Ostara and the Hare: A Tale of Spring’s Magic and Rebirth

As the wheel of the year turns toward the vernal equinox, we welcome Ostara, the pagan celebration of balance, renewal, and the gentle stirring of life beneath the soil. Named after the Germanic goddess Eostre, Ostara marks a sacred point when light and dark share equal time, inviting us to awaken from winter’s slumber and step into growth.

But nestled within this seasonal shift is a charming, ancient tale—the story of Ostara and the Hare—a myth that intertwines divine mystery with the natural rhythms of spring.

The Goddess and the Hare

According to legend, Ostara, the radiant goddess of dawn and fertility, once found a wounded bird on the cusp of death from winter’s chill. Moved by compassion, she transformed the bird into a hare to save its life. Though the hare retained its new form, it could still lay eggs—a lingering gift from its avian past.

In gratitude and love, the hare began to offer these eggs as sacred gifts, decorating them and leaving them in secret as symbols of life, rebirth, and devotion to the goddess. Some versions say the hare would lay these magical eggs only on the Spring Equinox, a nod to Ostara’s celestial time of power.

This enchanting myth is widely believed to be the origin of two of the most recognizable symbols of modern-day Easter: the egg and the rabbit. Long before chocolate bunnies and pastel-colored baskets, the hare and the egg were sacred signs of spring’s promise, deeply rooted in pagan traditions of fertility and rebirth.

Honoring Ostara with Earth & Ether

At Earth & Ether, we celebrate Ostara with ritual, intention, and seasonal magic. To support your practice, we’ve curated a special Ostara Sabbat Box, filled with handcrafted ritual items, altar tools, spell kits, and more—available in three sizes with optional add-ons to deepen your seasonal connection.

You can also enhance your celebration with:

 • Juniper and Mugwort Burning Bundles to cleanse your space and invite protection and clarity.
 • Ritual Candles to set sacred ambiance and focus intention.
 • Divination Tools like tarot and pendulums for springtime insight.

Let this story and these sacred tools remind you: transformation is always possible, and within every ending lies the promise of something new.