A leap year has an extra day added to keep the calendar year synchronize with the astronomical or seasonal year. In the Gregorian calendar, a leap year occurs every four years to help adjust for the fact that a year (the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun) is not exactly 365 days, but approximately 365.25 days.
To determine if a year is a leap year, the following rules are applied:
- The year must be divisible by 4;
- If the year can also be evenly divided by 100, it is not a leap year, unless;
- The year is also evenly divisible by 400. Then it is a leap year.
This means that years such as 2000 and 2400 are leap years, as they are divisible by 400, but years like 1800, 1900, and 2100 are not leap years, as they are divisible by 100 but not by 400.
The extra day is added to the month of February, which has 29 days instead of the usual 28 days. This extra day is known as Leap Day.
On March 3rd, Jupiter forms a semi-square with Neptune. This longer-term influence adds a bit of idealism to our lives. We may be looking in the wrong places for inspiration. Unrealistic expectations and people can mislead us. We might gloss over important details or be disorganized. This is the final of three perfections, with the other two having occurred on July 22nd and November 5th, 2023.
On March 10th, a New Moon occurs in Pisces, stirring a new beginning. We feel the need for a spiritual vision or more magic in our lives. It’s time to revitalize ourselves with a break in our routine. We may put something behind us in order to begin anew.
On March 25th, a Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse occurs in Libra, bringing sudden awareness to our lives, particularly of areas that require more balance. Something is exposed, magnified or illuminated, prompting us to get in touch with things that we have been neglecting or putting off. This is the third eclipse on the Aries-Libra axis in a set that began in April 2023, and it may be seen as one of several nudges toward taking care of matters, forcing awareness of relationship imbalances and flaws in dramatic, pressing ways. Full Moons are always good for magnifying pre-existing problems so that we can see where to bring back balance.
Ostara is a festival that marks the spring equinox, which occurs on March 19th this year in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the eight sabbats within the Wheel of the Year, celebrated by many modern pagans, Wiccans, and some other contemporary pagan traditions. The festival is named after Eostre or Ostara, a Germanic goddess of spring and dawn, from whom the name for the Christian holiday Easter is also thought to derive.
Ostara celebrates the balance of day and night and the increasing light, signaling the coming of spring and the time for the earth to awaken and life to renew. Traditions and symbols associated with Ostara include eggs (representing fertility and new beginnings), rabbits or hares (symbols of fertility and growth), and flowers (indicating the blooming of plants and the fertility of the earth). Practices may include rituals for growth and renewal, planting seeds, decorating eggs, and honoring the spring and the goddess with festivals and gatherings.
Ostara is a good time to start taking action on the ideas and goals you started around Yule and Imbolc. What you plant during Ostara will be ready to be harvested during the coming summer months and the sabbats of Beltane, Litha and Lughnasadh.
Ostara is also a good time to freshen up your home and life. Take time to do some spring cleaning. Take some time to declutter and clean up areas where you spend a lot of time.
Symbols of Ostara:
Colors: Green, pink, blue
Foods: Eggs, honey, sprouted greens, baked goods, asparagus
Stones: Aquamarine, amethyst, rose quartz
Symbols: Rabbits, eggs, spring flowers , lambs, clover, baskets
Flowers & Plants: clover, daffodils, crocus, tulips
Deities: Isis, Estotre, Adonis
Ways to celebrate Ostara:
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Plant seeds for a vegetable garden or flower garden
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Spring clean your house
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Decorate an Ostara altar to honor your goddess of choice
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Make egg based dishes and dessert (custard pie, frittatas, egg salad, etc…)
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Take a nature walk with loved ones and look for signs of spring
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Host a tea party with a springtime theme
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Take time to meditate/journal and think about your intentions for the next few weeks as it relates to the goals you want to achieve
