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Ostara
OSTARA Spring Equinox March 21st
(pronounced O-STAR-ah)
Festival of Trees
“Radiant Dawn”
The Vernal Equinox
Celebration of Perfect Balance; Night and day are equal length;
Equilateral Cross representing flawless balance achieved between day and night.
The forces of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, are also in balance at this time.
Pagan Goddess of Spring “Ostara” or “Eostare” / from hence the name Estrogen
Goddesses of Fertility
Green Goddess and Lord of the Greenwood
Patterns of life and rebirth;
fertility festival celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the Earth.
GEMSTONE: Jasper Aquamarine Rose Quartz Moonstone
COLORS: light green yellow pink all pastels Robin's egg blue
violet white
DECORATIONS: Flowers laid around - randomly collect wildflowers and give thanks
Time to get a new Broom!!
Don’t forget to name it!!
Redo your altar!
Spring Clean!
2008 - Moon in Libra ~ ~ rituals involving music
GO ON NATURE WALKS
PLANT SEEDS: Ritual act of fertility to plow the Earth and receive the seed
Gardening prep and selection; collect wildflowers
PRACTICE HERBAL WORK
We renew our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations. We think of renewing our relationships. This is an excellent time of year to begin anything new or to completely revitalize something. This is also an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth.
Spell work for improving communication and group interaction are recommended, as well as fertility and abundance
A common rule of thumb for Spring cleaning is that all motions involving scrubbing of stains or hand rubbing the floors should be done "clockwise". Pagans believe this custom aids in filling the home with good energy for growth
SHORT FASTING TIME: day or two detoxification
Herbal Tea, Spring Water, Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts
MEALS: seeds - sunflowers pumpkin sesame pine nuts
sprouts leafy green vegetables spiced flower cupcakes sweet cakes
Twisted bread family breakfast with the sunrise - hot cross buns
Cheesecake Milk punch honey cakes foods made w/ flowers
Meat dishes should contain fish or ham
Herbs used in Medieval salads: Daisies, Dandelion, Rocket, Red Nettles,
Violets, Parsley, Watercress, Primrose buds,
Borage Flowers, Red Fennel, Chickweed
OSTARA
Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring, the East, Resurrection, and Rebirth
Is also the Maiden aspect of the Three-fold Goddess
She is essentially identical to Freya, for she is the goddess of the fertile
spring, the resurrection of life after winter
Mythical beasts associated with Ostara include Unicorns, Merpeople, and Pegasus
HERMES
Patron God of Magic and travelers; God of Crossroads
Winged helmet and winged heels; brought dead to Hades
Pictured with snakes with a God and Goddess; snake egg - fertility
Orphic mysteries changed from snake to sacred cock,
altering the egg to come from a hen
Dye colors were made from onion skins, madder roots, carrot tops, red cabbage, coltsfoot, beets, blueberries, blackberries, spinach, and kale.
Decorate hard-boiled eggs with symbols representing dreams and goals.
Make decorated hallowed out eggshells by using a bamboo skewer to produce a big hole on the bottom and a smaller hole on top, blowing out the contents.
Let air dry for thirty minutes.
Design the egg with a crayon and then go over it with a black marker.
Bury your egg in your garden to hatch your wishes.
Shells tossed into running streams the following day to the land beyond the sea,
where the spirits of nature have gone, so upon the shell arrival,
the spirits know to return to their mundane world.
Fairies are quite active and come to collect their portion of the Sabbat feast.
If they are denied treats, they cause much havoc until the Summer Solstice
when if the payment of food should be doubled to make amends.
If the fairies are ignored again,
their reign of havoc continues until the next Spring Equinox.
It is also believed that humankind first got the idea of weaving baskets from watching birds weave nests.
This is perhaps the origin of the association between
colored Easter eggs and Easter baskets
THE BUNNY RABBIT
A lowly rabbit wished to please the Goddess and placed gaily festooned eggs in her honor.
The rabbit was a companion, server, and messenger for Ostara.
Rabbits are sacred to Ostara, especially white rabbits,
and she was said to be able to take the form of a rabbit.
One myth says Ostara found a bird dying from the cold.
She changed it to a rabbit so it could keep warm.
- He calls forth fears, forcing us to confront them; either learning from them or being consumed by them.
- ”What you resist persists” ; Whatever you ask for in concentration you will receive in spadefuls
- Obstacles are opportunities for growth
- Sex, reproduction, and the moon
- Represents success, survival, and joy
- Same gestation as of a woman - 28 days
I AM STRONG ENOUGH
I POSSESS THE STRENGTH OF THE GOD
I POSSESS THE ENDURANCE OF THE GODDESS
I CALLUPON ALL WHO HAVE COME BEFORE ME.
I HAVE CONQUERED MY FEARS,
AND MAKE MY WEAKNESSES MY GREATES STRENGTHS.
THE GOLDEN YOLK REPRESENTS THE SUN GOD
AS THE WHITE GODDESS IS ONE,
WITH THE WHITE SHELL BUT IT IS NOT DONE;
THE EGG SHOWS US REBIRTH,
IN COLORS OF CYCLES OF LIFE AND WORTH,
DEATH AND AGAIN A REBIRTH.
SYMBOLS OF THE EARTH ARE LOST
AND FOUND AGAIN BY THE YOUNG,
TO FIND THE ELUSIVE GOLDEN EGG AT ANY COST
REWARDS GOOD BOUNTY, TREATS AND FUN.
~Mani Padme
2008
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