SECTION I - HOLIDAY LORE
Ostara - Ahneke Greystone
Planetary Ritual for Ostara - Sarolta DeFaltay-Bell
Ostara Word Search - Isha ArrowHawk
Ostara - Daffodil In The Snow - Ahneke Greystone
The Lady Awaits - DreamDancer
Dawn Emerges - wlw
OSTARA
By Ahneke Greystone
Now is the season for garlanding our hair with myrtle and flowers,
Now is the time to rejoice with the happy earth.
-Horace
This holiday is known by many names: Eostre, Ostara, the Vernal or Spring Equinox, Alban
Eilir, Easter, the Festival of Trees and Lady Day. It existed in some form throughout most of the ancient world, and is celebrated around the globe today. In modern celebrations the old ways may be honored, but often the pagan roots of the holiday are unknown or unacknowledged. The holiday is celebrated as the return of Spring, the yearly reminder that what appeared dead was only dormant, and that in the soil of our lands the seeds of the new year have taken root and are reaching skyward.
The roots of modern Wicca lie in ancient Celtic traditions. Four major sabbats were celebrated in our early history:
Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. Celebration of Winter and Summer Solstices joined the original sabbats after the Teutonic invasion. Celebration of the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes became more regular after the Roman invasion.
Ostara (also Eostre or Oestre) was the Anglo-Saxon fertility Goddess of Spring, the East and of Rebirth. This beloved Maiden was associated with Astarte and
Hathor, but additionally represents all Maiden Goddesses who return to Earth from Winter/withdrawal, inspiring the rebirth of the year. This Divine Virgin is vividly brought to life for us as we imagine Persephone, released from the Underworld and returned to her loving mother. In thanks, Demeter allows the world to burst forth in beauty and in thanks for the return of her daughter.
Spring, when the world, seemingly dead, is miraculously reborn, has been a symbol of Universal Truth throughout time. The beautiful Truth that nothing dies; that change, evolution and rebirth are natural. Themes of gratitude for life returning to the fields and forests are common in Spring celebrations. So, too, are the themes of reunion and resurrection.
Our various traditions teach us the wisdom of Spring through the reunion tales of Isis and
Osiris, Tammuz and Ishtar, Cybele and Attis, Demeter and Persephone, Dionysus and Semele and others. We learn about death and resurrection as we read about the return to life of Balder, Odin, Adonis,
Attis, Dagda, Mithras, Orpheus and Hera.
Easter is the most widely-celebrated Spring holiday in the Western world, with the ancient themes of death, resurrection and reunion at its core. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox, and many Easter traditions preserve our ancient connections to land and the changing seasons.
Ostara is a time for new beginnings; those of the heart and soul as well as those of the land. We know that introspection and withdrawal must now shift to action and involvement. We are reborn in every way. It is a time of fertility, not only of beast and land; but also of the mind, of creativity and inspiration. We must put our hand to the wheel, our pen to paper, our body to work; whatever it takes to carry forward the creative process. It is time for reflection to mature to activity.
The Goddess at Ostara
She is the laughing Maiden, experiencing the absolute bliss of her freedom. She is tempted by the young God who desires her so, yet she hesitates to give herself to him. She senses the shadow of the Crone she was and is eager to move away from the somber mantle of the Old One's responsibilities. For now, this is about her. She is vibrantly Virgin and in no hurry to change. And yet, she is drawn to the young Lord who is so ardently courting her. She is aware of her power over Him, and is learning of her ability to give, and also to withhold.
Goddesses of Ostara are Mother and Maiden Goddesses, Goddesses of fertility and of Spring: Anna
Fearina, Aphrodite, Arianhod, Astarte, Athena, Blodeuwedd, Bran, Chalchiuhtlique,
Coatlicue, Cocomama, Copper Woman, Corn Maiden, Corn Mother, Cupra, Cybele,
Damara-ana, Demeter, Diana, Doda, Erce, Eriu, Erzulie, Esther, Flidais, Flora,
Freya, Gaia, Garbhog, Guadalupe, Guinevere, Hathor, Haumea, Hera/Juno, Hina,
Indara, Iris, Ishtar, Isis, Ix Chel, Kore, Kwan Yin, Laksmi, Libera, Lilith,
Madhusri, Ma-Ku, Mary, Melusine, Menvra, Minerva, Morwyn, Nepthys, Oddudua,
OestreOn-niona, Oshun, Ostara, Ova, Painted Woman, Parvati, Persephone, Renpet,
Rheda, Salamaona, Venus, Vesna, and Vesta.
The God at Ostara
The God of Springtime is a free-spirited creature of animal instincts, living for the moment. He desires the Goddess, but has no comprehension of the sacrifice that will eventually require. He is fixated on the Dancing Maiden, and is a bit frustrated with her at present, wondering why she is holding herself back from him. He remains unaware of his mortality and his responsibilities. If he stops to ponder at all amongst the wonderful distractions of forest and field, he believes he will live forever.
Gods of Ostara are gods of forest, field and hoofed animals; sons and lovers: Adonis,
Attis, Bran, Cernunnos, Dagda, Danh, Dylan, Gwali, Hercules, Mithras, Pan.
Ostara Correspondences
Food: Biscuits, cakes, carrots, cheeses, eggs, fish, ham, honey, hot cross buns, leafy vegetables, seeds (such as sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, pine nuts) and sprouts.
Incense: Jasmine, lemon, rose, tansy and violet.
Herbs: Catnip, celandine, cinquefoil, lemon grass, marjoram, meadowsweet, rose hips, spearmint, tansy, tarragon, thyme and
vervain.
Flowers: Crocus, daffodil, dogwood, honeysuckle, iris, jonquils, lavender, lilac, lily, lily of the valley, narcissus, rose, snowdrops, strawberry, tulip and
violets.
Colors: White and all pastels.
Stones: Clear quartz crystal, rose quartz, agate, lapis lazuli, amazonite and
garnet.
Perhaps at no other time in the cycle do we stretch our wings so broadly. We have the power within us to transform; to grow and to become. To change. In many ways, to be reborn. Each Spring, the familiar returns, but is never exactly as it was previously. As we proceed from thinking to doing, we are aware of the power of choice.
Ah, but it is Springtime, and every now and then we must give way to the urge to dance. It is a celebration of life and a prayer of thanks!
Blessings of the teasing Maiden and the Lord who pursues her!
Ahneke Greystone
Ostara 2001
Planetary Ritual for Ostara [Spring Equinox] - Astrology News
By Sarolta DeFaltay-Bell
February 12, 2001
Astrology and the magical path have long shared a history, and can add clarity and focus when used together. Every planetary alignment holds an opportunity for growth and expanded awareness, and contains symbolism that can be universally shared and understood. By meditating on current planetary themes, we can tune in to the archetypal energy inherent therein, gaining a deeper understanding of our own personal myth, integrating the planetary energies experientially through personalized ritual.
Planetary Ritual for Spring Equinox - Ostara:
This year's ingress is exact on Mar. 20, 2001 at 7.32 am CST
Welcome Spring! This Equinox is a sacred holiday that signals the blossoming of spring's return; today the hours of daylight and nightfall are equal, bringing the opportunity to balance the solar (projecting) and lunar (receptive) natures within us, harmonizing our inner and outer realities as well. This is when you can bless the seeds you'll be planting in your garden, performing rites of fertility and abundance for the upcoming season of growth and renewal.
Named for the ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess who presided over fertility, Eostre, this holiday symbolizes balance, and the birth of all nature. The egg was used as a symbol for
Ostara, as it represents the birth of the Goddess as Persephone, returning from the Underworld to join her mother Demeter once again, playing in the fields together as they bring fertility and growth to the land once more. This holiday honors the playful child within, and is a good time to honor the body and its ability to regenerate itself as well.
We are now in the First Quarter phase of the year, when the projects initiated around the Winter Solstice are taking form. This is when new patterns are established into their environment, and action must be taken to make sure the patterns are fully integrated. The soil is prepared, and the planting season will soon be in full bloom!
The astrological charts of the Solstices and Equinoxes have been read by astrologers since ancient times for news of the upcoming season, especially as it pertains to the well being of nations, their leaders, and the condition of the people. Ingress charts (as they are called) are drawn for the exact moment the Sun enters one of the four cardinal signs: Capricorn, Aries, Cancer and Libra (Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn). Cardinal energy is initiating, and an excellent time for magickal workings, as practitioners of earth spirituality have known for a long, long time.
Spring Equinox Herbal Lore
Celandine: Good spirits, joy
Cinquefoil: Ritual bath; eloquence, protection and purification
Dandelion: Divination, wishes, psychic ability
Dogwood: 4 petals symbolize the 4 sacred directions
Iris: Purity, wisdom, faith; baby blessing; symbol of life and resurrection
Honeysuckle: Rebirth, renewal, spiritual sight; agile or versatile mind
Jasmine: Lunar, for psychic opening; spiritual love; use oil to anoint candles; ritual cup
Lily: strong associations with fertility goddesses; white: purity, rebirth.
Rose: Represents true love and joy; use yellow roses on the altar for Ostara
Tansy: Women's mysteries, immortality, health, longevity, love.
These herbs can be utilized in ritual by making incense, or anointing candles with essential oil. They can be sewn into a charm bag and consecrated (dedicated to a single purpose), and worn or carried when needed. You can place the flowers on your altar.
Ritual Bath: Cinquefoil, Jasmine flowers, Honeysuckle and Rose petals.
Place any or all herbs in cheesecloth and tie well; run under tap. You can also make a strong tea from the herbs, strain and pour into the bath.
Light silver candles anointed with jasmine oil to represent the Maiden aspect of the Goddess. Imagine yourself reborn anew, as dewy and fresh as Persephone, flowers blooming wherever she steps. Bathe yourself in the herbs and the springtime energy, clearing away anything that no longer needs to go with you. After your bath, bring your candles with you to the circle, and place them on or around your altar.
The Altar: Place the altar in the East, the quarter of springtime and the dawn. Decorate your altar and home with an abundance of spring flowers, especially yellow ones: crocuses, daffodils, violets, lilac, lilies, yellow roses, and iris.
Use the silver altar candles, and green candles to represent the growing flora. The altar cloth can be yellow, white or spring green. Flower seeds are placed upon the altar as well, so they may be charged with magical intent before planting.
You will need three candles: red, pink and burgundy, and several small pieces of paper to write your ritual intention; flower or herb seeds
Ritual: Cast the circle, call in the quarters, and call upon a Maiden Goddess, if you choose, or just imagine your circle infused with the freshness of springtime. Prepare incense.
[see Casting A Circle article in author's article index.]
Incense: Sandalwood, rose petals, jasmine flowers, powdered orris root, cinquefoil, tansy; oils: lilac, sandalwood or rose.
Bring any or all of the above ingredients into your ritual circle and add each ingredient one at a time, while grinding by hand with a mortar and pestle and focusing on the properties of each herb as it is added. Consecrate your incense by dedicating it to the maiden aspect of the triple goddess, and once the incense is prepared, burn some on a charcoal as you focus in on your goal.
Candles: The red candle represents the Sun entering Aries, the beginning of spring, and the element of fire.
Write down what new projects you will initiate now, and place the slip of paper under the candle.
Light your candle as you say your goal aloud, or meditate on its meaning.
Repeat with the following:
The pink candle represents the Moon/Venus sextile [Aquarius, Aries at 14 deg 50']; how can you bring more freedom and excitement to your relationships or creative endeavors? Write your intentions down on a small piece of paper and place this slip of paper underneath the candle; anoint the candle with Venusian oil, and focus on your intent as you light your candle.
The burgundy candle represents the Moon / Pluto sextile [Aquarius, Sagittarius at 15 deg 17']; what changes to you want to give energy to, now in the season of sowing seeds? Create an affirmation to support your intent; write down your goals and repeat the process as before.
When you feel the ritual is complete, thank the Maiden Goddess, and burn each paper as you focus once again on the intention of the goal, releasing the energy to the wind and elemental helpers. Thank the nature spirits, deities or elementals, and close your circle, allowing the candles to burn all the way down, or instead, burn them for a little while for the next several days, symbolizing the waxing energies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: http://www.enteract.com/~deepsky/forcast/forcast.html#biblio
(c)2000 Sarolta DeFaltay-Bell
Planetary Ritual Kit for Ostara: http://www.enteract.com/~deepsky/ostara.html
Ritual supplies and spell kits, custom made with care at the appropriate planetary time.
http://www.enteract.com/~deepsky/spellkits.html
This article is an excerpt from Magical Astrology Guide 2001,
Available at: http://www.enteract.com/~deepsky/bookstore.html
OSTARA Word Search
By Isha ArrowHawk
------
X O N I U Q E G N I R P S O C H X Z O W
D S Y A D G N I N E T H G N E L N I N Q
R R D V W S L X W L X E X M Y B P U H N
N T Q Y H S A X O N G O D D E S S F G U
L L A P K F V X E A I S A A A R A T S O
F C Z R O E I K C F X T E R W L X J W Z
L Q C O O D T G F E R R T X C L O H I C
U G R S J Q S N L R V E X P U B T R R R
D K T P P K E I E T F V O L K R I E U J
G A C E F K F T V I U E Y U I T A X P D
R S B R C W Z N O L B J I B U T N Y N E
D X D I M U A A W I A U E A I E S F G U
M N F T M M H L T T D R L V W A P K B N
B M J Y N R Q P N Y T X I L N D T K E Y
T U T E G V N O B J R T I K H P K O A G
O H E O Q B G X L Y Y F Y T H W M X E F
Y R K G Z H C R A M E E W S A M X B J D
G Z Z L C X W J W U G O S K I U E Y U I
T O K S Y P R P L G R E A T M O T H E R
J M Q G X A C R S G U N H N F J X V Y Q
CREATIVITY
EOSTAR
EOSTRE
FERTILITY
FESTIVAL
GREAT MOTHER
GREEN MAN
GROWTH
LENGHTENING DAYS
MARCH
NEW LIFE
OSTARA
PLANTING
PROSPERITY
PYSANKY EGGS
REBIRTH
RITUAL
SAXON GODDESS
SPRING EQUINOX
OSTARA - DAFFODIL IN THE SNOW
By Ahneke Greystone
Who am I to doubt the return,
To question the Divine timing
of the annual rebirth of the world.
Rather, I should remember this:
Nature waits patiently, biding time.
While it is human nature to fret.
Forgive me my impatience, Mother.
I saw your daffodil in the snow today.
Assurance that in spite of my
frustration ...
all is as it should be.
The older traditions of Wicca practiced only the four cross-quarter sabbats:
Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. These celebrations were most intimately tied to the ancient agrarian celebrations upon which the Wiccan sabbat tradition is based; the cross-quarter days. In the grand scheme of things, celebration of the Solstices and Equinoxes might be considered relatively recent
The fact that it was not as common to celebrate the Winter and Summer Solstices and the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox does not mean they were unacknowledged in ancient times. In fact, there is proof that the ancients did, indeed, track and monitor these seasonal changes. We see this history in the stones of megalithic sites.
These may well have been solemn times of priestly prediction and a reading of omens and portents, and were probably not the colorful celebrations we associate with the four primary
sabbats. Little is known about these ancient celebrations of the Solstices and Equinoxes. It appears, though, that they passed, if not out of favor, perhaps just a bit more into the background. Studied by the elders but not so important in the day-to-day celebrations of the "regular" folk fighting for existence and struggling to stay alive. While everyone would have awaited the predictions priests derived from the changing seasons, the greater celebrations may have resulted on the original sabbats which honored the results of those changing seasons in the bounty and harvest of the land.
Celebration by the "regular" folk of the Winter and Summer Solstices in later times joined the four original sabbats after the Teutonic invasion.
And, now we come to the Vernal Equinox. Far be it from me to say that it went uncelebrated, and indeed it appears to have been an important part of priestly functions through all times. But it also seems to have become less of a "party" for the more mundane of folk. Until the Roman invasions. From then on we see the Spring and Fall Equinoxes becoming ever more important. Roman Spring and Fall celebrations may have brought back to mind ancient memories of those holidays. The local pagans may have used those Roman holidays, which they were forced to celebrate but which they had no love of, to honor their native spirituality.
One of the questions I am often asked by new practitioners is what is the difference between Ostara and Beltane. So much of the symbolism seems similar, and it is often confusing. Why do two holidays so close appear to celebrate similar aspects of the natural and spiritual world? And why, oh why, are we celebrating a holiday of blossom and verdant greenness when for the greater part of the Northern hemisphere we are at least a month or two from the Warming Time?
We have to keep in mind, as we study our own history, that many of the traditions of celebration at the Equinox were imported by the Roman invaders bringing Eastern and Mediterranean practices with them throughout Europe. The season of Spring arrived earlier in the roots of these traditions. And in many of the traditions which had their influence upon our heritage.
In the beautiful myth of Demeter, Kore and Persephone, we learn of the Maiden of Spring who returns at the Equinox to a world abloom in freshness and flowers. Is that so where you live? I know if Persephone showed up where I live towards the end of March, she would find cold days, perhaps sleet and still snowflakes, and only the heartiest of bulbs would be starting to bloom. It is still a world which feels like Winter. I'm not so sure she would be overly impressed with Mother's greeting. It can be a dismal time of year here.
But, in the Mediterranean and in the world of the people from whom we learn of this myth, March is a wonder of Springtime color, scent and inspiration. Demeter's gift of rebirth to the world upon Persephone's Spring return is much more obvious in the green lands of the south.
The same applies to the Christian belief in their Easter holiday being the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox. Where Jesus lived, it would have been a season of life and vitality. Spring at full force. When the Romans delivered Easter to our pagan family, that season of rebirth and renewal didn't quite compare to the frigid March of Britain. But, ever stubborn as humans are, we didn't budge off the date, and what made great sense in the Mediterranean made less sense in the more northern climates.
So, Ostara and Beltane. Similar.
To differentiate them, I focus on the Maiden as the Dancing Maid at Ostara. Keeping herself just beyond the reach of the virile young God. She's a laughing imp. She teases and flirts. She is totally immersed in herself and enjoying what is left of this time of freedom. The God is at a quite similar time in his life. To me it is the only time in the cycle when their essences are so similar. While I don't necessarily think they are ignoring their instincts to mate, neither one of them is committing to anything.
I see Ostara as a time of awareness, with Beltane being the result of that change in view. At Ostara we have sensed the power within, and at Beltane that power bursts forth. Ostara is the rumbling volcano; Beltane is the eruption.
Ahneke Greystone
Ostara 2001
The Lady Awaits
By DreamDancer
Toil and pain she fought, but too the joy in his birth
Winters gone, Spring come once again, her son to warm the earth
Proud Mother, she stands and sees him grow
Seeds of life he brings with him, upon the lands to sow
On Beltane Eve he feels his might, he gathers up his sword
Our Lady in her finest gown, she marries her great Lord
Through summertime they rejoice in life, hard work, yet time for play
He brings forth bounty from the land, his radiance warms each day
The Summer day is his realm; he wraps in his warmth his Lady love
The Summer night he shines down on him, silver radiance from above
The season wanes, the crops are in, his light moves ever north
The Green Lord no more, The Lord of the hunt comes forth
In the Autumn of his life, tasks done he starts to fail
The leaves show their bright colors, his face it seems to pale
At Winters doorstep he finally falls, her Lord with her no more
Our lady sits and sheds her tears, alone on eternity's shore
Dark cold Winter, icy winds chilling her to the bone
The radiance of her lover gone, the earth like frozen stone
Yet Springtime will return once more, and her Lord for which she yearns
The seed of him inside her womb, his spark forever burns
And so the Lady does await; her son, her Lords return
DreamDancer
2-28-01
