Ostara: Rituals and Festivities

I was so busy on actual Ostara setting up my altar and getting things ready for eggs that I didn’t have time to say, “Happy Ostara!” And I think you can technically celebrate any holiday within a week of the actual date. So if you didn’t get a chance to celebrate here are some of the fun things I did to celebrate:

Painting Easter Eggs

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I did this as the main event of the celebration. I made dye by using vinegar, water and food coloring.I bought little sticky gems from the dollar store, and a sharpie (also from the dollar store) and also used some paint and paintbrushes I had lying around.

*I tried to give more options than just dying the eggs because I’m impatient and hate waiting and sharing the dyes;)

*I did this before I did any rituals so I could put some eggs on the altar.

Making Seed Pouches

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I thought it would be fun to give my friends/guests party favors that they could wear while we celebrated. These are just simple pouches made with fabric, beads, string, and little wire flowers (I got most of this from the dollar store, of course!) When I was finished I filled them with seeds.

Food, Drinks, and Flowers

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…here are my hot cross buns!

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because what is a celebration without food?

Ostara Altar 

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I made a simple altar because I have such a small apartment (thanks a lot for the space NYC). I balanced my book of shadows on my cable box to signify the balance between light and dark during the spring equinox.;)

Ostara: Ritual and words

Ostara Ritual

I got this ritual from: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/ostarathespringequinox/ht/OstaraSolRite.htm-3

I changed the actual words to things I felt were more whimsical. I like my stuff to rhyme or else it starts to remind me the catholic church, which is okay, but definitely not as fun.

What you need

-Candles (yellow, green, and purple)

-A bowl of milk

-A little bit of honey or sugar. 

-Open some windows

Take a moment to focus on the air around you. Inhale deeply and try to smell the changes of the seasons. 

Light the green candle, which represents the blossoming earth, and say: “The wheel of the year turns, and the vernal equinox arrives. Light and dark are equal in size. The soil changes, the earth awakens.”

Light the yellow candle, which represents the sun, and say: “The sun draws closer warming the earth and soul, light and dark are equal. The sun warms all in its path creating new life at last.”

Light the purple candle, which represents the divine, and say: “Spring has come. The divine is; the cool fall of a rainstorm, the tiny buds of a flower, the down of a newborn chick, the fertile fields waiting to be planted, the sky above and the earth below, we thank the universe for giving us life, and new life. Welcome life.”

Blend the milk and honey together gently. 

While blending say: “I make this offering to the earth, as thanks for the blessings I have received, and those I shall someday receive.”

Lastly, pour the mixture outside in the a yard or garden. 

DIY: Candied Orange Peels

A very popular ritual during Ostara is to make hot cross buns! I have never tried them but they look and sound like some cute pastry little bow peep would eat. Hot cross buns are a treat that you can either eat or bake on Ostara ( I plan on baking mine the night before and I’ll be sure to share!) The recipe I’ve decided to use (along with most I have seen) calls for candied orange peels. Which you can make yourself.

The recipe I used:

http://www.brighteyedbaker.com/confessions101/diy-candied-orange-peel/

My struggles:

So as much as I love cooking I lack so much general knowledge on the matter. My google search bar history is a little embarrassing to say the least (“why are my candied orange peels turning brown?). So a little helpful tip; when the recipe says simmer it means cook on very low heat (not a slight boil as I interpreted it!) and also don’t stir the sugar and water after it heats up, it makes the sugar start crystalizing (which turned out tasting delicious, at first, and then turned into a burnt glass candied mess.)

P.S.

Learn about orange peels in Wicca

Folklore: Ostara and the hare

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There is no doubt that Ostara resembles Easter in many ways instead of the “easter bunny” there is Ostara and the Hare. Though the real version has more sex and betrayal here is a kid friendly version that I found online:

Eostre and the Easter Bunny

Sonia Jenson

Many many years ago, during the time of dragons and castles, there was a beautiful Goddess named Eostre (pronounced Ee-ost-ray). The Goddess had long thick hair the colour of golden wheat, and her eyes were as blue as the sky above. Eostre was the Goddess of Spring, and it was her job to make sure that the Earth awakened from its winter sleep.

During Spring the world came alive. Birds would chirp from the trees as they built nests for the little eggs that would soon hatch into baby birds. Butterflies came out of their cocoons wearing wings of gorgeous colours. All the mother animals of the world gave birth to babies, and beautiful flowers opened their petals. Spring was a time of new beginnings. It was a time to celebrate.

Every year, on the first day of Spring, Eostre held a huge Spring Festival in the meadow. Animals and children from all over the world would attend and bring gifts for the Goddess of Spring to show how happy they were with the fresh new season.

One year, on the day before the festival, the hare wanted to give Eostre a gift. But the hare had nothing that would be fit for a Goddess. The hare was very poor and he had a hard enough time feeding himself, never mind giving a gift to someone.

That day while searching through the forest for some food, the hare found a fresh egg in the grass. He was very hungry and sat down to enjoy his found lunch. He was about to crack open the egg when he suddenly stopped.

“This egg would make a nice gift for Eostre,” he thought to himself. “An egg symbolizes birth and Spring. Yes, a very nice gift indeed.” So the hare hopped home to decorate the egg.

The next day the hare went to the meadow and hopped up to the Goddess. He shyly presented her with his gift. Eostre took one look at the egg and gave the hare a huge smile. It was a beautiful egg. The hare had painted the egg with lovely designs coloured from the dyes of roses, buttercups and other plants. He had then sealed the egg with beeswax so that it would be shiny.

The Goddess was so happy with the gift that she wanted everyone to have one and share her joy. Eostre knew that the hare was very poor and to give her the egg was a very unselfish act. He could have eaten it and had his belly filled. Eostre decided to reward the hare.

That day, the Goddess of Spring told the hare that he could come and live in her castle. He would have only one job, and that would be to deliver a decorated egg to children around the world, for Eostre loved children. Children symbolized birth and innocence. The eggs would be delivered on the eve of the Spring Festival, so that the children would wake up and find them in the morning.

And so every year, Eostre’s bunny (for a hare is a type of rabbit) and his descendants would deliver eggs to the children. Today we call the hare the Easter Bunny, because the Sunday after the first full moon of the Spring Equinox is Easter Sunday, a Christian celebration. Besides, Easter egg is a lot easier to say than Eostre egg.

The end

Sabba: Ostara

 spring-equinox-ostaraostara quote

Ostara is celebrated between March 20th and 23rd, during the spring Equinox, during the sign of the Aries. It marks the transition from the semester of dark to the semester of light and light’s triumph over darkness. Ostara suggests resurrection, fertility, and conception while celebrating new hope, new relationships, and new plans. Ostara (or Eostra) is named after the germanic goddess of the moon and fertility.

Themes for March and Ostara:

  • Colors: pink, pale blue, light green, yellow, green, purple and white.
  • Rune: Algiz
  • Herbs/plants: jasmine, roses, violet, nutmeg, seeds
  • Stones: Rose quartz
  • Elements: Air (east)
  • March moon animal: Bear
  • Moon rites: spring equinox
  • Tools and symbols: feathers, eggs hair/rabbit, wand.