The Spring Equinox, also called the Vernal Equinox or Ostara, is usually celebrated between the 21st of March in the Northern Hemisphere (In the Southern Hemisphere around September 20th or 21st)
In 2024, Ostara and the Spring Equinox land in the Northern Hemisphere on Monday, March 19th.
The Spring Equinox celebrates the arrival of spring. Celebrating balance, growth, and new beginnings as Winter has finally ended.
Spring Equinox Correspondances
Colours
Light Green
Lavender
Sunny Yellow
Light Blue
Pastel Pink
White
Herbal
Lemongrass
Daffodils
Tulips
Violets
Apple Tree
Cherry Blossom
Primrose
Birch tree
Hyacinths
Dandelion
Garlic
Ash tree
Jasmine
Edibles
Honey
Salad greens
Spring veggies
Fresh berries
Mead
Herbs
Eggs
Seeds
Bread
Edible flowers
Quiches
Custards
Maple
Animals
Hares
Baby Chicks
Snakes
Robins
Bees
Butterflies
Phoenix
Ram
Crystals
Fluorite
Moonstone
Silver
Aquamarine
Clear Quartz
Amazonite
Symbols
Bonfires
Flowers
Rabbits
Eggs
Seeds
Baskets
Flowering or Tree Buds
Lambs
Birds
Spiritual meanings
Purification
Cleansing (removal of stagnant energy)
Growth
Transition
Motivation
Balance
Birth
Good fortune
Kindness
Joy
Fertility
Scents
Coconut
Citrus
Floral scents (rose, lilac, jasmine, etc)
Herbal scents (rosemary, basil, mint, etc)
Gods / Goddesses / Spirits
Eostre – (Anglo-Saxon)
Aphrodite - (Greek)
Gaia - (Celtic)
Gaea - (Greek)
Venus - (Roman)
Athena - (Greek)
Aurora - (Roman)
Eos - (Greek)
Isis – (Egyptian)
Freya - (Norse)
Persephone - (greek)
Cybele - (Roman)
The Green Man - (Celtic)
Odin – (Norse)
Osiris – (Egyptian)
Pan – (Greek)
Thoth – (Egyptian)
Adonis – (Greek)
Apollon – (Greek)
Apollo - (Roman)
Need some suggestions to celebrate? I've got you covered.
High energy celebrations and ritual
Deep cleaning of the hearth and home
Nature hikes
Visiting farmers markets
Making preserves
Create a fae garden
Create a seasonal altar
Abundance/Prosperity ritual
New beginnings ritual
Low energy celebrations
Wear pastels
Create flower crowns
Light a candle with scent correspondence
No spoon celebrations
Opening a window
Journaling Prompts
Keeping hydrated
Drink floral tea
Rest
How you celebrate the holiday does not matter. You can choose to do any activity that feels right. These are only suggestions and remember that you're enough no matter what.
Also please note some stuff is UPG. A great book is Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden for honouring the celebrations and if you wanted to work more seasonally. It's not Wiccan-based and has plenty of resources for every witch.
Feel free to post how you celebrate in the comments or reblogs!
Want to see more of my posts? Check out my Wheel of the Year Masterpost or my Main Masterpost.
Brigid isn’t just any goddess—she’s a force of nature, woven deep into the land, the hearth, and the hearts of those who’ve honoured her for generations. She’s a goddess of contrasts and power, holding both fire and water, creation and destruction, life and death in her hands. Her story stretches far back into the mists of Irish myth, but she’s not stuck in the past—her spirit still lives on in modern traditions, both pagan and Christian.
1. Brigid’s Roots: Who Is She? 🌍
Brigid is the daughter of the Dagda, one of the big names among the Tuatha Dé Danann, the old gods of Ireland. The Dagda was a bit of an all-rounder—wise, strong, magical, and always with a hearty appetite. His cauldron never ran empty, and his harp could control the seasons. Pretty handy, right?
Brigid herself is often seen as a triple goddess, though not the usual maiden-mother-crone trio. Instead, she’s got three key roles, sometimes described as three sisters sharing the same name:
• Brigid the Poet: Goddess of inspiration, wisdom, and the spoken word. She’s the spark behind storytelling, song, and prophecy.
• Brigid the Smith: Goddess of metalwork and craftsmanship. She’s all about transformation—taking raw materials and turning them into something new and powerful.
• Brigid the Healer: Goddess of medicine, fertility, and sacred waters. Whether it’s physical wounds or emotional scars, she’s there to soothe and mend.
She’s a bridge (fitting, isn’t it?) between worlds—earth and sky, life and death, spirit and matter.
2. Brigid Among the Gods ✨
Brigid’s part of the mighty Tuatha Dé Danann, a supernatural tribe that’s said to have arrived in Ireland shrouded in mist, bringing magic, knowledge, and divine rule.
She married Bres, a king of the Fomorians—beings often seen as chaotic, wild, and sometimes downright troublesome. Their union was symbolic:
• The Tuatha Dé Danann stood for culture, order, and artistry.
• The Fomorians represented raw, untamed nature.
Together, they had a son named Ruadán, and his fate ties into one of Brigid’s most heartbreaking stories.
3. Brigid’s Grief: The Birth of Keening 💔🎶
Ruadán fought in a battle between his parents’ people—the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians—and was mortally wounded. When Brigid found him, she cradled his dying body and let out a cry of such raw, gut-wrenching grief that it echoed through the ages.
This wasn’t just any cry—it was the first keening (caoineadh), a traditional Irish mourning song, full of wailing and lament. Even today, keening is part of Irish funerals, a deep, soulful way of expressing grief.
Brigid’s story here shows how even the deepest sorrow can be sacred. She turned her pain into something that connected the living and the dead, creating a ritual that gives voice to heartbreak in the most powerful way.
4. Brigid’s Symbols and Sacred Spaces 🔥💧🌾
Brigid’s presence is felt in both the natural world and human rituals. She’s everywhere—from the hearth to the wild springs.
- Sacred Flames
• In Kildare, there was an eternal flame kept burning by 19 priestesses, with Brigid herself believed to watch over it on the 20th day of the cycle.
• Fire is her thing—symbolising creativity, inspiration, and transformation. It’s the warmth of the hearth, the forge’s blaze, and the spark of an idea.
- Sacred Wells
• Brigid’s also the goddess of healing waters. Across Ireland, there are countless holy wells dedicated to her where people go to pray, leave offerings, and seek healing.
• The combo of fire and water in her worship might seem odd, but it makes sense—she’s about balance, creation, and renewal.
- Brigid’s Cross
• You’ve probably seen one—it’s a woven symbol, traditionally made from rushes or straw around Imbolc. It’s hung in homes for protection and to invite Brigid’s blessings.
• Its design, with arms reaching out in four directions, represents the sun, the cycle of seasons, and life’s interconnectedness.
- Animals and Nature
• Brigid’s connected to livestock, especially cows and sheep. The first signs of lambing season around Imbolc are linked to her.
• She’s also tied to bees, serpents, and oak trees, symbols of wisdom, renewal, and life’s cycles.
5. Imbolc: Brigid’s Festival of Light and Renewal 🌱🔥
Imbolc, celebrated around February 1st, marks the start of spring in the old Celtic calendar. The name comes from the Old Irish “i mbolg,” meaning “in the belly,” referring to the pregnant ewes and the stirrings of new life beneath winter’s frost.
It’s all about light returning, with days getting longer after the darkness of winter. Imbolc rituals include:
• Lighting candles and fires to welcome the growing sun.
• Visiting sacred wells, leaving offerings like coins, flowers, or clooties (ribbons or cloth tied with prayers).
• Making Brigid’s crosses for protection.
• Blessing homes, hearths, and animals to invite fertility and abundance.
Some traditions also made a Brídeóg, a little doll representing Brigid, dressed in white and carried from house to house to bring blessings.
6. Brigid Becomes a Saint ⛪
When Christianity spread through Ireland, Brigid’s influence was too strong to ignore. Rather than fading into myth, she was transformed into Saint Brigid of Kildare, said to have lived around 450 CE.
This saint was a powerhouse herself—founding monasteries, performing miracles, and caring for the poor. But if you look closely, the old goddess is still there:
• Saint Brigid’s feast day? Still February 1st—right at Imbolc.
• The eternal flame in Kildare? Still burning, now tended by Christian nuns.
• Her links to healing wells, fertility, livestock, and poetry? All carried over.
It’s not hard to see how the goddess Brigid’s legacy shaped the saint’s story, blending old beliefs with new ones.
7. Brigid Today: A Living Legacy 🌿✨
Brigid hasn’t gone anywhere. She’s still honoured by:
• Pagans, Druids, and Wiccans as a goddess of inspiration, healing, and transformation.
• Christians as Saint Brigid, patroness of poets, midwives, blacksmiths, and farmers.
• Folklore lovers who keep traditions alive—making Brigid’s crosses, visiting holy wells, and celebrating Imbolc.
Her legacy isn’t just about the past; she’s a goddess of the here and now, reminding us that light always returns, creativity flows even in dark times, and healing is always possible.
Brigid: The Bridge Between Worlds 🌕🔥🌿
Her name likely means “Exalted One” or “Bright One,” and that’s exactly what she is—a beacon in the darkness. She’s the bridge (fitting, isn’t it?) between:
• Pagan and Christian traditions
• Fire and water, life and death
• Grief and joy, creation and loss
Brigid is for the poets, the healers, the makers, the mourners, and anyone standing at a threshold in life. She’s a spark in the forge, a flame on the hearth, and the gentle flow of sacred waters, whispering that even after the longest winter, spring will always come.
Enter the night, may you find the light that will carry to your dreams. Enter the night, let your spirit take flight in the field of infinite possibilites. ❄️🕯️
The Oak and the Holly King, and their solstice showdown.
(Scroll down for the story)
The oak and holly king
The story of the Oak and Holly Kings is deeply rooted in ancient folklore, particularly within Celtic and Druidic traditions, although it’s important to note that the specific narrative as we know it today—of these two kings battling for dominion over the seasons—has been shaped and revived in more recent times by modern Pagan and Wiccan traditions. However, the roots of the story stretch far back to pre-Christian beliefs about the cycles of nature, the power of the solstices, and the worship of sacred trees.
Ancient Connections to Sacred Trees
The concept of sacred trees, particularly the oak, is central to many ancient traditions. The oak was highly revered by the Celts, who saw it as the King of the Forest. It symbolized strength, endurance, and the masculine principle. The oak’s deep roots in the earth and its towering presence in the forest made it a symbol of vitality and life, particularly associated with the sun and the summer months.
The holly, by contrast, had a more mystical and protective role. Its evergreen leaves and bright red berries made it stand out during the harsh winter months, when much of the landscape lay dormant. The Celts associated the holly with winter and the darker months, seeing it as a symbol of protection, fertility, and resilience. In Druidic lore, the holly tree was often seen as a guardian spirit of the underworld, which connects it to the realm of death and renewal.
These two trees represent opposites in the cycle of life—life and death, light and dark, and growth and decay—which is why they became symbolic of the eternal rhythm of the seasons.
The Battle of the Oak and Holly Kings in Celtic Mythology
The story of the Oak and Holly Kings doesn’t appear verbatim in ancient Celtic texts, but the thematic elements are strongly aligned with Celtic beliefs in seasonal cycles and the interplay between the forces of light and dark. The Celts understood time as cyclical, with the changing of the seasons seen as a battle between opposing forces. This is most evident in their mythologies, which often feature gods and goddesses who personified the seasons or the solar cycles.
While the Oak King is not a figure explicitly named in ancient Celtic myths, his association with the summer solstice and the sun aligns closely with deities like the Green Man, the Horned God, or the Sun God, such as Lugh or Belenus, who were central to Celtic religion and worshipped at the height of summer. The Oak King represents the rising power of the sun, growing in strength as the days lengthen.
The Holly King, on the other hand, is a figure whose influence is less direct in ancient mythology but who fits well within the framework of the Winter Solstice—a time when the light retreats and the darkness reigns. His connection with holly, a plant that thrives in winter, also connects him with ancient symbols of death, rebirth, and the protective, purifying powers of the dark. He can be seen as analogous to the Celtic figures of the Dark God or the Horned God in his aspect of winter, death, and renewal. The idea of a ruler of the dark half of the year is reflected in the figure of Cailleach, the Celtic winter goddess who reigns over the harsh cold months.
The Solstices as Turning Points
The idea of a battle for dominance between the Oak and Holly Kings aligns with the Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice, key turning points in the year when the sun is either at its lowest or highest point in the sky. The Solstices were of great importance to the Celts and other ancient peoples, as they marked the changing of the seasons and the movement between light and dark.
At the Winter Solstice, the Holly King’s reign over the dark half of the year reaches its peak, but as the Oak King slowly begins to take over, the days lengthen, and the sun begins its return. The reverse happens at the Summer Solstice, when the Oak King’s reign begins to wane, and the Holly King rises to claim dominion over the dark months again.
The Modern Revival
The modern retelling of the Oak and Holly Kings battle comes from a blending of old Celtic traditions with newer Pagan and Wiccan beliefs, particularly in the 20th century. Figures like Gerald Gardner, one of the founders of modern Wicca, and later Pagan writers like Doreen Valiente and Starhawk, helped to shape and popularize the idea of the Oak and Holly Kings as two mythical figures representing the seasonal battle between light and dark.
These contemporary adaptations often draw on the traditional symbolism of these trees, the changing seasons, and the Solstices, but the exact story as we know it today is largely a modern creation, inspired by the themes present in ancient Celtic myth, and perhaps even influenced by folklore surrounding the Green Man and the Cailleach, two figures whose stories embody similar cyclical changes in the natural world.
Summary: An Archetypal Tale of Balance
The Battle of the Oak and Holly Kings is less about a specific historical or mythological origin and more about a universal archetype: the dance of light and dark, life and death, summer and winter. It’s a story that, although not fully documented in ancient myths, resonates with ancient practices and beliefs tied to the natural world. It serves as a reminder that all things are in constant flux, and the forces of light and dark are not in opposition, but in balance—a relationship that sustains the very cycle of life.
So, while the Oak and Holly Kings may not have been named explicitly in ancient Celtic myth, the themes of their battle—of shifting power, of cyclical renewal, of the eternal dance between light and dark—are deeply embedded in the seasonal rhythms of the earth, making their story one that continues to inspire and resonate today.
Conclusion: The Blessing of the Oak and Holly Kings
As the Wheel of the Year turns once more, the Winter Solstice marks a sacred transition—when darkness reaches its peak and light begins its slow, steady return. The Oak King and the Holly King, locked in their eternal dance, remind us of the beautiful balance within all things: light and shadow, growth and rest, life and death. The Holly King, ruler of the waning year, gently steps aside, honouring his role in holding space for introspection, endurance, and the lessons of the dark. The Oak King, vibrant with potential, rises to bring light and renewal, promising growth and the slow awakening of the earth.
This ancient story is not just a tale of two kings—it’s a reflection of the cycles we all live through. In our own lives, there are moments to honour the Holly King within us, letting go, retreating, and seeking wisdom in stillness. And there are moments to welcome the Oak King, embracing light, action, and the promise of new beginnings. Together, they remind us that every end carries the seed of a beginning, and every winter holds the quiet promise of spring.
A Blessing for the Oak and Holly Kings
To the Holly King, Keeper of the Dark:
May your rest be peaceful, your wisdom honoured,
And your gift of stillness held in gratitude.
You who guard the night and protect the soul’s journey,
We thank you for your strength and patience.
May we carry your lessons of endurance and grace as we move forward.
To the Oak King, Bringer of the Light:
May your reign be bright, your energy abundant,
And your gift of renewal inspire growth within us.
You who awaken the earth and kindle the fires of hope,
We welcome your return with open hearts.
May we walk boldly into the light you bring,
Guided by courage, wisdom, and joy.
And to the Dance of the Year that unites them both:
Honestly I know that there's a lot of fear especially for fixed signs with Pluto in Aquarius, but ever since that transit happened...I feel freaking amazing. With it transiting my first house as an Aquarius Rising, I am feeling powerful. I recently got a moldavite nose ring because I am ready to be shaken up 💚✨⭐
I've been thinking a lot about what it is I need to do to step into more abundance so I can be more generous. It's been a really winding, confusing, twisting road that I'm not even sure I'm at the end of. I feel like a lot of my time spent on Earth has been filled with lessons of boundaries, obstacles, self-abnegation. When I was practicing christian, I thought that self-denial would somehow produce a reward. So I did it gladly but also constantly felt like I was looking around and seeing everyone else accomplishing the things I wanted to do or they had the thing that I wanted.
As I'm progressing more into my spiritual growth story and my spiritual journey, I realize that that denial of self was just me propagating the damaging teaching: that somehow we must suffer to have good in our lives. I need to overcome this belief as it is part of the highest growth point to my soul, and likewise, I know I need to see a modest life as something that can also bring joy. However, this is difficult as this lesson is also reinforced by the hypervigilance that I've always experienced due to my childhood. The survival instinct rears its head frequently. I am playing out my old wounds over and over again.
Now I'm at a point in my life where I want to be free, I want to be able to dive Into the depths of sensuality, enjoyment, joy, and love. And this is proving extremely hard for me because there's still that old belief that I need to be miserable to accomplish or deserve anything great. So if you're feeling this to know that you're not alone. We deserve good things in our lives and we are enough. I should know this is also connected to my South Node and Descendent sign in Leo and my Ascendant and North Node in Aquarius, life has a funny way of really reinforcing the lessons we need to learn 🤣✨❤️🔥
hi yall, another purely based in UPG, new agey post! historically, deity offerings for the ancient egyptians often took the form of art/sculpture/hymns, incense (like frankincense or myrrh), or offerings of food (especially meat and bread) and drink (wine/ale, mostly). dialogue with the gods was often facilitated through the pharaohs or funerary rites, but your average person had access to daily magic and regular temples as well.
jupiter - places of privilege, royal assembly places, tribunals, chairs, gymnasia, schools, fragrant places, places of prosperity.
saturn - churches, graveyards, tombs, crop fields, deserted homes and other buildings, solitary caves, hollows, wells, ponds, swamps, dark and stagnant places.
uranus - airports, public transit, colleges, space center, museums, cold places.
neptune - beach, ocean, reflective pool, boats, house of mirrors, art museum, windy places.
pluto - churches, graveyards, tombs, crossroads, liminal spaces, hospitals, cypress forests, icy places, quiet and still places.
germansingergirl
prguitarman
stormborns
blakekathryn
pixelskylines
kaledo-art
