As winter gently retreats and the first warm rays of sunshine touch the earth, nature awakens to new life. With Ostara, the ancient Wheel of the Year festival of the Spring Equinox, we celebrate this magical moment when light and darkness are in perfect balance. Nature unfolds its boundless vitality, reminding us of the cycle of birth and decay, and invites us to step into our own growth. It is a time of new beginnings, growth, and inner renewal.
"And suddenly you know: It is time to start something new and trust in the magic of beginnings." – Meister Eckhart
On the Spring Equinox, we celebrate not only Ostara but also the awakening of life itself. As the sun gains strength day by day and its nurturing warmth returns, we too can open our hearts, nourish our inner seeds, and connect with the flow of life in full trust.
In this blog post, we offer you a loving heart-opening ritual—an invitation to consciously feel your heart’s desires, let them grow, and celebrate with gratitude what is already blooming in your life.
When is the Spring Equinox and the Ostara Festival?
On March 20th, we celebrate the Spring Equinox, also known as the Vernal Equinox. It marks the astronomical beginning of spring. On this day, daylight and night are exactly equal in length. Light and darkness exist in absolute balance and harmony. This special event has been celebrated worldwide by many cultures, including the Maya, and continues to be honored in some traditions today.
In our regions, the Spring Equinox is also known as the Ostara festival, the celebration of the arrival of spring. While the exact origins of the festival - whether Celtic or Germanic - are not entirely clear, it is recognized today as one of the eight festivals in the Wheel of the Year and is celebrated six weeks after Imbolc and six weeks before Beltane.
Spring’s Arrival: A Time to Warm Your Heart and Grow
With the Spring Equinox, winter is finally banished. Darkness retreats, and the sun’s warmth and strength increase daily. Everywhere we look, life awakens in breathtaking beauty. Buds and plants sprout, heralding further growth.
The first rays of sunshine draw us outdoors, warming our hearts and filling us with new energy. Like nature, we feel a deep urge to become active. Our time for growth has come.
Remember Your Heart’s Desires & Allow Them to Flourish
Ostara and the Spring Equinox offer a wonderful opportunity to tune into your heart, reconnect with your vision, and continue manifesting your ideas and desires. The powerful energy of nature surrounding us supports you.
If you used the Wheel of the Year festival Imbolc for vision-setting, now is the time to give your vision new expression and reaffirm your commitment.
It is recommended not to constantly question your desires and ideas. If you have taken the time to truly feel your heart’s wishes, stay with them—for at least 90 days. You may have heard that it takes this long to establish a new habit.
It is not about a precise number of days but about allowing a time frame in which your visions can take root and grow. As with everything, balance is key. Give your wishes and dreams time to manifest, and after a meaningful period, reflect on whether they still align with you.
An Ostara Heart-Opening Ritual for the Spring Equinox
To open your heart, stay focused on your heart’s desires, and celebrate all that is already present in your life, here is a beautiful Ostara Cacao Ritual for the arrival of spring:
Create a small spring altar in your favorite cozy space with candles, sacred objects, flowers, and anything that symbolizes spring and growth for you.
Prepare your ritual cacao with love and mindfulness.* Make yourself comfortable in your space with cushions and blankets. Have a journal ready. 
Sit comfortably with your cacao, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths into your heart. Hold your cacao cup near your heart and consciously feel the warmth between the cup and your heart.
Take a sip of your cacao. Invite the Cacao Spirit to be present with you and support your growth. Drink your cacao sip by sip while breathing into your heart. Leave a small amount of cacao in your cup.
Hand on heart - be honest with yourself: Am I doing things that fulfill my heart, or am I drifting away from it? What or who is distracting me from my path?
Imagine a stream of water flowing from above, washing away everything that distracts you and does not serve your highest good. Shake your body until you feel that everything not supporting you has fallen away. Let any images come to mind.
Return to stillness, close your eyes, and tune into your heart. Allow your vision, wishes, and ideas to rise from within. A look at your vision board may help. Remember how you feel when all of this has come true and you are living in alignment with your heart.
Ask your heart what is already present in your life that fulfills and lights you up.
GRATITUDE. Bathe in these feelings and feel gratitude for all that already exists and all that is yet to come.
Place your hand on your heart again and promise yourself to stay on your heart’s path. Remember: You know who you truly are, and you know what steps to take to come closer to this truth.
Thank yourself and the Cacao Spirit and close the ritual by opening your eyes and gently tapping your body. Offer the remaining cacao in your cup as a gift to Mother Earth.
If you want to learn more about heart opening, explore our blog post “The Wonderful Power of Heart Opening with Ritual Cacao”.
*Here we have a recipe & tips for preparing your cacao for you.
With cacao rituals through the wheel of the year
For five annual cycles we have been accompanying you through the eight annual festivals in our blog. Now we would like to give you an overall overview of all the annual celebrations, what they are derived from, why it is so wonderful to perceive and use the qualities of the annual celebrations and how Ritual Cacao can accompany and support you.
Feel warmly invited to celebrate the annual festivals with our cacao rituals and to get into a flow with the Rauhnächte that will carry you through the year.
