The holiday that is this month is Ostara. It is celebrated on the 20th of March this year. It always falls between March 19 and the 22nd in the Northern Hemisphere. On the spring and fall equinoxes the day and nights are equal lengths. It celebrates the coming of spring, life, fertility and new growth. The meaning- In some traditions this is the time when the Goddess and the God join in marriage. The Goddess will conceive and give birth in nine months. The growth, fertility and strength in the spring is because of the rising power of the God and Goddess. Rituals- This holiday is celebrated with a lot of different activities that have to do with fertility, growth, renewal and nature. Some of these are: egg races, egg hunts, egg eating and egg painting. The reason activities with eggs because eggs symbolize fertility. A man and a woman may be chosen to act out the courting and marriage of the God and Goddess and the symbolic planting of seeds. Celebrate by eating fresh spring foods like: sprouts, dandelion greens and nettles. You could also fast during this time to get rid of the toxins from the winter. You could also plant an herb garden for alter cooking and spell use. Your alter might feature: spring flowers, seeds, Jasmine or flowery incense and the gemstone of jasper. You can also start in a new direction in your life. Symbols of Ostara- The Rabbit or Hare- In the Celtic tradition the rabbit is sacred to the Goddess. It is the totem of many Goddesses like Hecate, Freya and Holda. The Hare is the symbol of the moon. The date of the Christian Easter is determined by the phase of the moon. The nocturnal Rabbit is associated with the moon which dies every morning and is resurrected in the evening. The Rabbit is also associated with the rebirth of spring. Both the moon and the rabbit die during the day only to be reborn that is why the rabbit is associated with immortality. It is symbolic of fertility and abundance. A rabbit can conceive while pregnant. Over the years the rabbit turned to the Easter bunny that brings eggs to children. The egg- The egg and all seeds contain all potential. They are full off promise and new life. It symbolizes the rebirth of nature and the fertility of the earth and all creation. In many traditions the egg is a symbol of the whole universe. The cosmic egg contains the balance of both male and female, light and dark an the egg yolk and the egg white. The yolk represents the sun God enfolded by the white Goddess, perfect balance. The colors of Ostara- Bright green, yellow and purple Ideas for your Altar- Colored eggs,seeds,feathers,spring flowers,green,yellow,purple and all foliage that is sprouting into new life. The trees of Ostara- Birch As Birch is one of the first trees to come into leaf it is an obvious choice as representing the emergence of Spring. Deities associated with Birch are mostly love and fertility goddesses. Eostre/Ostara, the Celtic goddess of Spring was celebrated in festivities and dancing around and through the birch tree between the Spring Equinox and Beltane. In the Ogham Alphabet, Birch riles from December 24th-January 20th. Birch twigs were traditionally used to make besoms (a new broom sweeps clean). It signifies a new start, beginnings and birth. Ash In the Ogham Alphabet, Ash rules from February 18-March 17. In Norse mythology the Yggdrasil, the world tree, was an Ash. Odin hung from it to obtain enlightenment and the secret of the runes. The spear of Odin was made from the branch of this tree. This is one of three trees sacred to the druids (Ash, Oak and Thorn). The cosmic tree, Yggdrasil was the Ash which links the world of men with the realms of spirit and myth, and imparted understanding of the interconnection of all things. Two springs flow from its roots, the sources of Wisdom and of Fate. Ash teaches that all life is interconnected on all levels of existence - past, present and future, spiritual, mental and physical. Whatever happens on one level, happens on all levels. Your thoughts and actions and whatever you do in the physical world will affect all levels of your being. Alder In the Ogham Alphabet Alder rules from March 18-April 14. At this time of the Spring Equinox, the Alder is flourishing on riverbanks, its roots in the water, bridging and holding the magical space between both heaven and earth, holding the space between worlds. It is sacred to Bran who laid himself down for his men to use as a bridge to cross the sea. Thank you to the Goddess and the green man for t some of the information here. Also thanks to religious facts and witchology for some of the information here too. I will continue this post at a later date. Stay tuned!
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 07:15:32 +0000
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