Ostara
The wheel of the year turns, and with it comes the arrival of Ostara, the Spring Equinox, on March 20th—a moment of equilibrium between dark and light. For a fleeting moment in the spring, night and day are in perfect balance, eventually yielding to longer days and shorter nights, and the return of the warmth of the sun in the northern hemisphere. It also marks the astrological new year as Aries season begins, the first sign of the zodiac and the initiator of new cycles. Aries is fire, action, and courage—the spark that ignites after the long dormancy of winter. The Ram, Aries’ symbol, was chosen in ancient astrology for its bold, headstrong energy, its willingness to charge forward without hesitation. This is why Aries rules the start of the zodiac: it’s the sign of instinctual action, pioneering spirit, and forging new paths. But this year, the Equinox doesn’t arrive as a simple, gentle renewal. It lands in the midst of eclipse season and a charged retrograde cycle, making this transition feel more like a reckoning than a renewal for many.
Eclipses serve as cosmic wildcards, course-correcting where we’ve strayed from alignment and accelerating changes that have been brewing beneath the surface. This year, the Equinox arrives in the wake of the Full Worm Moon and Total Lunar Eclipse in Virgo on March 14, an event that has already exposed what needs to shift. Lunar eclipses bring revelations and closures, cutting away the unnecessary so that new growth can emerge. But with Mercury retrograde in Aries beginning the very same day, clarity remains elusive. Aries charges ahead, but Mercury’s reversal forces reflection. It’s a push-pull between action and hesitation, momentum and pause. This isn’t the clean slate we often associate with the Equinox. Instead, it’s a threshold between what was and what will be, a transition that demands patience, presence, and a willingness to navigate uncertainty. The days following this moment hold the tension of both release and renewal, preparing us for the Partial Solar Eclipse in Aries on March 29, which will open doors we can’t yet see.
The Equinox has long been a sacred turning point in myth and tradition. In Norse and Germanic folklore, Ostara, the goddess of the dawn, embodies the rebirth of the land after months of winter’s cold isolation. While much of what is written about Ostara is speculative, her name is tied to the Old High German ôstarâ, meaning “east” or “dawn,” linking her to the returning light. Her symbols—rabbits, eggs, and budding new life—became synonymous with Easter, which derives its name from the goddess Eostre, also known as Ostara. Over time, Christian traditions absorbed these themes into their own celebrations, merging resurrection symbolism with the natural cycles of rebirth. Early Christians were quite good at taking Pagan holidays and giving them a Christian spin, and Easter is no different. Easter’s shifting date is rooted in ancient lunar and solar cycles, following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox—mirroring pre-Christian festivals like Ostara, which celebrated fertility, renewal, and the return of light. Just as pagan traditions honored seasonal shifts with rituals tied to the moon, Easter’s timing reflects a continuation of these rhythms, blending resurrection symbolism with the natural cycles of rebirth. It’s why Christ’s crucifixion, something you would think would be quite solemn and reflective, is associated with an Easter bunny that brings gifts of candy and chocolate and why we celebrate by coloring eggs.
That brings me to one of my favorite Ostara traditions: watching the movie Chocolat. The movie takes place in a small fictional town in France between Lent and Easter, and the struggle that ensues between the free-spirited pagan chocolatier Vianne and her daughter, Anouk, and the village’s mayor Comte Reynaud, a devout Catholic who sees Vianne as a heretical threat to the Christian values of his tranquil little village. This movie is rich with allegories, but one that stands out is the contrast between the structured, rigid yang energy of the devout Christians in the village and the free-spirited, indulgent yin energy of Pagan Vianne. There is so much I love about this movie, and I love the resolution at the end—that when we look for the humanity in others and show one another compassion, kindness, and tolerance, we can cultivate friendship, love, and respect. My favorite line is when the priest, finally able to use his own words rather than cowering to the domineering Reynaud, speaks about Christianity and the Crucifixion not from Jesus’ divinity, but his humanity. It gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.
Getting back to the history and mythology behind the Equinox and the arrival of Spring, there are many traditions across the Northern Hemisphere that have their own way of acknowledging this perfectly balanced moment between light and dark, warmth and cold, life and death. In Greek mythology, the Equinox aligns with the myth of Persephone’s return. After spending the darker months in the underworld, she emerges, bringing fertility and renewal to the earth. It is a time of resurrection, of life reawakening after descent. Other traditions recognize this balance as well. In Daoist philosophy, the Equinox represents the harmony of yin and yang, a moment of equal forces before the yang energy of the Sun takes precedence. In Indigenous wisdom, the shift into spring is honored through ceremony, an acknowledgment of the land stirring awake and the importance of moving in rhythm with nature. Across cultures, this is a time of renewal—but renewal requires transition, and transition is rarely simple.
As the Equinox arrives, so too does Aries season, marking the beginning of the astrological new year. Aries, ruled by Mars, is the great initiator, the force of action, passion, and independence. In ancient times, the Babylonians and Mesopotamians saw Aries as the sign of the agricultural new year, a time when the land thawed, and the cycle of planting and harvest began again. The Egyptians linked Aries to Amon-Ra, the ram-headed god of creation, while the Greeks connected it to Chrysomallos, the golden ram, whose fleece symbolized divine favor and destiny. Aries energy, in all of its mythological and historical contexts, represents bold beginnings, instinctual movement, and the courage to forge ahead, no matter the obstacles. But this year, Aries season begins under pressure, slowed by celestial forces that demand reflection before action. The usual burst of energy that accompanies the Equinox is tempered by both Venus and Mercury retrograde, creating somewhat of a cosmic paradox—the sign that usually thrives on forward motion is being asked to pause, recalibrate, and question its own momentum. As an Aries Sun, I’m really feeling it, but I’m doing my own interpretation of Wu Wei and allowing myself to go with the flow a bit more than my usual firebrand.
Venus retrograde in Aries and Pisces, which began on March 1st, stirs up uncertainty in relationships, values, and desires. Aries energy seeks independence, passion, and self-determination, but Venus retrograde forces us to reconsider what (and who) we truly want. Then, on March 14th, the very day of the Full Worm Blood Moon Eclipse in Virgo, Mercury stationed retrograde in Aries, throwing another wrench into Aries season’s usual fiery momentum. This creates a striking paradox: Aries season’s usual surge of new beginnings is tempered by revision, uncertainty, and redirection. It’s not about forcing progress but refining and course-correcting before leaping forward.
The Spring Equinox is a threshold, but this year, the doorway is not yet fully open. The Total Lunar Eclipse in Virgo has already shed light on what must be left behind, while the upcoming Partial Solar Eclipse in Aries on March 29th is preparing to set the stage for what’s next. But in this in-between space, clarity remains elusive. The urge to force decisions, to take action just for the sake of momentum, will be strong. But Aries season this year is about aligned action, not reckless movement. Much like Vianne’s journey in Chocolat, where she learns that stability can be just as powerful as movement, we, too, are being asked to navigate transformation with perseverance, patience, love, and humor. Sometimes, change is not about pushing forward but about recognizing when to surrender and trust the process.
