Hail Ostara!
The sun is rising earlier in the eastern sky in our Northern Hemisphere and as the Spring Equinox arrives, we witches welcome the energies and blessings of the spring goddess Ostara. Her totems include eggs, rabbits, flower buds and seasonal fruits. Eggs are representative of the goddess by their colors as well as being a fertility symbol. The golden yoke enveloped by the white albumen represents the goddess in her maiden form. Our city dwellers may not be aware that chickens don’t lay eggs in artificial light. They require the real thing from the sun in order to thrive and produce, so they revel in the warmth of the sun as they lay their eggs. As spring is associated with fertility and new growth, the hare has long been associated with the goddess. Did you know a hare can conceive while already pregnant? Talk about fertility! As for the plant kingdom, daffodils with their vibrant golds and yellows along with golden yellow forsythia represent the warming sun as they make their appearance in early spring.
The warm spring winds periodically show up in Maine but I confess I refer to spring in Maine as “sprinter”. It often still feels very much like winter up in my neck of the northeastern woods. It’s very common for us to have snow on the ground at the spring equinox, yet thankfully the sun is shining higher in the sky and the days are getting longer. I feel that warmer temperatures won’t be too long in coming.
Although Ostara hails from German and Celtic traditions, all ancient cultures had their spring maiden. In Greece, Persephone was also known as Kore, the Maiden, and is revered for being the goddess of spring's bounty. Perhaps you remember the myth in which Persephone/Kore, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was abducted by Hades, god of the underworld, upon the approval of her father Zeus. Zeus felt it would be a very good union for his beautiful daughter. However, Demeter, her mother, was so grief stricken while her daughter was in the underworld that she neglected the vegetation and therefore crops failed. Through Demeter’s efforts and demands, Kore returned from the underworld to earth heralding the arrival of spring. Yet Kore is a goddess of both worlds and becomes Queen of the Underworld as the consort of Hades and that is a mythic story in which the Greeks explained their seasonal changes. When Kore was in the underworld her mother grieved her absence so nothing grew and winter took over the land but when Kore returns so does the warmth and promise of spring.
Spring is something to celebrate as is any seasonal change. There are multitudinous ways to celebrate or ritualize this pagan Sabbat, but let me mention a few of my favorites. Any foods prepared with eggs are appropriate for this festive occasion. Doing a spring cleaning, although not as much fun, but airing out one’s home to usher in the spring energies is healthy and helpful. Starting some seeds for planting once the weather permits and the ground softens to welcome the seedlings is a great way to honor Ostara, especially if one picks plants that attract the pollinators. Creating a spring altar honoring Ostara is fun and easy and if adding dyed eggs to your altar consider using natural dyes. Daffodils are a must, in my mind, for a spring altar but tulips and other spring flowers are most appropriate. Any kind of greenery is festive and candle colors chosen are often violet, purple, green, yellow and white. Last but not least, it’s always delicious and fun to bake a cake or fresh bread to honor Ostara. Enjoy all the bounty and promise that spring has to offer.
