Good evening! (Or at least it’s evening for me).

In our previous post about Ostara we touched on one of my absolute favorite things to do: Take a floral milk bath. They are relaxing, fun, and a great way to give yourself some classy spa time on a budget. Self-care is important, especially in finding balance. Remember: you cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking a little bit of time every week to decompress and recharge yourself is so important to your overall health and effectiveness. There are all sorts of tiny things you can do to fulfill this need for yourself, but if I’m taking extra care with myself, or at certain time of the year (i.e. Ostara) this is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. It is ridiculously easy to do, and a relaxing way to add mindfulness to your life. 

Managing stress is one of the best ways to support your immune system. Stress can also lead to higher risk of stroke and heart attack. It may not seem like a cool or dramatic way to take care of yourself, but stress management is more important now than ever in today’s perpetually fast paced world. Baths in general to me are a good way to help me slow down because it’s all about the process, the soak; the whole point is to slow down and focus on doing nothing except being.  

A few quick tips to add to the experience: 

• Get yourself some candles: Even the dingiest room looks like a palace in candlelight. Turn your lights off and light some candles. If you have scented ones, great. But scentless dollar tree ones work just fine. If you are going the scented route, I try to stay on season. It helps focus your energy (i.e. Ostara= florals like primrose or jasmine, dogwood, rosewood, and vervain. Incense works great too to add to your ambiance if you go the dollar store unscented candle route.  
• Grab a glass: of something, anything. Some ladies like wine, and that works. Honestly for me though, I like my water really hot so I tend to stick to cold beverages to avoid light-headedness and accidents. If I really need to relax, then sure, a glass of red will do. But nothing is worse than putting all this prep work in, getting in the tub, and deciding you’re thirsty. Water, Juice, whatever it may be- you’ll thank me later. 
• Music: this is a tip especially if you live with roommates or in a loud place. It’s hard to relax, unwind, or meditate when you can hear your roommate’s comedy tv show, or the dryer thumping down the hall, or your siblings or spouse shouting. Again, this comes down to personal musical preference but some of my favorite ambiance music includes Celtic instrumentals & nature soundtracks if I want things that have no words. Another personal favorite is to turn on some Etta James or Andrea Bocelli if I’m feeling up to vocals.  
• Find a space heater: This one isn’t a necessity at all, just a preference. It can still very much be chilly in March, and while the bath feels great, eventually I must get out… to a frigid bathroom. The best way to avoid this is to turn an oscillating space heater on to a low setting. Helps take the edge off.  

Let’s Begin.

To make this floral soaking milk bath you will need: 

• Several Bowls 
• 1 Cup Oats (not quick oats) 
• 1 Tbsp carrier oil of choice (I prefer jojoba) 
• ½ Cup Celtic Sea Salt 
• 1 Tbsp Dried Nettle herb 
• 2 Drops jasmine essential oils 
• 2 drops chamomile essential oil 
• 2 Tbsp native spring flowers (I like chamomile, primroses, or cornflowers) 
• Cotton bags (small). 

To make:  

1. Clear your workspace, focusing on your intentions as you do so. Try to stay relaxed and comfortable. 

2. In a medium bowl combine Sea Salt and Oats. 

3. In a separate small bowl, combine essential oils with carrier oil. Add this to the oat/salt mixture. It is important to mix this thoroughly to avoid the risk of skin irritation. 

4. Add your remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.  

5. Fill clean cotton bags and cinch tightly.  

To use:  

1. Let your cotton bag soak in hot bathwater for 5 minutes. Remember, this is all about the process. Take your time drawing your bath and getting the temperature where you want it.  

2. Squeeze gently to release oat milk and essential oils more effectively.  

3. The cotton, potpourri filled bag can also be used as an exfoliating scrub. Focus on dry ares for extra moisture. 

4. Bags can be emptied, washed, dryed and reused.  

Twist your hair up out of the way, grab a hand towel as a pillow & Soak. Enjoy the aromas, breathe deep, meditate and just let it all go. Whatever is bothering you, whatever bad thing happened today, however hard the winter was- let it go. Take a few minutes genuinely for yourself, get out when you feel like it, and not before. Wrap up in a soft robe or big fluffy towel. Take the time to treat your body by applying lotion or an oil, you deserve it. Flush the negative and the weight down the drain with your bathwater and close your ceremony by rinsing your tub and blowing out your candles.  

You just completed a mindful self-care ritual. Super simple. Not nearly as hocus-pocus as a lot of people will try to make it sound. You can also always play with the florals/ oils as well (try cedarwood or tonka bean in the winter- you’ll thank me later).  

The hardest thing with this is to be intentional. To slow down, focus on what you are doing, let nothing rush you, and don’t multi-task. Put down your phone. You can live without instagram or facebook or even a paper book for forty-five minutes. You are focusing on you. I get it, I love to read too, but that’s not the purpose here.  

All the best,  

Mikaela 

What is Ostara?

Not to be confused with the Christian Holiday of Easter, Ostara is the festival of growth, new beginnings and the dawning of a new season of life. It is traditionally the celebration of the vernal equinox, a sign that truly warmer days are ahead. A time to plan the upcoming season of hard work.  

While there are some symbolic overlaps in the celebrating of Easter and Ostara, they take place several weeks apart and celebrate two very different things. For those that follow the Christian Faith, Easter celebrates the rebirth of Christ. The spring Equinox has been known by many names: Ostara (Germanic), Eostre (Saxon), No Ruz (Persian) etc. Ostara has been celebrated in one form or another for hundreds of years, evolving and changing as civilizations grew and moved. 

Through the evolution of language, and the migration of beliefs many people came to celebrate Ostara and Eostre as one in the same: a time to rejoice, to honor Eostre: the goddess of the dawn, spring and fertility. Some religious studies even suggest that whilst the Easter holiday celebrates something entirely different, the Christian church adopted a similar name during their attempt to convert pagans to Christianity.  

There is even overlap in the symbolism behind the Painted eggs, and the Easter Bunny, but we’ll get to that in a later post because the evolution of legends and beliefs is one of my favorite topics, and the Easter Bunny is a fascinating tale.  

Celebrating at home is easy and doesn’t have to be a massive production. We’ve included some of our favorite ideas below, some are even things you can do in groups or with family, while others are more suited for those of you that want solitude. 

Ways to Celebrate:  

Painting Eggs

This is an old tradition, one with a lot of overlap to Easter and many of the Slavic nations. Grandma never had time to paint her own eggs but both her and mom had a knack for collecting intricately designed or carved decorative eggs that we always loved when we were kids. Still, hand painting or even using a dye kit can be a fun family exercise or a crafting challenge if you are more detail oriented like my sister. If you get really into it, it can also be a great way to meditate and use the power of intention setting.  

Arranging Flowers & Your ‘Hearth Space’

This is another amazing intention setting tool. Taking the time to select the flowers that represent the things you want to manifest, speaking positivity and energy into them while you arrange them, allowing color and new life into your home. 

Prep Your Garden, Spend Time With Your Plants (setting intentions while you do so)

Are you noticing a theme here? A large portion of my home practices rely strongly on mindfulness and intentionality.  Finding the magic in every day processes gives you a never-ending pool of energy to pull from. Spring is a great time to refresh your soil, nudge awake your perennial friends and plant your annual guests. I find this to be a quiet, peaceful, and reflective time. Relaxing instrumental music and some fresh air help clear my mind and setting my intentions with my plants gives me a great way to channel and manifest growth. A fun exercise is assigning a purpose or focus to each plant in my garden. If I want to grow in a personal relationship, I spend a little more time with that plant. If I want to grow my focus, I spend a bit more time with that plant. 

Herb Wreathes & Floral Wreathes

I have several grapevine wreathes hung in entry ways and doorways around the house. I switch out the flowers and herbs tucked into them from time to time to refresh the flow of energy and reflect the current season. It gives me a chance to use my creative side and adds a personalized welcoming touch to our space. I believe homes should be a representation of the people that live there, and I want the people that come to visit us to know that we put thought into welcoming them into our space. 

Alter Updates

Spring flowers (avoid lilies if you have a cat that likes to chew on plants), painted eggs, or decorative eggs, carvings or figures of rabbits and hares. The goddess Eostre was considered a guardian of portals, often depicted with keys hanging from her belt, old skeleton keys make great decorations for your Alter. Focus on whites, Yellows and Greens in your candles. Moonstone, Amethyst and Quartz make great energy focuses this month. If you like to include plants or spices look to primroses, clover, dogwood, daffodils, and tulips. Incense commonly include rosewood, vervain, violet, myrrh, geranium and jasmine. 

Pack Away Cold Weather Clothing

This is an easy mild way to do some spring cleaning. It also opens up your mind to the changing of the seasons and helps remove clutter and mess and focus down your needs. I am an advocate for as little clutter as possible. Clutter makes me feel overwhelmed. This is the part of the year to emerge from winter hibernation, shed your unnecessary layers and simplify. Tucking away heavy, bulky clothing you won’t need until next winter season is a good way to facilitate that mentality shift.  

Take a Floral Milk Bath

Self Care is important, and while self-care is not always bubble baths and face masks, taking a quiet evening for yourself- even if its just an hour to soak is a great way to refresh yourself. Keep your eye out for the post I’ll be making about a fun spring milk bath recipe you can try. This is really much easier than it sounds. It’s a lot of fun, and again, a great way to bring mindfulness into your life. 

Smudge & Cleanse

This is a time to renew and energize. That includes your home and your sacred space as well. You can make your own smudge or buy one from a reputable vendor, words are not necessary, but you can also set the boundaries and intentions of your home this way. I start at the heart of my home and work my way outward to each room, finishing with all the exterior points of entry into the house. Starting at the center for me is symbolic of renewing the heart of my home or my ‘hearth center’ and pushing all the negativity outward. My favorite invocation to use for this (once the smudge is lit) is ‘Smoke of Fire, and Water, and Earth cleanse this home and cleanse this hearth. Drive away All hate and fear; only good may enter here.’ I repeat this as I move from room to room. Its meditative and helps focus your intentions and energy.  

Dawn Ceremony

On the morning of Ostara wake up early (before the sun rises). Put on a pot of coffee or tea (I prefer a floral tea for this occasion). Find a quiet place to sit and meditate while you watch the Eastern horizon, again I prefer to do this outside in the quiet, but a nice large window will do. Sit, enjoy the sunrise, greet the day, and set your intentions. 

Ostara Baking

I am, at the end of the day, a house witch, and I work best with food. You can put a lot of emotion and intention into food when you cook. It is my way of nurturing those I love and showing them I care. I find peace in it, and to me a welcome home is always warm and smells of bread. An Ostara favorite of mine is Sourdough Rosemary Buns- again, I plan on sharing this recipe soon; but any form of seasonal cooking will do. Think about your goals for the upcoming season as you prepare your Ostara meal. I have included our menu this year as an example.  

Our Ostara Feast: 

• Berry and mixed greens salad 
• Hard boiled- painted eggs 
• Kielbasa 
• Pierogi 
• Sourdough rolls 
• Vanilla Bavarian cream filled Packzki 

Remember…

Spirituality is a personal journey. It is your journey and nobody else’s. How you choose to experience it is up to you. These are just ideas, here to help you if you are new and feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities. Go with what resonates with you, you could pick one, you could pick ten. You could use none of these, but let it spark something else.  

We always love to see how you make something your own. So Celebrate! We also welcome you to chime in- suggest the things you love to do.  

All the best, Always, 

Mikaela.