Journal Prompts for Ostara
When the Wheel of the Year turns to Ostara, day and night are coming into balance. Winter is starting to give way to spring, and we are looking for the natural world to unfurl. Named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Ēostre, this holiday is all about spring growth and celebrating the end of winter.
Celebrated at the spring equinox, around March 21 in the northern hemisphere and September 21 in the southern hemisphere, Ostara marks the balance of light and darkness in the solar cycle. It is one of the eight sabbats of the Wheel of the Year celebrated in contemporary paganism, including Wiccan traditions. (More on the Wheel of the Year here.) It is a time of fertility, renewal, awakening, and celebration.
Ostara is a great time to be writing in your journal. It’s time to get started on your spring plans! Look for the balance of work and reflection in your life as you celebrate the balance of day and night. Let’s get started!
25 Journal Prompts for Ostara
Reflect on a time when you experienced a personal rebirth of any sort in your life. What led to that transformation?
What seed you would like to plant—metaphorically—this spring? What does it represent? What do you hope it will grow?
What areas of your life feel dormant or inactive? How can you awaken them this Ostara?
How do you strive for balance in your life? Where do you need some balance, and how are you working toward it?
Write about a natural landscape that inspires you, especially if it reminds you of the Ostara themes of renewal, fertility, or awakening. What do you love about it?
What are your favorite symbols of spring (flowers, animals, etc.), the ones you look forward to the most? What do they mean to you?
How can you incorporate themes of fertility and growth into your professional or academic life? (Or in another area of your life, if it is more relevant to you.)
Our modern lives can allow us to get out of touch with the cycles of nature. In what ways do you honor the changing of the seasons in your life and routines?
What dreams or aspirations have been dormant within you? Is it time for them to experience some Ostara-inspired awakening? If so, how can you nurture them back to life?
How do you express gratitude for the natural world around you?
What do you hope to cultivate in your life, starting this spring? What are the steps, especially the first steps, you take to achieve this?
What metaphorical “soil” do you need to prepare in your life to allow new ideas to flourish?
How can you embrace (or spark) the energy of expansion and growth in your daily life?
Describe your ideal garden. Even if you don’t have the time or space now—or even if this fantasy involves hiring a gardener! What would you plant in your garden?
What qualities of the rabbit—such as vivacity and energy—do you see in yourself? How can you embrace these traits more fully this spring?
Reflect on a time when you experienced a burst of creativity or growth in your life. What sparked that energy, and how did it impact you?
What does resiliency mean to you, and how have you demonstrated it in your own life? Reflect on a time when you overcame a challenge.
Consider the significance of the sunlight in your life. What brings you joy and helps you “wake up” from periods of stagnation or hibernation?
How does the color green resonate with you? What emotions or memories does it evoke, and how can you incorporate its energy into your life?
Consider the calming qualities of green aventurine, the crystal best associated with Ostara. How do you create a sense of tranquility in your daily life, especially during times of change?
If you were to carry a talisman for personal growth, what would it be? What qualities would you want it to embody? How can you incorporate those qualities into your life this Ostara?
Reflect on the significance of the egg as a symbol of potential. What potential do you see in yourself right now?
What does the concept of "the eternal promise of dawn" mean to you?
Reflect on the communal aspect of celebrating Ostara or Easter. How do you foster connections with others during this season?
What memories do you associate with spring celebrations from your childhood? How do those experiences shape your current traditions?
The Wheel of the Year
The Wheel of the Year is a spiritual calendar that underscores the cycle of the seasons. It details a web of holidays, or sabbats, that celebrate the natural rhythms of the earth. By honoring this calendar, we can reflect on how the world around us changes, and we can think deeply about the same changes in ourselves.
Living in harmony with the Wheel of the Year can uplift our spiritual practice and ground us in the cycles of the natural world. It's a trip filled with joy, introspection, and interpersonal connections that enhances our lives and provides us with profoundly beautiful and thought-provoking moments. Celebrating the Wheel of the Year invites a deeper, more meaningful life experience characterized by a rhythm that nourishes the spirit and develops a deep appreciation for the wonder around us on earth during every season that passes.
The festive season of Yule, or the winter solstice, marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. The Wheel then turns to Imbolc (February in the northern hemisphere; August in the southern hemisphere), when the earth begins to awaken from its slumber and the sun begins to drive back the shadows. It's the depth of winter, so Imbolc is a perfect tie to review the lessons learned last year and set intentions for the coming seasons. Next is Ostara, the spring equinox, when light and darkness are balanced and the earth officially greets the spring season. The winter season of reflection represented by Imbolc turns to spring celebration at Ostara.
Beltane (May in the northern hemisphere; November in the southern hemisphere) marks the beginning of the summer season. The sun is strong, light abounds, and the earth is full of life. The Wheel of the Year then turns to Litha, or Midsummer (the summer solstice), the longest day and shortest night of the year. The light of the sun is at its strongest and the bright summer season is in full swing. Fire rituals and community celebrations fill the air!
The first harvest festival, Lammas, arrives at the end of summer (August in the northern hemisphere; February in the southern hemisphere). Lammas marks the start of the harvest season, a time of giving thanks and recognizing the yield of our efforts. The sun is starting to shine less every day and the shadows are starting to stretch longer. The second harvest festival, Mabon, is another festive season. The autumnal equinox brings balance to the earth once again, as day and night equalize, inviting us to reflect on harmony and thankfulness.
Finally, the Wheel of the Year's end and beginning is at Samhain, the final community harvest festival. The veil between worlds is thinnest, the world is in shadows, and it is a time for reflection on the past and looking to the future with wisdom. The sun is appearing less every day, and we must light a fire to perform our harvest rituals.
More About Ostara
Now that you have plenty of Ostara journal prompts, would you like to learn more about this festive season? Here are some places to start.
Ostara Associations.
The Goddess Ēostre.
Ostara Meditation. Enjoy this meditation on rebirth for the spring equinox.
Why Keep a Journal?
Journaling is surprisingly beneficial! Writing down your thoughts and experiences can help you process emotions, track personal growth, and even spark creativity. Journal prompts are a good way to get started.
Writing Practice
First, in case this needs to be said, writing more improves your writing skills. Like anything, practice matters when it comes to writing. That means choosing each word as you are writing in your journal can help improve the writing you do in other areas of your life! And these journal prompts are a great place to start your practice.
Reflect on Your Goals
Depending on what you journal about, writing can be an opportunity to focus on your dreams, goals, and in-the-moment progress. Set intentions and write about why you want to achieve the goals you’ve set and brainstorm ways to achieve them. Write about the lessons you learn along the way, too. And don’t forget to track your progress in your journal!
Similarly, you can use your journaling time to think through an aspect of or situation in your life—even simply yourself—to sort out how you feel about it and how you want to address it.
In addition to using the journal prompts above, consider writing in your journal about your plans and goals for the upcoming school year, spring, work season, or stage of life.
Improve Your Health
Studies are showing that writing in your journal may also reduce stress, improve your immune system response, and even boost your memory. Here’s an article from Intermountain Healthcare about how writing in your journal can improve your life.
How to Start Your Journal
The new year is the perfect time for reflection and to set intentions for achieving your goals and dreams, so it is a great time for journaling. Here’s how to get started!
Choosing Your Journaling Materials
Fortunately, you don’t need much. You need something to write with and something to write on, and at journaling’s most basic, that’s it.
Choose a journal that you like, because if it makes you happy, it will be easier to pick it up and start to fill it with your writing. Consider selecting a journal that reflects something you set intentions on for the Ostara season and beyond.
If you want to use your journal as a book of shadows (a collection of resources for your spiritual craft), look for a book where you can add pages.
Physical Journals
If at all possible, wait before ordering and try to hold your journal in person before you buy it so your expectations are accurate. Get a sense of whether you will reach for it and enjoy using it for your journal prompts. If you must buy it online, read the review section carefully and listen to the specific ones.
Journal Binding
Determine if the journal will lay flat. That is, can you open it to start writing and have it rest open? This will go a long way toward a more pleasant experience for you.
Is the journal’s binding sturdy? It might be difficult to tell when the journal is new, but check reviews or try to get a sense of whether the cover is going to get detached from the block of pages as you write.
Careful with spiral bindings, too. They lay flat really well, but sometimes they’re too loose and pages start to fall out. Look for a sturdy one.
Journal Size
Think about whether your journal’s size suits you. If you’re going to leave it on your desk and write there, maybe you want a bigger trim size. If you’re going to be writing your journal prompts in the coffee shop or reflect on life and art at the art museum, does the journal fit into the space in your purse?
Journal Paper
Consider the paper texture. If it’s too glossy, that limits your pen options. A standard ballpoint will probably write well, but if you want to use pencil or other type of pen, it might not make a mark or it might smear easily. Check the pages too; is there enough space between lines for your words to fit?
Journal Extras
This isn’t necessary, but a ribbon marker is a nice touch on a journal.
If this is going to be a portable journal, an elastic closure keeps it from splaying open inside your bag. Other clasps can be bulkier, so make sure the journal still lays open comfortably for writing if you look at those.
Digital Journals
What the world of digital journals lacks in book-nerd cache, it more than makes up for in portability and convenience. (And you'll never fill all the space and have to buy another!)
They’re especially handy if you’re journaling about ideas you might want to use later—don’t underestimate a good search feature.
You also have plenty of free and very inexpensive options, from Google docs to specialized apps like Penzu.
Tips for Establishing a Journaling Habit
Establishing a habit can take time, and that amount of time varies. So while you are starting out, it’s worth it to focus on intentionally creating space and time for your new practice and exploring some journaling ideas that you might like to incorporate. There's really no perfect time or right moment on the wheel of the year to get started. So set intentions, grab some journal prompts, and just try to just start in the moment.
Preparing a Journaling Spot
Think about what will invite you in. Create an irresistibly comfortable place to write. Stock it with your favorite pens and journal (and journal prompts!). Will you fill your mug with tea while you write? What else will help you get writing in your journal?
While you’re at it, remove any obstacles that will keep you from your writing rituals.
Setting an alarm
Pick a time of day to write and set up a recurring calendar appointment to remind you.
Intentionally make space to write at that exact time for the next few weeks, until you’re comfortable enough with the habit to vary it. The perfect time may vary after that, but you'll always remember to spend time with your writing.
Setting a timer
If it feels overwhelming to sit down and write for an indeterminate amount of time, explore setting a timer for 10 minutes and telling yourself to write that long.
Too long? Try to write for 5 minutes.
Still too long? Try writing one line a day.
Trying a habit tracker
Add journal prompts to your favorite habit tracker, be it standalone or in your planner. There’s nothing that brings as much joy as filling in another habit tracker box! Do check in with yourself occasionally to see if the tracker is still serving you or if you can give it a rest. In the meantime, make your rituals second nature by tracking them.
(We have a few downloadable habit trackers if you need one!)
Make Journaling Your Future
Please feel free to try and discard—or just use for inspiration—any of these journaling ideas. Personalize your practice, choose prompts to write on if you want to, and create something that works for you throughout the entire wheel of the year. Happy journaling!
More Journal Prompts
If you have set intentions about journaling and are looking for more journal prompts after the spring equinox, you can find plenty of options here.