Create a Flower Crown for the Goddess in You!

Breathe it in, do you smell it? Spring is here! Sending you joyous Spring Equinox and Ostara vibes! Ostara is the Wiccan holiday that honors the Spring Equinox and its part of the Wheel of the Year. Ostara is a time to bring balance to your life, welcome the coming light, and celebrate blossoming life.

If you are looking to bring some sunshine into your world after hibernating for the past few months, wearing a flower crown will really get you in the springtime spirit and give you good reason to embrace your goddess energy.

Crowns of all sorts have adorned the heads of the most ultimate goddesses throughout time and across cultures. However, no crown seems to come close to the beauty that is the flower crown, and it’s the perfect celebratory craft for Ostara.

I’ve got a bit of floral history for you, the meaning behind some favorite flowers, and a short DIY to get you started with flower crowns.

History

Wicca

Floral crowns have been used for celebrating Ostara (Spring Equinox) and, maybe more commonly, Beltane (the celebration between spring and summer). Various Pagan religions would adore statues of their Gods and Goddesses with flower crowns during these times of the year.

Flora

The Romans held this fertility goddess in high esteem. Flora was said to wear “garlands of a thousand flowers.” In the Roman culture, a springtime festival was held to honor the renewal of the lifecycle. If flower crowns are your thing, then this was the place for you! Even the dogs were decorated with flowers! Flora was said to wear soft yellow flowers to represent the essence of spring. Honor Flora with a buttercup blossom!

Island Life

Hawaii definitely has its bases covered when it comes to tropical blossoms. Here, flowers are worn on ankles, wrists, and yes...heads, too. In Hawaii floral crowns are known as “haku lei.” You can find bronzed goddesses roaming the beaches decked out in flower crowns on any day of the week! It's also customary for the natives to gift these beautiful crowns to friends and visitors.

Flower Meanings

• Laurel: Symbol of triumph

• Buttercup: Childishness, neatness, humility

• Myrtle: Marital fidelity, good fortune

• Periwinkle: Happy memories, achieving your dreams

• Daisy: Innocence, cheerfulness

• Rose: Love

• Pink Peony: Riches, honor, prosperity

• Baby's Breath: Long lasting love, angelic

• Dandelion: Survival, spiritual intelligence

• Gardenia: Purity, love

• Laurel: Success, glory

• Daffodil: Self love

DIY Flower Crown

Crown crafting is the perfect tribe building activity! Of course, you're economical so it only makes sense for you and your besties to get together and bring your favorite bunch of flowers to share.

I really wanted to create my flower crown with only flowers. Turns out, that is pretty tough. I was able to create my crown from flowers plus a little string.

If you’re using thinner, bendier stems, I think it would be possible to create a crown from only flowers. If you’re going for a statement-making crown like mine, string might be a necessity.

Supplies: Flowers, scissors, string

1. Start with three flowers and start by braiding the stems together.

2. As you braid continue to add in more flowers and their stems into your braid.

3. Once you have long enough braid of flowers to make a crown, carefully bend your braid into a circle shape.

4. Using string or a stem of a flower tie the back overlapping parts of your flower braid.

5. Fill out your crown by sticking flowers into the braid around the crown or by tying them onto the braid.

This took some time and patience. I couldn’t be happier with my end result and I felt like a goddess all day! Be bold, rock your flower crown as you welcome Ostara, the coming light, and the birth of spring. You are the peaceful warrior, a goddess, the light bringer, and the bearer of sunshine!

3 Summer Solstice Rituals to Light Your Fire!

The summer solstice occurs around June 20th and brings with it the most daylight hours of any day of the year! It’s no surprise that there are centuries of Summer Solstice rituals involving heat, fire, and the sun. I’ve selected a few of my favorite ways to honor the sun, light your internal fire, and get creative with a free coloring page to help you build your own Sun Mandala.

Fire & Candles

Bonfire: In ancient times, fire festivals were a given for celebrating the Summer Solstice. Communities would parade around town with torches, or set tar barrels on fire and roll them downhills! While acts like this may land you in the slammer by today's standards, a more acceptable way to celebrate midsummer is by having a bonfire!

Candles: If you live in the Southwest like me, the idea of having a bonfire might seem like the last thing you want to do in 115 degrees heat! Another option is to light a candle and keep it lit all day at your altar or favorite sacred space (only if you’re staying at home! Safety first!). Spend some time at your altar or sacred space giving thanks to the Sun for its life-giving heat. 

Building Your Internal Heat

Enjoy a yoga pose that best honors the Summer Solstice. This is definitely a pose that will ignite your internal fire! The goddess pose is a wide-legged squat that will challenge your mind and body. For an added bonus practice this outside to energize yourself with the sun's rays! Coincidentally, the goddess pose is also known as the fiery angle pose! This is a great posture for building heat in the body and increasing circulation.

Create Your Own Sun Mandala

My favorite and the most beautiful option for honoring this change of season is to create a Sun Mandala. How to make your own Sun Mandala:

• Forage for flowers, leaves and twigs

• Use sage to cleanse an area inside at your altar or outside where you’d like to create your mandala

• Lay your flowers and greenery in a circular pattern

• As an added option, add any crystals that you’d like. Carnelian, quartz, tiger eye and sunstone are great options for honoring the Sun.

• Add a candle in the center or smaller candles into the design.

• As you create your Sun Mandala reflect on the gifts the Sun and the Summer give you and what abundance you’d like to bring into your world this season.

Your Sun Mandala can be simple and small, or a glorious group project with friends. Get creative with it, I’ve got a printable sun mandala color page that you can use as a cheat sheet for where to place your flowers and candles, or it can function on its own as your Sun Mandala. Get your free printable sun mandala here. Be sure to share pics of your Sun mandala and tag @cassieuhl on Instagram. You can find more rituals for the Summer Solstice in this blog post.

2 Spring Equinox Rituals to Cleanse & Refresh

Have you ever been curious about how to celebrate the Spring Equinox, also called Ostara in the wheel of the year, or ever wondered what it is exactly? We’ve got explanations and two different ways that you can celebrate rituals for the Spring Equinox.The coming of Spring is marked by the Equinox - meaning “equal light.” The Spring Equinox, or the first day of Spring, occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator from South to North. This special event happens every year on March 19th, 20th, or 21st. This year it is happening on March 20th. During this time, daylight and night are equal and balanced, right before tipping over to the side of light. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and birds are chirping…it’s officially SPRING!!Around the world, many different cultures hold celebrations for the Spring Equinox, and I want to share with you some of my personal favorites.

Yoga Mala Sun Salutations

More than a beaded bracelet, a yoga Mala is completed by doing a set of 108 sun salutations. It’s a great way to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit. Completing this could take as long as two hours (expect a lot of jump backs into Chaturanga), but you can always rest in downward facing dog or child’s pose. Sweaty as you may be, it’s a great way to cleanse and detoxify the body for a new season.

How to Get Involved

If you’re an experienced yoga practitioner you can set a time special time and place to do this on your own or with friends. If you’ve got a favorite local studio it’s likely that they’ll be offering something for Spring.

What to Know Before You Go

• Sign up ahead of time for this special event at your local studio.

• Come to class with an intention. An encouraging message will help you to push through.

• Be prepared to sweat! The room will naturally heat from all of the movement and breathwork of you and your fellow yogis. Bring a towel to place over your mat, or a hand towel to wipe off any excess moisture that might cause you to slip.

• Wear an inspirational piece of jewelry. I wear a hamsa hand around my neck that inevitably dangles in my face while I’m resting in downward facing dog reminding me “you’ve got this!”

Forest Bathing

Forest bathing is a Japanese tradition called “Shinrin-yoku,” or “taking in the forest atmosphere.” Unlike the vigor of a Mala, forest bathing is meant to be a calm, low-speed experience. As leaves begin to bud, and flowers begin to bloom, a forest bath is a perfect way to honor the arrival of Spring. You could do this by meditating in a lush green area, taking a hike, or even having a picnic.Not only are these ideas relaxing from a spiritual perspective, but there are actually scientific advantages behind these inspiring practices, too. Many trees give off organic compounds that decrease stress hormones and boost your immune system.

Additional Benefits Include:

• Decrease in anxiety, depression, and anger

• Increased cognitive function

• Reduced blood pressure

• Accelerated healing

• Increased ability to focus

• More energy and better sleep

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these in the past or have plans to create a new ritual this year. Happy Spring Equinox! Find more rituals for Ostara here.