The Green Spiral

Welcome to The Green Spiral, Green Women Gathering's Newsletter!

Hello, beautiful community!

As the seasons shift and new energy flows in, we’re thrilled to bring you the latest updates, inspirations, and opportunities from Green Women Gathering. This newsletter is your space to reconnect with the heart of our mission - to foster a community of strong and supportive women, honor the Earth, and empower one another on our journeys of growth and discovery.

Inside this issue, you’ll find exciting announcements, upcoming events, and ways to get involved. Whether you’ve been part of GWG for years or are just finding your way to us, we’re so grateful to have you here.

Let’s continue to grow, gather, and ground together.

What We’re Up To

Excitement is building as we prepare for our Spring Gathering on March 21–22! Welcome letters have been sent to everyone who registered, and we’re looking forward to sharing a beautiful and meaningful weekend together.

We’re also thrilled to be offering our Sculpting the Goddess Within workshop in April—an inspiring opportunity to explore creativity, connection, and self-expression. Visit our website for more details and how to join us.

Seasonal Musings

There Will Come Soft Rains

~Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)

(War Time)

There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white,

Robins will wear their feathery fire
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree
If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.

From The Language of Spring, edited by Robert Atwan, published by Beacon Press, 2003

Ostara

Ostara is a pagan holiday that celebrates the spring equinox, a time when day and night are nearly equal in length. It marks the arrival of spring, renewal, fertility, and new beginnings.The name “Ostara” is often linked to Eostre, a Germanic goddess associated with dawn and spring.

Common Ostara traditions include egg decorating (symbolizes new life and potential); planting seeds; spending time in nature; and creating spring altars with flowers, rabbits (symbolize fertility), eggs, and candles. Traditional Ostara foods celebrate spring’s renewal, focusing on eggs, early greens, dairy, and light meats like lamb or rabbit. Key dishes include deviled eggs, hot cross buns, asparagus, sprout salads, honey cakes, and lemon-flavored desserts. The menu often features fresh, light flavors to represent balance and growth.

No-Knead Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Ingredients

For the Buns

1 tablespoon dry yeast
½ cup sugar
½ cup warm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
4 cups bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice or mixed spice
½ teaspoon salt
Zest of 1–2 oranges
1½ cups sultanas or raisins
3½ tablespoons melted butter (cooled)
2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the Crosses

½ cup flour
5 tablespoons water

For the Glaze

1 tablespoon apricot jam
2 teaspoons water

Simple Instructions

Activate the yeast:
In a bowl, combine yeast, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, and warm water. Let sit about 5 minutes until frothy.
Mix the dough:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, remaining sugar, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add milk, eggs, butter, orange zest, sultanas, and the yeast mixture. Stir until a thick, sticky dough forms.
First rise:
Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1½–2 hours, until the dough triples in size.
Shape the buns:
Gently punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Shape into balls and place in a lined baking dish in a 3 × 4 pattern.
Second rise:
Cover lightly and let rise again for 45–60 minutes, until puffy.
Add the crosses:
Mix flour and water into a smooth paste. Pipe or drizzle a cross on top of each bun.
Bake:
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 22 minutes, until golden brown.
Glaze:
Warm the apricot jam with water, then brush over the buns while they are still warm for a beautiful shine.

Serve warm and enjoy the comforting flavors of spring.

Ostara Transmutation Spell

Set Your Intention

Take a moment to ground yourself. Breathe deeply and feel the balance of the season as day and night stand equal. Ostara is a time of renewal, when the earth awakens and new life begins to grow.

Think about the energy you want to transform. This could be fear, doubt, pressure, or negativity from others. Write it down and acknowledge it. Naming the energy gives you power over it.

Now decide what it will become. Just as old leaves feed the soil in spring, difficult energy can nourish new growth.

For example:

• Turn criticism into confidence.

• Transform overwhelm into clarity.

• Shift others’ expectations into self-trust.

Imagine this energy sinking into the soil and becoming nourishment for the seed of your intention.

Tools

• Black candle – release and banishing

• White candle – renewal and transformation

• Paper and pen

• Fireproof bowl or cauldron

• Salt for protection

• Optional herbs (rosemary, lavender) or a seed to symbolize new beginnings

The Spell

Cleanse your space and sprinkle a small circle of salt around your tools. Light the black candle and the white candle, representing the balance of light and dark.

Write what you wish to release and transform on the paper. Hold it in your hands and imagine the heavy energy leaving your body and entering the page.

Light the paper with the black candle and place it in the bowl. Watch it burn, visualizing the old energy dissolving and returning to the earth.

Turn to the white candle and speak your new intention aloud:

"Like the earth awakening at Ostara, I welcome growth, clarity, and strength. What once weighed on me now fuels my becoming."

Sit quietly for a moment and imagine your intention growing like a seed in spring.

You have released the old.

You have planted the new.