Prepping for Ostara One Day at a Time in the Month of March
1. Empty the walls! Empty ALL décor off the walls, including curtains, family photos etc. Things for protection, such as privacy given from curtains, can be washed and replaced same day. Everything not absolutely required remains down until the 18th. Yes, they’ll be bare, yes, it’ll be echoey, yes, it’s not hygge — it serves as a reset. Utilize the reset.
2. Organize odd spaces (such as garage, attic etc.), picking just one space. This is the time to let go. The moon is waning gibbous, the perfect time to shed what is unneeded. Go through a space in your home that isn’t in the living room, kitchen, bedroom or bathroom and truly go through the items. Did you use this item within the last 12 months? Will you use it within the next 3 months? If not, you really do not need it — rehome it! Limit this to just one space (for me, it’ll be my storage room in the attic). Also use this time to go through your medicine cabinet to discard expired medications.
3. Traditionally, Saturdays have been my rest days, however this year, Sundays are busy so I am adjusting and making rest days when it works. Rest and reflect. The walls have been bare for a little bit, it’s probably driving you nuts… but you’re noticing cobwebs you didn’t before, and cracks, holes, etc. you may want to patch. Take some time together to pause in a bare room and feel its emptiness. If needed, use this day to catch up.
4. Wash your washing. No matter your setup, be it a designated laundry room with wash, dryer and all the fixings, or a canvas hamper on the back of your camper door, we all have a laundry space. Today we clean it. Wipe down baskets and hampers; if it’s a cloth bag wash the bag. Wash the washer (if you have one)! We forget how icky those things get, including their energy. Wipe down the fronts of machines, clean your iron (who owns an iron?). Evaluate if your setup serves you. This is also when I check my clothes lines, do they need replaced? Is the cord damaged?
5. Tuesdays are bedroom days, year-round. Today just go through all drawers. Nothing else. Empty all drawers in your bedroom. Go through the items, do they need repaired (and realistically, will you repair them soon?)? Are they stained beyond you actually wearing them? And be real with yourself. IF you’re not going to wear that stained shirt even around the house, get rid of it. Do not donate stained clothes. They’re trash, and yes it hurts to trash things but the reality is, stained clothes are not donation worthy. When each drawer is empty, wipe it down with a cleansing cleaner (I like to toss some salt, or use a selenite wand on the dry drawer). This is also when you should go through closet clothes. If you did not wear it in the past 12 months, you’re not wearing it. Good condition clothes can be donated; damaged and stained clothes get trashed.
6. Go through the surfaces of your main living area. Be it your living room, sitting room, parlor — whatever. Clean off all surfaces (end tables, coffee tables, bookshelves etc.). Same concept, let it go. Moon phase is waning crescent — it’s the last bits. Things stored in my living room that I’ll sort through include, puzzles, books, board games, shoes, throw blankets. Realistically go through these and decide what does not serve you and rehome or trash it. This WILL look drastically different for everyone. Some people are book hoarders and that’s okay, if you enjoy 5 bookcases overflowing with books, savor that. If you don’t be realistic with what you want to keep. I don’t keep any board games or puzzles with missing pieces. This is entirely in your court. I do like to tape all kept items with a selenite wand to cleanse any hidden icks.
7. Pantry cleanout. My pantry is the backroom in my house, it’s also my laundry room. Today I will clean, sweep and mop the room. The focus after that is on reorganizing the pantry shelves. If you have expired food, trash it (do not donate expired food, food pantries cannot legally use it). For me, I’ll make sure my back stock of food is rotated, faced. I’ll evaluate if the setup serves us, and I’ll take inventory of what I have, what I need to use. I’m fairly good at first in, first out, but it’s always important to check. I plan to get new shelving in this year so this may be a bigger project that I am use to.
8. Clean off your doorway and front exterior if you have one. Wipe down the door, you’ll be surprised how dirty they get! Don’t do the yard yet, unless your motivated to. Just the porch, stoop or doorway — work with what you got. For me, I’ll wipe down the exterior wall of my house, on my porch and clean the mailbox. This is a good time to set new wards (if you follow moon phases, it’s still waning, you may want to wait until after the new moon, me personally, I’ll do them whenever I have time and spoons).
9. Rest & reflect day! IF needed, use this day to catch up.
10. It’s the new moon! Today we’ll go through our kitchen, wherever we organize dishes, and remove them, cleanse & clean the cabinets and shelves. If you have too many or too few dishes, make note and adjust as able. Wipe down the doors and knobs. If able, clean the oven and fridge inside and out. While placing dishes back where they belong, bless them for your good health. May they aid you in nourishment.
11. Clean your windows and specifically set wards on them. Nearly every culture in the world has warnings about windows, but they’re also a need — I need to look out each morning and watch the birds at the feeder or I’ll go crazy. Make sure your windows are warded and wipe the gunk off them as able.
12. Clean under the bed! There may not be a boogie man under there, but there probably ARE dust bunnies. If you have a rug scrubber, go ahead and give the carpet a good cleaning. Wipe down any remaining surfaces beforehand though!
13. Do a deep clean of your main living area. Clean the couch cushions… which is gross in my home I admit. Clean under recliner chairs, give the carpet some love.
14. Odd space day! We all have an odd space in the home without a real name. Today, focus on that. For me, it’ll be what has been the playroom but as the kids are getting older, it’s time for us to rehome many of the items. What this looks like for you will vary greatly. You may not have a playroom so use this time for a space you do have — maybe the garage or carport, the parlor, or something else. You need more time on a room we already did? Look ahead and see what we won’t touch that you do have.
15. Clean up the yard but don’t disturb the sleeping bugs. This actually varies greatly depending where you live. Where I live, it’s not time to clean the garden beds, but it is time for me to clean up the yard. Make sure toys are set up nicely, trash is picked up. About now is when we’re clear of snow so anything bogged down over winter is revealed and I always have an icky yard. Clean your outdoor space, if you have one. If not, use this time for a space you do have.
16. Today we’re going to sort through all that wall décor we took down. Is any of it broken? Do we want to switch our pictures? Paint a project? Today is the day to get that done BUT DON’T DECORATE YET!
17. Rest & reflect, if needed, use this day to catch up.
18. We’re at half-moon and we’re almost there! This is the BIG day. Today we clean all the floors (mop and vacuum for me), decorate the walls and smoke-cleanse the house. You can use sound, crystals, whatever works for you. You made it 18 days of blank space, replace those items and set your home in preparations for Ostara.
19. Happy Ostara! It’s the first day of spring (northern hemisphere). Welcome spring with your festive celebrations and take a moment to reflect. How did the spring cleanse help you? What would you change? What did you benefit from? Welcome the spring in whatever tradition best serves you. We make a bunny-themed cake each year and leave a slice out for Ostara’s rabbit. 😉