Ostara/Spring Equinox Lore & Ritual

By Rev. Thomas DiVinny/Founder Triple Moon
Mar 16, 2016
7 min read

By Rev. Thomas DiVinny - Greetings once again! The Wheel Is about to turn again so lets crack on with a short history lesson and lore.

The end of March is the focus for a number of religious and traditional celebrations. As the sun appears to cross the earth's equator on the 20th or 21st of March, entering the Zodiacal sign of Aries, day and night will be equal in length. This astronomical phenomenon is a day anciently revered amongst Pagan peoples. Their festivals included Alban Elfed, the Teutonic festival in honor of Eostre, Roman Hilaria Matris Deûm, Welsh Gwyl Canol Gwenwynol ('Day of the Gorse'), the Wiccan Eostar (Ostara) Sabbat and the Christian Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Lady Day) as well as Easter itself.

OSTARA (pronounced O-STAR-ah) marks the Spring Equinox. This is the Pagan "Easter" - or rather, this is the day that Christians borrowed to be their Easter. It is traditionally the day of equilibrium, neither harsh winter nor the merciless summer, and is a time of childish wonder. Painted eggs, baskets of flowers and the like are generally used to decorate the house. It is common to use this time to free yourself from things which hinder progress. As a day of equilibrium, it is a good time to perform self banishing and also perform workings to gain things we have lost, or to gain qualities we wish to have.

The second of the 3 spring festivals, this Sabbat occurs in mid march when day and night are of equal length. This festival is also of fertility where seeds are blessed for planting soon after. Traditional colors for this holiday are light green, lemon yellow and pale pink. Its modern revival is linked to some of the oldest traditions of mankind. In the Pagan Wheel of the Year, this is the time when the great Mother Goddess, again The Maiden at Imbolc, welcomes the young Sun God unto her and conceives a child of this divine union. The child will be born nine months later, at Yule, the Winter Solstice. The Great Rite, symbolic of the sexual union between God and Goddess began to be enacted on Ostara.

The positive effect of this rite, a form of sympathetic magic helped to bring fertility to the land and people and the animals.Easter EggsIn ancient times the return of the birds meant an important protein source had returned. The ability to find eggs in the fields and forest often meant the difference between health and hunger in the lean days before the harvest.

The name is thought to be derived from a goddess of German legend, according to Jakob Grimm in his Deutsche Mythologie. A similar goddess named Eostre was described by the Venerable Bede. Bede indicated that this name was used in English when the Paschal holiday was introduced. Since then this name (not the holiday) has been converted to Easter, or in German Ostern. Some scholars question both Bede's and Grimm's conclusions due to a lack of supporting evidence for this goddess. Others argue that a lack of further documentation is not surprising given that Bede is credited with writing the first substantial history of England (in which he described Eostre as a goddess whose worship had already passed) and Grimm was specifically attempting to capture oral traditions before they might be lost.

Despite these reservations, the idea of Eostre has become firmly established in many minds. Without any consideration of these problems, the folklorist Dr Jonathan Young categorically states: Easter has deep roots in the mythic past. Long before it was imported into the Christian tradition, the Spring festival honored the goddess Eostre or Eastre. According to Bede and Einhard in his Life of Charlemagne, the month called Eostremonat/Ostaramanoth was equated with April. This would put the start of 'Ostara's Month' after the Equinox in March. It must be taken into account that these 'translations' of calendar months were approximate as the old forms were predominantly lunar months while the new were based on a solar year. Thus start of 'Eostremonat' would actually have fallen in late March and could thus still be associated with the Spring Equinox. The holiday is a celebration of spring and growth, the renewal of life that appears on the earth after the winter. In mythology it is often characterized by the rejoining of the goddess and her lover-brother-son, who spent the winter months in death. This is an interesting parallel to the biblical story in which Jesus is resurrected (the reason Christians celebrate Easter), pointing to another appropriation of pre-Christian religious figures, symbols and myths by early Christianity.

Eggs and Rabbits:

The Easter Bunny is German in origin. He first appears in literature in 16th century as a deliverer of eggs. All rabbits were thought to lay eggs on Easter Day, but the Easter Bunny specifically sought out and rewarded well-behaved children with coloured eggs in a manner reminiscent of Yule customs. The movements of the hare, zig-zagging across the fields, were thought to predict the coming year.Eggs themselves are obvious symbols of resurrection and continuing life, as well as fertility. Early humans thought the return of the sun from winter darkness was an annual miracle, and saw the egg as a natural wonder and proof of the renewal of life. As Christianity spread the egg was adopted as a symbol of Jesus's alleged resurrection from the tomb. According to Young, the Easter Bunny is:a continuation of the reverence shown during the spring rites to the rabbit as a symbol of abundance. The honouring of such emblems of fertility extended to eggs. The egg serves as a representation of new life. It stands for the renewing power of nature and, by extension, agriculture. The egg can also symbolize regeneration in a spiritual or psychological sense. The ritual of colouring Easter eggs stems from the tradition of painting eggs in bright colours to represent the sunlight of spring.

Correspondences:

Key actions to keep in mind during this time in the Wheel of the Year include openings and new beginnings. Spellwork for improving communication and group interaction are recommended, as well as fertility and abundance. Ostara is a good time to start putting those plans and preparations you made at Imbolc into action. Start working towards physically manifesting your plans now. The most common colors associated with Ostara are lemon yellow, pale green and pale pink.

Other appropriate colors include grass green, all pastels, Robin’s egg blue, violet, and white.Stones to use during the Ostara celebration include aquamarine, rose quartz, and moonstone. Animals associated with Ostara are rabbits and snakes. Mythical beasts associated with Ostara include unicorns, merpeople, and pegasus. Plants and herbs associated with Ostara are crocus flowers, daffodils, jasmine, Irish moss, snowdrops, and ginger.For Ostara incense, you could make a blend from any of the following scents or simply choose one… jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, dragon’s blood, cinnamon, nutmeg, aloes wood, benzoin, musk, African violet, sage, strawberry, lotus, violet flowers, orange peel, or rose petals.

Special Activities

Planting seeds or starting a Magickal Herb Garden.
Taking a long walk in nature with no intent other than reflecting on the Magick of nature and our Great Mother and her bounty.
Make hot cross buns to honor the union of the earth and the sun for Spring. Slash the “X” with the bolline and bless the cakes.
Toss crushed eggshells into the garden and say:For fairy, for flowers, for herbs in the bowers, The shells pass fertility with springtime flowers.
Wear green clothing.
Eat an egg you have empowered with a quality you desire.

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Simple Solitary Ritual for Spring Equinox/Ostara -

Flowers should be laid on the altar, placed around the circle or strewn on the ground. A cauldron can be filled with spring water and flowers, and buds and blossoms may be worn as well. A small potted plant should be placed on the altar if available.

Arrange the altar, light the candles and incense, and cast the circle. Invoke the Goddess and God in whatever words please you.

Stand before the altar and gaze upon the plant as you say: "O Great Goddess, you have freed yourself from the icy prison of winter. Now is the greening, when the fragrance of flowers drifts on the breeze. This is the beginning. Life renews itself by Your magick, Earth Goddess. The God stretches and rises, eager in His youth, and bursting with the promise of summer." Touch the plant. Connect with its energies and, through it, all nature. Travel inside its leaves and stems through your visualization - from the center of your consciousness out through your arm and fingers and into the plant itself. Explore its inner nature; sense the miraculous processes of life at work within it. After a time, still touching the plant, say: "I walk the earth in friendship, not in dominance. Mother Goddess and Father God, instil within me through this plant a warmth for all living things. Teach me to revere the Earth and all its treasures. May I never forget." Meditate upon the changing of the seasons. Feel the rousing of energies around you in the Earth. Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. When done release the Circle as you always would. Blessed Be!

In closing I want to say that there are many different ways of observing our Sabbats and Honoring and working with our respective Gods and Goddesses. Do your reasearch and see what works best for you. I also want to encourage you to celebrate and honor our heritage with those you love and our younger generations they are our future in more ways than one Brothers and Sisters. We are a great and caring people us Pagans and by keeping the old ways alive we ourselves nurture the future of our Mother Earth, our children and Paganisim! So Mote it Be! Ostara Blessings to you all!

Thank you for reading! We hope that you found this lesson informative, as always you can contact us here or on FB @ facebook.com/triplemoonministries if you have any questions or comments.

Text is by Rev. Thomas and from Triple Moons Divinwolff Tradition 1st Degree Course with some background credit going to: Grimm, Jakob, Deutsche Mythologie. 1835.Bede, De Temp. Rat. c. xv.Socrates, Hist. Eccl. V. 22. Images Via google.com