Ostara celebrates the arrival of spring, and was named for the Saxon Goddess Eostre. She is identified with Astarte, Ishtar, Hathor, Demeter and Aphrodite. As the Goddess of Desire, she is the one who descends to the underworld to reclaim her lover.
Ostara is a time of new fire. The light and dark are in perfect balance, but the light is growing and the Sun is about to burst forth with new energy. It is a season of fertility and growth. Throughout the world, this magical time is marked with celebrations and festivals.
It is a celebration of balance and a festival of fertility. This Sabbat is also a time of blessing seeds for future planting. The Spring Equinox is the point of equilibrium - the balance is suspended just before spring bursts forth from winter.
The Easter Bunny is of Pagan origin, as are baskets of flowers, and colored eggs. Traditionally, Ostara is a time for collecting wildflowers, walking in nature's beauty and cultivating herb gardens.
Focus of Ostara
At this time, witches cast spells for careers, relationships, and love. It's a time for planting new ideas. Seek harmony and balance in the incredible energy of the season, and project good health, good fortune, and confidence in achieving goals. This is the time to free yourself from anything in the past that is holding you back.
Community Focus for Imbolc
The Shamanic theme for Ostara is resurrection. The Goddess rises from her sleep, and the land is renewed. Flowers bloom and the land is revitalized after the long, cold winter. Ostara can mark the beginning or end of a time of training, with a symbolic rebirth. It is a time of planting seeds, both literal and metaphoric. It is a time to ask what seeds are we planting? What are the goals your community is working towards? During this time of balance, transform your dense energy and use it as "fertilizer" for your new hopes and dreams. Seek resurrection and plan for the future at Ostara.
Ravenna's Ostara 2006
So this year saw me joining a coven as an outer order member, which is really amazing and wonderful at the same time. We didn't do anything major for Ostara this year, though I did do some stuff with the boys at home.
We dyed eggs. Seems to be such a traditional thing and the kids love it. Then of course the Ostara bunny came and hid some eggs and baskets for the kids, and I did a private ritual to mark the occasion, by honoring the change of seasons and the burst of life that is returning the green to Mother Earth. Very simple, yet effective.
Ravenna's Ostara 2005
So this year was very interesting to say the least. When I gave people tarot readings earlier this year, I had stated to many of them that the Spring Equinox would bring major changes in people's lives. And so it did - especially for me!
I have taken a new step on my path of learning the Craft, and have Dedicated myself formally to the Lord and Lady and to a specific path. The ceremony was very beautiful, and parts of it brought tears to my eyes, it was all in all, a very moving ritual.
Afterwards, I dyed some eggs with a few friends of mine, and we painted various symbols and pictures on the eggs with metallic paint. They were incredibly beautiful!! We'll be dying eggs again this weekend for my sons, since Easter is this coming Sunday, the 27th. It should be a lot of fun, albeit on the messy side. But such is the way of things in my house.
My private Equinox ritual was very simple, and really just consisted of me communing with the Goddess and God, telling Them what it was that I wished to do in order to bring more balance into my life in the coming months. I have a feeling my rituals will be getting a LOT more simple for a while, now that we have a new baby in the family. There's just not enough time for me to really go all out and do a major ritual while he is so little. He likes to eat practically every hour, I swear. But the Lord and Lady understand what it's like for families with little ones, and I'm sure They will be patient with me and my new-found simplicity.
All in all, I can hardly wait to see what the next six months bring to me!
~ Ravenna
March 21, 2005