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Twice a year, day and night become equal in length. When the air is warmer and life begins to return to the land, we celebrate the Vernal or Spring Equinox, on or about March 21 st.







In the pagan tradition, the Equinox is known as the Ostara (o-stá-rah) Sabbat, Sabbat denoting a holiday, and Ostara , a derivitive of “Oestre” the Virgin Goddess of Spring in the Germanic tradition, also known as Estre or Eostre by the Anglo-Saxons.







The goddess not only marked the passage of time, but symbolized new life and fertility. Legend has it that the goddess was saved by a bird whose wings had become frozen by the cold of winter. This process turned the bird into a hare, a long eared rabbit that could also lay eggs. The rabbit wanted so much to please this goddess that she brightly decorated the eggs she had laid and presented them to Goddess Eostre as a humble gift. The holiday thus incorporates these two symbols – eggs for rebirth or renewal, and the rabbit for fertility.







The early Church created feast days on or near any pagan Sabbat they could not eliminate. As Christianity spread across Europe and Britain, the older symbols became incorporated into the new faith’s holiday of Easter, even the name having been lifted from the goddess whose festival was originally celebrated with the arrival of spring.



Pagan traditions became part of the new observance with the Easter Bunny, colored eggs, and even new finery for the holiday. It was considered the worst of luck to wear one’s spring clothing before Ostara. The Teutons worked through the winter in secret to prepare elegant finery for the Sabbat. The entire community gathered at Ostara for the games, feasting and religious rituals, all of which provided the ideal venue for showing off their new clothes. It was akin to the “Easter Parade,” sans Easter inasmuch as Ostara predates the Christian holiday by at least two thousand or more years.







There is a custom of “Wiping Your Slate Clean” associated with this Sabbat. One week prior to Ostara, each person takes into account all the injustices they have done to their families and friends. The individual writes down his or her negative acts and throughout the week, must seek to create balance with those whom they have injured through apology, paying back past due loans, correcting wrongs, etc. On Ostara, the person brings to the ritual circle the list with what has been done to right each issue. In ritual, the paper is burned, wiping clean his or her slate. Even if one is not Wiccan, this exercise may be adapted to release negativity and to enhance one’s connection to the Universe.







Instead of buying a commercial egg coloring kit, natural dyes akin to those that were used in the olden days, are easily available. To create the dyes, boil a large handful of an herb or flower until the water is well colored. Place the water in a non metal cup or container. Stir in a teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt, then place a hard boiled egg gently into the mixture and let it sit. The following flora will result in these colors:



Carrots, turmeric yellow

Onion skins, paprika orange

Red onion skins, madder root or cayenne red

Purple grape juice, raspberries red-violet

Carrot tops, bracken green

Blueberries, red cabbage blue

Blackberries, beet juice, mulberries blue-violet

Heather pink





The sap begins to flow, the trees are budding, the ground softens, ice melts and everywhere the fragrance and color of spring slowly awakens and rejuvenates our own life force. This is the Ostara Sabbat, the celebration of the fertility of the land and its people and the hope of the new life arising in the world – the magical mystical event gentle people have been celebrating almost since the beginning of time.

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BellaMuun
13:51 Mar 24 2009

That is very interesting info

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OSTARA (pronounced O-STAR-ah) is one of the Lesser Wiccan Sabbats, and is usually celebrated on the Vernal or Spring Equinox right around March 21 (although because of its origins, may instead be celebrated on the fixed date of March 25). Other names by which this Sabbat may be known are Oestara, Eostre's Day, Rite of Eostre, Alban Eilir, Festival of the Trees, and Lady Day. The Christian holiday of Easter is very near this same time, (notice the similarity in name?), and is determined as the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox.



The name for this Sabbat actually comes from that of the Teutonic lunar Goddess, Eostre. Her chief symbols were the bunny (for fertility and because the Ancient Ones who worshipped her often saw the image of a rabbit in the full moon), and the egg (representing the cosmic egg of creation). This is where the customs of "Easter Eggs" and the "Easter Bunny" originated.



Ostara is a time to celebrate the arrival of Spring, the renewal and rebirth of Nature herself, and the coming lushness of Summer. It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance, yet the light is growing stronger by the day. The forces of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, are also in balance at this time.



At this time we think of renewing ourselves. We renew our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations. We think of renewing our relationships. This is an excellent time of year to begin anything new or to completely revitalize something. This is also an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth.



In the Pagan Wheel of the Year, this is the time when the great Mother Goddess, again a virgin at Candlemas, 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.



For Wiccans and Witches, Ostara is a fertility festival celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the Earth. The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of Winter to the exuberant expansion of Spring. Eostre, the Saxon Goddess of fertility, and Ostara, the German Goddess of fertility are the aspects invoked at this Sabbat. Some Wiccan traditions worship the Green Goddess and the Lord of the Greenwood. The Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God stretches and grows to maturity. He walks the greening fields and delights in the abundance of nature.



Pagan customs such as the lighting of new fires at dawn for cure, renewed life, and protection of the crops still survive in the Southern Americas as well as in Europe. Witches celebrate Ostara in many ways on this sacred day, including lighting fires at sunrise, ringing bells, and decorating hard-boiled eggs which is an ancient Pagan custom associated with the Goddess of Fertility. In those ancient days, eggs were gathered and used for the creation of talismans and also ritually eaten. The gathering of different colored eggs from the nests of a variety of birds has given rise to two traditions still observed today - the Easter egg hunt, and coloring eggs in imitation of the various pastel colors of wild birds. It is also believed that humankind first got the idea of weaving baskets from watching birds weave nests. This is perhaps the origin of the association between colored Easter eggs and Easter baskets.



There is much symbolism in eggs themselves. The golden orb of its yolk represents the Sun God, its white shell is seen as the White Goddess, and the whole is a symbol of rebirth. The Goddess Eostre's patron animal was the hare. And although the references are not recalled, the symbolism of the hare and rabbit's associations with fertility are not forgotten. The Spring Equinox is a time of new beginnings, of action, of planting seeds for future grains, and of tending gardens. Spring is a time of the Earth's renewal, a rousing of nature after the cold sleep of winter. As such, it is an ideal time to clean your home to welcome the new season. "Spring cleaning" is much more than simply physical work. It may be seen as a concentrated effort to rid your home of the problems and negativity of the past months, and to prepare for the coming spring and summer. To do this, many Pagans approach the task of cleaning their homes with positive thoughts. This frees the home of any negative feelings brought about by a harsh winter. A common rule of thumb for Spring cleaning is that all motions involving scrubbing of stains or hand rubbing the floors should be done "clockwise". Pagans believe this custom aids in filling the home with good energy for growth.



Appropriate Deities for Ostara include all Youthful and Virile Gods and Goddesses, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, Love Goddesses, Moon Gods and Goddesses, and all Fertility Deities. Some Ostara Deities to mention by name here include Persephone, Blodeuwedd, Eostre, Aphrodite, Athena, Cybele, Gaia, Hera, Isis, Ishtar, Minerva, Venus, Robin of the Woods, the Green Man, Cernunnos, Lord of the Greenwood, The Dagda, Attis, The Great Horned God, Mithras, Odin, Thoth, Osiris, and Pan.



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.



Foods in tune with this day (linking your meals with the seasons is a fine way of attuning with Nature) include eggs, egg salad, hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, first fruits of the season, fish, cakes, biscuits, cheeses, honey and ham. You may also include foods made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts. Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables.



From Scott Cunningham: flower dishes such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes also find their place here. (Find a book of flower cooking or simply make spice cupcakes. Ice with pink frosting and place a fresh carnation petal on each cupcake. Stuff nasturtium blossoms with a mixture made of cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress.) Appropriate Ostara meat dishes should contain fish or ham.