Make it Monday // DIY Dollar Tree Ostara Altar Decor

Spring is almost here!  I am so excited for warmer weather and longer days.  At the beginning of February we celebrated Imbolc which is about the first inklings of spring shinging through - more active animals, longer days, maybe a hint of green here & there.  

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Today's DIY is focused on creating budget friendly Ostara decor from supplies found at the Dollar Tree!  There are a ton of pretty spring things out right now.  My favorite find was the springs of lavender which is perfect for this project.  Purple is such a spring color.  And I found these amazing speckled eggs that look like they came from a high end decor shop.  Dollar Tree for the win - 6 pastel speckled eggs in a little egg container for only $1!  I couldn't link these for you below, but I've linked what I can.  Even the bunnies came from the Dollar Tree.  Assorted Spring decor for $1 each!

supplies : mini wreath, lavender sprigs, speckled eggs, moss, hot glue gun & glue sticks, wire cutters/snippers

Start by snipping buds from the flower bunches.  Don't snip too close to the base of the flower, you want to make sure there is enough stem left to push into the wreath.  Organize the flower sprigs on the wreath form the way you'd like.  Using the glue gun place a line of hot glue on the stem & push it into the wreath.

Pull some of the leaves from the stems & add those in to your floral mix.  This creates a little bit of depth to the arrangement.  The arrangement is going to be on the side of the wreathe, so press these leaves into the arrangement upright.

Next it is time to add the speckled eggs.  We're mainly working with a lot of visual balance in this project.  The floral arrangement is on the right side of the wreathe and the egg & moss grouping is going to ground back down the overall design.

Attach the moss to the wreathe by putting glue on the wreathe first then pressing on the moss.  The moss sticks together, but small pieces will fall off.  It was a mess.  Pressing the moss on to the glue allows you more control over it.

Keep it balanced by creating a cluster of three eggs in the moss.  I chose pink, yellow, and blue for the eggs to compliment the purple lavender sprigs.  Adding two egg in the front & one egg in the back makes a lovely little scene.

Now for some facts:

What is Ostara?

The Vernal or Spring Equinox falls on March 20th.  Also known as Ostara, the Spring Equinox celebrates the balance of light and dark with light beginning to increase until we get to the longest day of the year the Summer Solstice.  It is one of the eight holidays or sabbats on the pagan Wheel of the Year.

This Pagan holiday celebrates the maiden goddess that overseas the budding of plants and the idea of fertility as she begins to interact with the horned sun god.  The maiden goddess transforms over the year from maiden, to mother, to crone.  She is fertile now, just as the earth is, ready to conceive.  So now is the time to celebrate planting & new life to harvest later in the year (at celebrations like Litha & Mabon).  We can also celebrate a goddess like Persephone who has emerged from her stay in the underworld.  I personally think Ostara celebrates newness & new life.

Easter, the Christian holiday celebrating Christ's resurrection, is most closely related to Ostara as it celebrates rebirth & shares similar symbols.  However, Ostara & Easter don't really have any close linguistic relations (from what I've read when trying to find a definitive answer on this).  These two holidays seem to just fall closely & share symbolism.

Symbols of Ostara

Around this time we start to see a lot of bunnies & eggs pop up in our stores seasonal aisles.  Eggs have always been a symbol of 'seed'.  Eggs are a symbol of opportunity & growth as the hold the entirety of potential inside of them.  Think of an bird's egg - a self contained unit that nourishes & protects the bird while it grows.  Decorated eggs are fun & a great way to spend time with a symbol you'd like to work with - so coloring eggs with your family using a PAHS dye set isn't necessarily a pagan (or Christian) thing but it is still an important part of spending time with family & carefully prepping for the coming holiday.

When it comes to hares or bunnies, this animal has been associated with fertility for a long while.  Apparently a rabbit can conceive another litter, while she is still pregnant!  And we all know how rabbits seem to multiply exponentially.  So that symbol comes with a little bit of science.  We're also seeing animals stirring during the spring time and that can lead to an association between the bunny & Easter/Ostara/the Spring Equinox.

I can't wait to sit with these symbols at my altar while I celebrate the longer days and the development of ideas.  I've spoken before about how Mabon, or the Atumn Equinox, is like the Full Moon for me, well the Spring Equinox is like the New Moon.  It is a time to set & refine intentions for the year (even though you may have done this in January).  You can also work with the New Moon in Aries energy that falls in April this year to set goals & intentions.  Spring is a great time to see new growth & new opportunity in your life, especially after the reflection & release that was the Winter Solstice.

Use this time to celebrate the longer days, the warmth coming, and the seeds you can plant towards becoming your best self.  If you haven't started a new habit, try one out!  If you've got a new idea, refine it a little then offer it up to be nurtured by your hard work.

How do you celebrate spring?  What do you do to celebrate the spring time?

xoxo, Moe