.
Get a few eggs & start painting. You could use color magic when painting your eggs or draw sigils on them to manifest what you desire.
If you don’t have real eggs, pick up some plastic eggs that open up & write what you wish to manifest this Ostara on a slip of paper & place them inside the eggs.
Ostara is the perfect time of the year to focus on manifesting creativity & love.
Plant your wishing beans:
Choose some beans that most closely sum up what it is you wish to grow in your life.
Prepare a pot of soil by stirring it with your finger, visualizing your good energy entering into the soil.
Smooth the surface of the soil & then make shallow holes for the beans.
Hold the beans in your hand & breathe into them, infusing them with your hopes.
Plant them, visualizing concrete things you intend to do during the next few weeks to make your wish become reality.
Then water them well, cover the pot with plastic wrap & place it on the windowsill.
In a couple of days, check to see if anything has come up.
If the soil is dry, water it.
Soon your beans will sprout.
After the danger of frost is past, you can plant it in your garden.
If for some reason your beans fail to sprout, you may want to rethink your goals & try again..
To celebrate Ostara with crystals, you can use amethyst, azurite, aquamarine, clear quartz, citrine, rhodochrosite, tiger's eye, chrysocolla, carnelian, lapis lazuli, serpentine, moonstone or rose quartz. These crystals correspond with healing, peace, strength, health, love & happiness, growth & renewal.
Now place it under the grill (uncovered) until ready.
Serve with fresh salad & mayonnaise.
Goji Berry & Hazelnut Cheesecake:
100 g butter
200 g sugar
2 eggs
250 g soft cheese
grated rind of 1 lemon
100 g hazelnuts
100 g goji berries
250 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
butter & semolina for covering the baking tin with funnel
While the nuts are roasting, cream the butter & sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs, lemon rind & cheese.
Pound the roasted nuts with a hammer to coarsely crush them & add to the mixture along with berries.
Finally mix in the combined flour & baking powder.
Butter the baking tin & sprinkle with semolina, dry breadcrumbs or flour.
Spoon the cake mixture into the tin & bake at 200C for ca 45 min.
200 g sugar
2 eggs
250 g soft cheese
grated rind of 1 lemon
100 g hazelnuts
100 g goji berries
250 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
butter & semolina for covering the baking tin with funnel
While the nuts are roasting, cream the butter & sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs, lemon rind & cheese.
Pound the roasted nuts with a hammer to coarsely crush them & add to the mixture along with berries.
Finally mix in the combined flour & baking powder.
Butter the baking tin & sprinkle with semolina, dry breadcrumbs or flour.
Spoon the cake mixture into the tin & bake at 200C for ca 45 min.
Fruit Jelly Sweets Cheesecake:
Its gonna be chocolaty, light & moist with different fruit flavors popping up in your mouth as you go along...
2 x Sponge cakes:
5 eggs
5 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1-2 tbsp cocoa powder
Whisk egg whites with pinch of salt until soft peaks form.
Add 1/3 sugar & whisk until glossy & thick.
Whisk egg yolks in a separate bowl with rest of the sugar until pale yellow, add gently to the egg whites.
Sieve the flour, baking powder & cocoa powder into the egg mixture. Line the 23 cm baking tin with baking paper & pour half of the cake mixture over the bottom.
Bake at 220C for 12-15 min or until ready.
Repeat same with another half of the sponge mixture. Cool.
Filling:
500 g soft cheese
75 g dusting sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 orange, grated rind & juice
50 g dark chocolate,grated
250 g fruit jelly sweets, cut into pieces, softest you can find, they will partly dissolve into the cheese, giving lovely flavors to it..
200 ml orange juice for moistening the cake
cocoa powder for dusting
Line the 23 cm cake tin with cling film.
Mix soft cheese, dusting sugar, vanilla essence, orange peel &-juice.
Add grated chocolate & chopped fruit jellies.
Place one spongecake on to the bottom of the cake tin, moisten with orange juice.
Spoon the cheese mixture over.
Cover with second moistened sponge.
Place the cake into the fridge for 24 h, covered with cling film.
Lift the cake onto the serving plate, dust with cocoa powder.
5 eggs
5 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1-2 tbsp cocoa powder
Whisk egg whites with pinch of salt until soft peaks form.
Add 1/3 sugar & whisk until glossy & thick.
Whisk egg yolks in a separate bowl with rest of the sugar until pale yellow, add gently to the egg whites.
Sieve the flour, baking powder & cocoa powder into the egg mixture. Line the 23 cm baking tin with baking paper & pour half of the cake mixture over the bottom.
Bake at 220C for 12-15 min or until ready.
Repeat same with another half of the sponge mixture. Cool.
Filling:
500 g soft cheese
75 g dusting sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 orange, grated rind & juice
50 g dark chocolate,grated
250 g fruit jelly sweets, cut into pieces, softest you can find, they will partly dissolve into the cheese, giving lovely flavors to it..
200 ml orange juice for moistening the cake
cocoa powder for dusting
Line the 23 cm cake tin with cling film.
Mix soft cheese, dusting sugar, vanilla essence, orange peel &-juice.
Add grated chocolate & chopped fruit jellies.
Place one spongecake on to the bottom of the cake tin, moisten with orange juice.
Spoon the cheese mixture over.
Cover with second moistened sponge.
Place the cake into the fridge for 24 h, covered with cling film.
Lift the cake onto the serving plate, dust with cocoa powder.
Banana Sunshine Cake:
2 eggs
90 g sugar
25 g flour, sifted
10 g cornflour, sifted
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Filling:
4 dl fresh cream, whip it
5 dl natural yogurt, at room temperature
300 g bitter orange marmalade
1,5 dl sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
2 dl orange juice + little extra for moisturizing the cake
4 tbsp gelatin
Top:
5 ripe bananas
3 dl orange juice
4 tsp gelatin
Preheat oven to 200C.
Whisk egg yolks & sugar until well combined.
Fold in the flour, cornflour & cocoa powder. Whisk the egg whites until stiff & gently fold into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into the round baking tin which has been lined with baking paper & smooth over the surface.
Cook for 7-10 min. until ready.
Line the spring form cake tin with cling film. Place the cake on to the bottom of the tin & moisturize with some orange juice.
Prepare the gelatin, follow the instructions on the packet,just instead of the water use the orange juice.
Beat into the orange marmalade the sugar, yogurt & vanilla sugar. Add gelatin.
Finally pour over the whipped cream. Mix everything through & pour over the cake.
Chill at least 5 hours.
Place bananas into the fridge.
Prepare the jelly from orange juice & gelatin. Leave to cool.
Slice bananas diagonally & place them onto the cake, starting from outside & covering with every round ca 1/3 of the previous round.
Gently pour over the jelly mixture & let it completely set in the fridge.
90 g sugar
25 g flour, sifted
10 g cornflour, sifted
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Filling:
4 dl fresh cream, whip it
5 dl natural yogurt, at room temperature
300 g bitter orange marmalade
1,5 dl sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
2 dl orange juice + little extra for moisturizing the cake
4 tbsp gelatin
Top:
5 ripe bananas
3 dl orange juice
4 tsp gelatin
Preheat oven to 200C.
Whisk egg yolks & sugar until well combined.
Fold in the flour, cornflour & cocoa powder. Whisk the egg whites until stiff & gently fold into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into the round baking tin which has been lined with baking paper & smooth over the surface.
Cook for 7-10 min. until ready.
Line the spring form cake tin with cling film. Place the cake on to the bottom of the tin & moisturize with some orange juice.
Prepare the gelatin, follow the instructions on the packet,just instead of the water use the orange juice.
Beat into the orange marmalade the sugar, yogurt & vanilla sugar. Add gelatin.
Finally pour over the whipped cream. Mix everything through & pour over the cake.
Chill at least 5 hours.
Place bananas into the fridge.
Prepare the jelly from orange juice & gelatin. Leave to cool.
Slice bananas diagonally & place them onto the cake, starting from outside & covering with every round ca 1/3 of the previous round.
Gently pour over the jelly mixture & let it completely set in the fridge.
White Chocolate & Passion Fruit Souffle:
90 g white chocolate, melted
4 eggs
pinch of salt
Juice of half lemon
4 tbsp sugar
1 passion fruit
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Place the baking tray into the oven to warm up.
Butter 4 ramekins. Dust with sugar & cocoa powder. Shake out any excess.
Melt the chocolate, set aside.
Beat the egg whites with pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2 tbsp sugar, still whisking, until thick & glossy. Add lemon juice.
Whisk the egg yolks with 2 tbsp sugar until pale yellow. Stir in the chocolate & passion fruit pulp.
Fold in 1/4 of the egg whites, to loosen it up, then turn in rest of the egg whites.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins, run your finger around the edges, lift them onto the baking tray.
Bake 12 min or until well risen & golden on top.
Dust with dusting sugar. Serve immediately with raspberry-, strawberry- or cherry coulis.
For Soup:
2 big rhubarb stalks
600 ml water
2 tsp cornflour+ 1 dl cold water
2 dl sugar
For Cream:
250 g soft cheese
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla sugar
8 digestive biscuits
Chop rhubarb, boil in the water ca 7 min.
Add sugar.
Add cornflour+water mix. Bring it back to boil for a min. Take it off the heat, cool slightly or completely if you like.
For cream whisk well together cheese & sour cream, vanilla sugar & sugar. Break roughly the biscuits, mix with cream.
Serve in the individual dessert bowls. Pour rhubarb soup over the cream.
For cream whisk well together cheese & sour cream, vanilla sugar & sugar. Break roughly the biscuits, mix with cream.
Serve in the individual dessert bowls. Pour rhubarb soup over the cream.
500 ml fresh cream
vanilla extract
125 g sugar
6 egg yolks
1 big rhubarb
splash of water
2-3 tbsp sugar
6 tsp sugar for sprinkle over the Crème Brûlées.
Bake rhubarb with sugar & water.
Add a bit of rhubarb compote onto the bottom of each 6 ramekins.
Place the pan of cream & vanilla over the medium heat & allow to warm to just under the boiling point.
Oven 140C.
Whisk eggs & sugar until pale. Gradually pour in the warm cream,whisking continually. Once combined, set aside.
Strain mixture into the jug.
Place the pan of cream & vanilla over the medium heat & allow to warm to just under the boiling point.
Oven 140C.
Whisk eggs & sugar until pale. Gradually pour in the warm cream,whisking continually. Once combined, set aside.
Strain mixture into the jug.
Place 6 ramekins into the roasting tin, fill with cream. Pour enough boil ling water into the tray to reach half way of the ramekins. Bake for 30 min.
Remove Crème Brûlées from oven, cool in room temperature.
Before serving sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over each Crème Brûlée.
Remove Crème Brûlées from oven, cool in room temperature.
Before serving sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over each Crème Brûlée.
Caramelize the top under hot grill or with chefs torch.
Serve at room temperature.
Serve at room temperature.
MAGIC & FOLKLORE:
One swallow does not make a spring.
Don’t say that spring has come until you can put your foot on nine daisies.
Use a broom to sweep hard-boiled eggs from outside your home to inside to bring in abundance & fertility.
Brown eggshells can be added to protective or healing magic for pets or livestock.
Bury rotten eggs near a crossroad to cause an abundance to be taken away from an enemy.
To ensure that there will be no shortage of food at your home during the winter & to keep those living there safe, bury one egg at each of the four cardinal points of your property: east, south, west, north.
Decorated eggshells hanging from bushes & trees shed blessings of abundance on the land they surround.
Get a few eggs & start painting. You could use color magic when painting your eggs or draw sigils on them to manifest what you desire.
If you don’t have real eggs, pick up some plastic eggs that open up & write what you wish to manifest this Ostara on a slip of paper & place them inside the eggs.
Ostara is the perfect time of the year to focus on manifesting creativity & love.
Plant your wishing beans:
Choose some beans that most closely sum up what it is you wish to grow in your life.
Prepare a pot of soil by stirring it with your finger, visualizing your good energy entering into the soil.
Smooth the surface of the soil & then make shallow holes for the beans.
Hold the beans in your hand & breathe into them, infusing them with your hopes.
Plant them, visualizing concrete things you intend to do during the next few weeks to make your wish become reality.
Then water them well, cover the pot with plastic wrap & place it on the windowsill.
In a couple of days, check to see if anything has come up.
If the soil is dry, water it.
Soon your beans will sprout.
After the danger of frost is past, you can plant it in your garden.
If for some reason your beans fail to sprout, you may want to rethink your goals & try again..
To celebrate Ostara with crystals, you can use amethyst, azurite, aquamarine, clear quartz, citrine, rhodochrosite, tiger's eye, chrysocolla, carnelian, lapis lazuli, serpentine, moonstone or rose quartz. These crystals correspond with healing, peace, strength, health, love & happiness, growth & renewal.
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