Ostara Solitary Ritual 2

 

This ritual is from Kate West's lovely book The Real Witch's Handbook

The main points of this Sabbat are those of balance and of spring.

This ritual is best performed outdoors. In advance you will need to collect a small handful of old leaves and write on each something that you would like to be rid of. Also take a small number of seeds or seedlings (if these seedlings come from the seeds you planted at Imbolg, so much the better), one for each new thing that you wish to attain.

Silently ask the elements, the Goddess and the God to be with you, then when you are ready, dig a hole large enough to give space to the seedlings you wish to grow and place the dead leaves into it. Say, “Lord and Lady of this time of balance, these are the things I wish to be rid of. As these leaves wither and rot, may I let go of those things that might hold me back.”

Next place one or two seedlings on top of the leaves. Say, “Lord and Lady, these are the things which I wish to attain in the coming season. Let them grow strong and true from the remains of the old.”

As before, thank the elements, the Goddess and the God.

Remember that for the ritual to work, you should give more thought to your preparations than the time you actually spend performing the ritual. In this case, that preparation includes carefully choosing the things you wish to leave behind and the things you wish to take on. On a more practical level, it will also include selecting plants appropriate to your area and climate, as well as a suitable place to plant them. If you cannot perform your ritual, then you can either scale down everything and work with a single plant pot or you can dedicate your leaves and plant indoors and go out to plant them at a later date.