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
