Ostara is a celebration of life and renewal. What better way to invite good things into our life than by planting the seeds at Ostara? In this ritual, we’ll be using a technique that people have used for generations: using eggshells as fertilizer. Eggshells are full of nutrients that can benefit a growing plant, and eggs are a universal symbol of fertility, new life, and potential.

This ritual will involve planting seeds and also burying eggshells. It’s best to do this outside, as the egg might smell if you don’t bury it far enough (and pots don’t tend to be that deep!) If you would like to do this inside, make sure you get a large, deep pot. If you don’t want to plant anything, you can do this with just the egg and use it to fertilize the plants already growing in your yard!

You will need:

• A raw egg (this takes some technique, so you might want more than one in case it goes wrong)
• A pin or needle
• A straw
• A bowl or container
• A permanent marker
• Seeds you’d like to plant (optional)
• Sage, incense, or other method of cleansing

1. Cleanse yourself with the method of your choosing. Visualize any negativity from the day melting away to nothing as you’re filled with a peaceful, radiant light.
2. Cup the egg in both hands. Gently poke a hole in the top with your pin or needle and widen it slightly. (If you’re worried about the egg cracking, put some tape over the end and then poke your hole.)
3. In a quiet environment, visualize everything you’d like to let go of as we move into spring: unwanted emotions, bad habits, negative thought patterns, whatever you’re struggling with at the moment. Imagine all of these things flowing into the yolk of your egg through the hole you just made and sticking there.
4. Place your finger over the hole so the egg won’t leak and poke a hole on the other side, widening it. Push the needle or pin far enough inside that you can pierce the yolk, and scramble the egg around to mix the yolk and whites together.
5. When you’re ready, insert the straw into one end of the egg. Blow out the contents into the bowl. With this, you’re expelling all of those negative energies and leaving the egg free and clear. Discard the egg yolk however feels right to you.
6. Cleanse the eggshell with your method of choosing. You’re now ready to move on to the next step: inviting in the good.
7. Cupping the eggshell once more, visualize all of the good things you’d like to invite into your life this spring: new habits, a new job, anything you’d like to see more of. Gently write those things onto the eggshell with your permanent marker. (It’s okay if you crack it a little: we’ll be cracking it a whole lot in the next step!)
8. Take the egg wherever you’ll be planting your seeds or fertilizing the soil for your existing plants and dig a hole. You want it to be deep enough that the residue of the egg doesn’t cause a stink.
9. Break up your eggshell and sprinkle it in the hole you just made. Put a scoop or two of soil on top, then plant your seeds.
10. As your plants bloom, so will the good things you want to see in your life!

If you liked this ritual, you might love The Modern Witch’s Guide to Ostara! For just $15, you’ll get access to lessons just like this one that guide you through the Sabbat and show you how to celebrate it 🙂 You can click here to sign up, or click here to check out our Sabbat course bundle to get access to ALL of the Lavender + Lupine Sabbat courses coming out this year <3

How do you like to celebrate Ostara? Do you have any fun traditions? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear about them!

I’m back! Did you miss me? I’ve missed being here, that’s for sure. February was the month of moving to Tennessee, starting a new job, and driving back to Wisconsin a million times to clear out the rental house for good. I’m now settled in Nashville and boy, do I have some posts planned for you! Starting with this one, since Ostara is right around the corner!

This post is actually an excerpt from The Modern Witch’s Guide to Ostara, the newest course that The Witch of Lupine Hollow and I have put together. It’s only $15 to enroll, and you’ll get access to crafts, recipes, astrology, and other information that will help you celebrate Ostara in style! You can click here to enroll if you’re interested, and if not, I hope you enjoy this little tutorial nonetheless 🙂

Dyeing eggs is one tradition commonly associated with Ostara, and what better way to celebrate the season than by using seasonal fruits and veggies for the dye? You can achieve pretty Ostara eggs without having to use food coloring or boxed egg dyes!

The process is a little different depending on which color you’d like, so I’ll walk you through how to make 4 different all-natural dyes for your eggs this year! You’ll need some hard-boiled eggs and also some vinegar on hand to really make these colors pop, so stock up on that before getting started: you’ll need about a tablespoon per cup of dye.

The recipe here will result in light, pastel-colored eggs. For more intense colors, you can cook the eggs in the dye liquid instead of starting with pre-cooked eggs.

Pink:

For pink eggs, your main ingredient is going to be beets. Take 4 cups of chopped beets and boil them in 4 cups of water. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and keep it there for a half hour. Strain the liquid into a bowl – you can use the beets in a recipe to avoid waste!

Blue:

For blue, you’ll need some purple cabbage! Chop up 4 cups of cabbage and cover them in enough water to submerge them with about 1-2 inches of water to cover the cabbage. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 30 minutes. (Boiled cabbage can be used in a variety of recipes, so don’t throw it away once you’re done!)

Yellow:

Turmeric is your friend for yellow eggs. Combine 4 tablespoons of turmeric in 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer the dye to a bowl and let cool. A word of warning: Turmeric stains like crazy! Be sure to use a pot you’re okay with being yellow for all eternity, and don’t wear your favorite white dress to use this dye.

Purple:

For purple, use blackberries. I won’t tell you to use 4 cups, because blackberries are expensive! Instead, use what you have and use enough water to cover them with about 1-2 inches of water on top. Bring the berries to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. The berries probably won’t be useful for much except maybe making a sauce after you’re done, so prepare to get creative in order to avoid tossing them in the trash!

Once you have your bowl of dye, you’re ready to go! Add your vinegar to the dye, one teaspoon per cup of liquid that’s left after the cooking and straining. Arrange your room-temperature eggs in the bowl, cover the bowl, and put it in the fridge.

Let the eggs sit until you get your desired color! You’ll likely need to soak them at least overnight if not longer, so play around with it until you get the colors you like. A note: if possible, try to rotate your eggs every couple hours so they don’t develop a spot from where they were touching the bowl. 

I used turmeric to dye eggs both ways: soaking overnight and boiling in the dye. As you can see in the photo above, the ones I boiled in the dye are much more vibrant than the ones I refrigerated overnight. I will say that the color doesn’t really come out very evenly, but I think that’s part of the beauty of using natural dyes!

How do you celebrate Ostara? Any egg-coloring tricks you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments and I’d love to check them out! 😀