155: Ostara vs Spring Equinox

Spring is here… but what, and when, exactly are we celebrating?

In this episode of Back on the Broomstick, Laylla and Chelle take a deep look at the sometimes confusing relationship between Ostara and the Spring Equinox. Are they the same holiday? Two separate observances? Or two different ways of looking at the same turning of the Wheel?

Chelle believes the Spring Equinox should be honored as a moment of balance, when light and dark stand in perfect equality. For her, it is a sacred astronomical turning point that invites reflection and grounding. Ostara, by contrast, represents the broader season of spring that unfolds afterward; the weeks when the earth fully awakens, flowers emerge, and life visibly returns. By separating the two, she creates space to honor both the stillness of balance and the joyful momentum of the growing season.

Laylla brings the Wheel of the Year perspective, arguing that modern paganism intentionally weaves solar events and seasonal shifts together into a living spiritual rhythm rather than treating them as completely separate observances. In her view, the Spring Equinox acts as the doorway between seasons, its a liminal threshold where winter releases its hold and the growing year begins. Because the Equinox is a precise celestial moment experienced across the entire planet, she sees it as a powerful communal touchpoint, a shared sky-event that pagans everywhere can honor together. 

From there, the spirit of Ostara unfolds as the season itself in the gradual greening of the land, the returning birds, and the first flowers that appear at different times depending on where you live. In this way, the Equinox becomes the moment we step through the doorway together, while the weeks that follow invite us to celebrate the unique way spring arrives in our own local landscapes.

Rather than a debate about who is “right,” the witches explore two powerful ways of working with the magic of spring: honoring the Equinox as the precise celestial turning point that brings the community together, while embracing the unfolding signs of spring; the first flowers, the returning birds, the thawing earth, as personal and local rituals that deepen our connection to the land.

Along the way, Laylla and Chelle share how they personally celebrate the return of the light with simple seasonal practices. Laylla also shares an Equinox tarot spread designed to help you find balance between light and shadow at the turning point of the year.

If you’ve ever wondered how history, modern witchcraft, and lived seasonal magic all fit together, this conversation offers thoughtful perspectives, practical inspiration, and a reminder that the turning of the Wheel is something we feel in our bones as much as we mark it on the calendar.

So grab a cup of tea, step outside into the changing air, and join us as we explore the magic of Ostara and the sacred moment when light and dark meet in perfect balance.