Ostara information and rituals
Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 6:13 pm
Ostara (Eostre) circa March 21, also known as the Spring or Vernal Equinox, is one of two dates where day and night are equal; a point of balance, after which the forces of light gain power and preeminence over the powers of darkness until it reaches its ultimate at Midsummer.
Deities honored during this festival are those of the maiden goddess and the youthful, warrior god. The sabbat takes its name from Eostra (Ostara), the Goddess of the Dawn, the Saxon Goddess who heralds the triumphant rebirth of the Sun and the return of the greening season. Hellenic traditions celebrate the return of Persephone, Demeter's daughter, from Hades. Some sects see this as the time of courtship between the God and the Goddess, whose relationship will then be consummated at the following sabbat of Beltaine.
When the Catholic Church preempted this rite, as with so many others, it kept the essence of the sabbat, but appropriated its essential properties for Christ. Ostara has always been a rite celebrating the resurrection and restoration of the Sun. The Holy Roman Church simply ascribed the resurrection to Christ, also known as the Son, who is also described in biblical terms as "the Light." Even the way in which "Easter" is arrived at is Pagan in origin, calculated from the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Equinox. That is, of course, unless a full moon falls on that date; at which time, the Easter sabbath falls on the following Sunday. While they were forced by an unchangeable astronomical event into keeping the essential date of the original Pagan Sabbat, it seems that having the Holy Easter Sabbath on a full moon was simply too much for the Church to abide!
Ostara is the beginning of the fertility festivals. Buds begin to push their way through the earth to reach the strengthening sun's light; animals in the wild feel the ancient instinct to breed; the energies of Nature shift subtly from the torpor of Winter to the exuberant activity of Spring. It is a time of new beginnings, of action, of saying goodbye to the old and making room for the new. We can see this urge reflected in our lives even today. We talk of "Spring cleaning" and "In Spring, a young man's fancy turns to..."; the desire to run the greening fields (or, in our world, walk the parks, fish, and other outdoor activities) vies urgently with the obligation of our workday routines, often resulting in "sick leave days" and spur-of-the-moment "personal days" where the real excuse is "Spring Fever."
Symbols of this holiday include eggs, rabbits, and flowers of all kinds. Modern secular activities such as the dying of Easter Eggs are remnants of ancient Pagan traditions. The Anglo-Saxons painted eggs with their hopes and dreams and presented them as a gift to Eostre. These eggs were then buried in the Earth, so that the Earth-Mother would know dreams of her children, in hopes that She would see fit to help them realize their desires. This practice predates Christianity by approximately 1000 years.
Rabbits (hares) were the companions of Eostre, and she is still often pictured with a hare by Her side. Because of their well-acknowledged reproductive ability, they are the perfect compliments to the start of a fertility-based season.
In many cultures, the Goddess was known not only as the Goddess of Fertility, but also as the Goddess of Grain. Therefore, special cakes and breads were baked and given to Her in offering. This tradition remained, long after the original reasons were lost, and we still see people baking special Easter breads and cakes today.
Other foods traditional to this season include those made of seeds, as well as pine nuts. Also, green leafy vegetables and sprouts are equally appropiate. Some groups create special dishes made of flowers, such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes.
Activities appropriate to celebrate the day include those listed above, as well as randomly collecting wildflowers on a walk through the woods, or buying a mixed bouquet from a florist. The flowers you choose will often reveal your inner thoughts and emotions, and their meanings to you can be divined through books, pendulum, and your intuition.
Some groups set the seeds they'll soon be planting within the sacred Circle of their Ostara rituals. In this way, either a special charging ritual can be done for the seeds, or the seeds can simply absorb the energy of the Circle. They can then be planted safely after the next full moon.
Ritual cleaning is often done, though usually in the secular vein today. It seems people are driven by the need to throw open the windows to our homes and force out all the stale, winter air. Many of us clean the house from top to bottom; sweeping every nook and cranny from ceiling to floor; cleaning out cabinets and drawers, and scrubbing them, too. Often, many choose this time of year to change the liners in drawers, or to put away the winter bedding in favor of the lighter-weight summer linen. Heavy winter clothes are washed, folded, and put away and the lighter weight spring and summer clothes find their way into our closets.
This same mundane ritual of household cleaning can be applied to our inner selves, as well. Use Ostara to clean out all the mental cobwebs and to throw away all the old, negative modes of thought. Throw open the doors to your mind, heart, and soul and let the gentle breezes of Ostara breathe new hope and the vigor of youth into your newly awakening life.
Ostara ritual for solitaries
1.For this ritual, you'll want to decorate your altar with symbols of the season. Think about all the colors you see in nature at this time of year -- bright daffodils, crocuses, plump tulips, green shoots -- and incorporate them into your altar. This is also a time of fertility in the natural world -- the egg is the perfect representation of this aspect of the season. Symbols of young animals such as lambs, chicks, and calves are also great altar adornments for Ostara.
2.In addition, you'll need the following:
•Three candles -- one yellow, one green, and one purple
•A bowl of milk
•A small bowl of honey or sugar
Perform this ritual outside if at all possible, in the early morning as the sun rises. It's spring, so it may be a bit chilly, but it's a good time to reconnect with the earth. If your tradition normally requires you to cast a circle, do so now.
3.Begin by taking a moment to focus on the air around you. Inhale deeply, and see if you can smell the change in the seasons. Depending on where you live, the air may have an earthy aroma, or a rainy one, or even smell like green grass. Sense the shift in energy as the Wheel of the Year has turned. Light the green candle, to symbolize the blossoming earth. As you light it, say:
The Wheel of the Year turns once more,
and the vernal equinox arrives.
Light and dark are equal,
and the soil begins to change.
The earth awakes from its slumber,
and new life springs forth once more.
4.Next, light the yellow candle, representing the sun. As you do so, say:
The sun draws ever closer to us,
greeting the earth with its welcoming rays.
Light and dark are equal,
and the sky fills with light and warmth.
The sun warms the land beneath our feet,
and gives life to all in its path.
5.Finally, light the purple candle. This one represents the Divine in our lives -- whether you call it a god or a goddess, whether you identify it by name or simply as a universal life force, this is the candle which stands for all the things we do not know, all those things we cannot understand, but that are the sacred in our daily lives. As you light this candle, focus on the Divine around and within you. Say:
6.Spring has come! For this, we are thankful!
The Divine is present all around,
in the cool fall of a rain storm,
in the tiny buds of a flower,
in the down of a newborn chick,
in the fertile fields waiting to be planted,
in the sky above us,
and in the earth below us.
We thank the universe* for all it has to offer us, (*you can change universe with any spring God and Goddess names)
and are so blessed to be alive on this day.
Welcome, life! Welcome, light! Welcome, spring!
7.Take a moment and meditate on the three flames before you and what they symbolize. Consider your own place within these three things -- the earth, the sun, and the Divine. How do you fit into the grand scheme of things? How do you find balance between light and dark in your own life?
Finally, blend the milk and honey together, mixing gently. Pour it onto the ground around your altar space as an offering to the earth**. As you do, you may wish to say something like: (**If you are performing the ritual indoors, take the milk and honey outdoors to pour)
I make this offering to the earth,
As thanks for the many blessings I have received,
And those I shall some day receive.
8.Once you have made your offering, stand for a minute facing your altar. Feel the cool earth beneath your feet, and the sun on your face. Take in every sensation of this moment, and know that you are in a perfect place of balance between light and dark, winter and summer, warmth and cold -- a time of polarity and harmony.
When you are ready, end the ritual.
Ostara ritual for groups
Notes
The altar is set in the center of the room on a low round table draped in green. At the center of the altar is the flower cone, a simple wicker structure about a meter high and half a meter in diameter topped with a white candle. Around the base of the cone are placed small seed packets wrapped in spring patterned fabric and tied with ribbon. Gold & Silver candles (Goddess & God) as well as painted eggs, feathers and items to be charged surround the seeds.
HP stands for High Priest and HPS stands for High Priestess
At the four quarters on the alter are green hand-dipped beeswax tapers, unlit (they don't have to be hand dipped). Between the tapers are quarter-circles of egg shaped votives, 6 between each taper, also unlit. The center top candle will be lit before people arrive for the ritual.
Chairs are arranged in a circle. Just outside the perimeter of the circle, at each quarter, candleholders sit on small draped tables. Music will be playing as people arrive. We will have asked everyone to bring a few flowers or greenery with stems from their home, to be collected in wicker baskets at the door as people arrive. Programs will be handed out at the door. Tables will be set up for the 'cakes and ale' portion of the program.
Drumming signals the beginning of the ritual.
Drumming ends. HPS comes to the Center.
HPS
Welcome to the Spring Equinox Celebration. As we cast our Circle, please stand as we call the quarters.
The circle is cast. (Our HP improvised and was quite impressive)
As each quarter is called, caller lights the appropriate taper from the center and lights three eggs on each side of the taper direction. Then she/he turns and calls the quarter, and takes the taper to the perimeter of the circle, placing the taper in the candleholder outside the circle.
From the East come the winds that carry the seed.
Spirits of East be here Now!
From the South comes the sun, kindling the life of the seed.
Spirits of South be here Now!
From the West comes the water that swells the sprout.
Spirits of West be here Now!
From the North comes the Earth that nourishes the plant.
Spirits of North be here Now!
HPS - Center / God / Goddess Invocation (also improvised). Gold & Silver candles are lit directly from the center.
East quarter:
Earth Mother, Star Mother
You who are called by a thousand names
May all remember - We are cells in your body
And dance together
South quarter:
You are the grain and the loaf
That sustains us each day,
and as you are patient with our struggles to learn
So shall we be patient with ourselves and each other
West quarter:
We are radiant light and sacred dark
- the Balance -
You are the embrace that heartens
And the freedom beyond fear
North quarter:
Within you we are born, we grow, live, and die
You bring us around the circle to rebirth
Within us you dance
Forever!
Crone: Short explanation of the significance of the vernal equinox.
Chant: Into the Silence of the Night
HPS: Childrens' story: Persephone
HP: Introduction to the Flower cone.
To symbolize the promise of Spring, we have arranged on the alter a cone of crab-apple cuttings. The cone shape represents power and focus. At its base are packets of wild-flower seeds. These seeds can represent our hopes for the coming time of warmth. Surrounding the cone are candles in the shape of eggs. Eggs are symbols of new life and hope.
Four children offer baskets of flowers around the circle
HP takes a flower from each basket and places them to start.
We welcome you now to take some flowers and greens from the baskets. Starting in the East, please come forward, a few at a time and place them into the cone. As you do, please visualize something you'd like to grow this spring. Something in your garden? A relationship? Perhaps a special project? As the cone is filled with dreams of fruition, the seeds are charged with energy. After all have placed flowers, we will dance to the coming Spring.
Dancer: Introduction to the spiral dance, including the significance of the spiral.
Singer: Runs through chant Spiralling Into the Center
Dancer: Leads once through the spiral, leading all back into a circle. Walk in circle until home. Signals drumming to end.
HP: Invite people to take a seed packet.
We'd like to invite you to come forward and take a seed packet now filled with your energy. Take them and grow your vision.
HPS: Grounds; Dismisses Quarters, snuff candles; Opens Circle.
Baked goods, Fruit, Tea & Coffee
Drumming with dancing and merriment!!!
Deities honored during this festival are those of the maiden goddess and the youthful, warrior god. The sabbat takes its name from Eostra (Ostara), the Goddess of the Dawn, the Saxon Goddess who heralds the triumphant rebirth of the Sun and the return of the greening season. Hellenic traditions celebrate the return of Persephone, Demeter's daughter, from Hades. Some sects see this as the time of courtship between the God and the Goddess, whose relationship will then be consummated at the following sabbat of Beltaine.
When the Catholic Church preempted this rite, as with so many others, it kept the essence of the sabbat, but appropriated its essential properties for Christ. Ostara has always been a rite celebrating the resurrection and restoration of the Sun. The Holy Roman Church simply ascribed the resurrection to Christ, also known as the Son, who is also described in biblical terms as "the Light." Even the way in which "Easter" is arrived at is Pagan in origin, calculated from the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Equinox. That is, of course, unless a full moon falls on that date; at which time, the Easter sabbath falls on the following Sunday. While they were forced by an unchangeable astronomical event into keeping the essential date of the original Pagan Sabbat, it seems that having the Holy Easter Sabbath on a full moon was simply too much for the Church to abide!
Ostara is the beginning of the fertility festivals. Buds begin to push their way through the earth to reach the strengthening sun's light; animals in the wild feel the ancient instinct to breed; the energies of Nature shift subtly from the torpor of Winter to the exuberant activity of Spring. It is a time of new beginnings, of action, of saying goodbye to the old and making room for the new. We can see this urge reflected in our lives even today. We talk of "Spring cleaning" and "In Spring, a young man's fancy turns to..."; the desire to run the greening fields (or, in our world, walk the parks, fish, and other outdoor activities) vies urgently with the obligation of our workday routines, often resulting in "sick leave days" and spur-of-the-moment "personal days" where the real excuse is "Spring Fever."
Symbols of this holiday include eggs, rabbits, and flowers of all kinds. Modern secular activities such as the dying of Easter Eggs are remnants of ancient Pagan traditions. The Anglo-Saxons painted eggs with their hopes and dreams and presented them as a gift to Eostre. These eggs were then buried in the Earth, so that the Earth-Mother would know dreams of her children, in hopes that She would see fit to help them realize their desires. This practice predates Christianity by approximately 1000 years.
Rabbits (hares) were the companions of Eostre, and she is still often pictured with a hare by Her side. Because of their well-acknowledged reproductive ability, they are the perfect compliments to the start of a fertility-based season.
In many cultures, the Goddess was known not only as the Goddess of Fertility, but also as the Goddess of Grain. Therefore, special cakes and breads were baked and given to Her in offering. This tradition remained, long after the original reasons were lost, and we still see people baking special Easter breads and cakes today.
Other foods traditional to this season include those made of seeds, as well as pine nuts. Also, green leafy vegetables and sprouts are equally appropiate. Some groups create special dishes made of flowers, such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes.
Activities appropriate to celebrate the day include those listed above, as well as randomly collecting wildflowers on a walk through the woods, or buying a mixed bouquet from a florist. The flowers you choose will often reveal your inner thoughts and emotions, and their meanings to you can be divined through books, pendulum, and your intuition.
Some groups set the seeds they'll soon be planting within the sacred Circle of their Ostara rituals. In this way, either a special charging ritual can be done for the seeds, or the seeds can simply absorb the energy of the Circle. They can then be planted safely after the next full moon.
Ritual cleaning is often done, though usually in the secular vein today. It seems people are driven by the need to throw open the windows to our homes and force out all the stale, winter air. Many of us clean the house from top to bottom; sweeping every nook and cranny from ceiling to floor; cleaning out cabinets and drawers, and scrubbing them, too. Often, many choose this time of year to change the liners in drawers, or to put away the winter bedding in favor of the lighter-weight summer linen. Heavy winter clothes are washed, folded, and put away and the lighter weight spring and summer clothes find their way into our closets.
This same mundane ritual of household cleaning can be applied to our inner selves, as well. Use Ostara to clean out all the mental cobwebs and to throw away all the old, negative modes of thought. Throw open the doors to your mind, heart, and soul and let the gentle breezes of Ostara breathe new hope and the vigor of youth into your newly awakening life.
Ostara ritual for solitaries
1.For this ritual, you'll want to decorate your altar with symbols of the season. Think about all the colors you see in nature at this time of year -- bright daffodils, crocuses, plump tulips, green shoots -- and incorporate them into your altar. This is also a time of fertility in the natural world -- the egg is the perfect representation of this aspect of the season. Symbols of young animals such as lambs, chicks, and calves are also great altar adornments for Ostara.
2.In addition, you'll need the following:
•Three candles -- one yellow, one green, and one purple
•A bowl of milk
•A small bowl of honey or sugar
Perform this ritual outside if at all possible, in the early morning as the sun rises. It's spring, so it may be a bit chilly, but it's a good time to reconnect with the earth. If your tradition normally requires you to cast a circle, do so now.
3.Begin by taking a moment to focus on the air around you. Inhale deeply, and see if you can smell the change in the seasons. Depending on where you live, the air may have an earthy aroma, or a rainy one, or even smell like green grass. Sense the shift in energy as the Wheel of the Year has turned. Light the green candle, to symbolize the blossoming earth. As you light it, say:
The Wheel of the Year turns once more,
and the vernal equinox arrives.
Light and dark are equal,
and the soil begins to change.
The earth awakes from its slumber,
and new life springs forth once more.
4.Next, light the yellow candle, representing the sun. As you do so, say:
The sun draws ever closer to us,
greeting the earth with its welcoming rays.
Light and dark are equal,
and the sky fills with light and warmth.
The sun warms the land beneath our feet,
and gives life to all in its path.
5.Finally, light the purple candle. This one represents the Divine in our lives -- whether you call it a god or a goddess, whether you identify it by name or simply as a universal life force, this is the candle which stands for all the things we do not know, all those things we cannot understand, but that are the sacred in our daily lives. As you light this candle, focus on the Divine around and within you. Say:
6.Spring has come! For this, we are thankful!
The Divine is present all around,
in the cool fall of a rain storm,
in the tiny buds of a flower,
in the down of a newborn chick,
in the fertile fields waiting to be planted,
in the sky above us,
and in the earth below us.
We thank the universe* for all it has to offer us, (*you can change universe with any spring God and Goddess names)
and are so blessed to be alive on this day.
Welcome, life! Welcome, light! Welcome, spring!
7.Take a moment and meditate on the three flames before you and what they symbolize. Consider your own place within these three things -- the earth, the sun, and the Divine. How do you fit into the grand scheme of things? How do you find balance between light and dark in your own life?
Finally, blend the milk and honey together, mixing gently. Pour it onto the ground around your altar space as an offering to the earth**. As you do, you may wish to say something like: (**If you are performing the ritual indoors, take the milk and honey outdoors to pour)
I make this offering to the earth,
As thanks for the many blessings I have received,
And those I shall some day receive.
8.Once you have made your offering, stand for a minute facing your altar. Feel the cool earth beneath your feet, and the sun on your face. Take in every sensation of this moment, and know that you are in a perfect place of balance between light and dark, winter and summer, warmth and cold -- a time of polarity and harmony.
When you are ready, end the ritual.
Ostara ritual for groups
Notes
The altar is set in the center of the room on a low round table draped in green. At the center of the altar is the flower cone, a simple wicker structure about a meter high and half a meter in diameter topped with a white candle. Around the base of the cone are placed small seed packets wrapped in spring patterned fabric and tied with ribbon. Gold & Silver candles (Goddess & God) as well as painted eggs, feathers and items to be charged surround the seeds.
HP stands for High Priest and HPS stands for High Priestess
At the four quarters on the alter are green hand-dipped beeswax tapers, unlit (they don't have to be hand dipped). Between the tapers are quarter-circles of egg shaped votives, 6 between each taper, also unlit. The center top candle will be lit before people arrive for the ritual.
Chairs are arranged in a circle. Just outside the perimeter of the circle, at each quarter, candleholders sit on small draped tables. Music will be playing as people arrive. We will have asked everyone to bring a few flowers or greenery with stems from their home, to be collected in wicker baskets at the door as people arrive. Programs will be handed out at the door. Tables will be set up for the 'cakes and ale' portion of the program.
Drumming signals the beginning of the ritual.
Drumming ends. HPS comes to the Center.
HPS
Welcome to the Spring Equinox Celebration. As we cast our Circle, please stand as we call the quarters.
The circle is cast. (Our HP improvised and was quite impressive)
As each quarter is called, caller lights the appropriate taper from the center and lights three eggs on each side of the taper direction. Then she/he turns and calls the quarter, and takes the taper to the perimeter of the circle, placing the taper in the candleholder outside the circle.
From the East come the winds that carry the seed.
Spirits of East be here Now!
From the South comes the sun, kindling the life of the seed.
Spirits of South be here Now!
From the West comes the water that swells the sprout.
Spirits of West be here Now!
From the North comes the Earth that nourishes the plant.
Spirits of North be here Now!
HPS - Center / God / Goddess Invocation (also improvised). Gold & Silver candles are lit directly from the center.
East quarter:
Earth Mother, Star Mother
You who are called by a thousand names
May all remember - We are cells in your body
And dance together
South quarter:
You are the grain and the loaf
That sustains us each day,
and as you are patient with our struggles to learn
So shall we be patient with ourselves and each other
West quarter:
We are radiant light and sacred dark
- the Balance -
You are the embrace that heartens
And the freedom beyond fear
North quarter:
Within you we are born, we grow, live, and die
You bring us around the circle to rebirth
Within us you dance
Forever!
Crone: Short explanation of the significance of the vernal equinox.
Chant: Into the Silence of the Night
HPS: Childrens' story: Persephone
HP: Introduction to the Flower cone.
To symbolize the promise of Spring, we have arranged on the alter a cone of crab-apple cuttings. The cone shape represents power and focus. At its base are packets of wild-flower seeds. These seeds can represent our hopes for the coming time of warmth. Surrounding the cone are candles in the shape of eggs. Eggs are symbols of new life and hope.
Four children offer baskets of flowers around the circle
HP takes a flower from each basket and places them to start.
We welcome you now to take some flowers and greens from the baskets. Starting in the East, please come forward, a few at a time and place them into the cone. As you do, please visualize something you'd like to grow this spring. Something in your garden? A relationship? Perhaps a special project? As the cone is filled with dreams of fruition, the seeds are charged with energy. After all have placed flowers, we will dance to the coming Spring.
Dancer: Introduction to the spiral dance, including the significance of the spiral.
Singer: Runs through chant Spiralling Into the Center
Dancer: Leads once through the spiral, leading all back into a circle. Walk in circle until home. Signals drumming to end.
HP: Invite people to take a seed packet.
We'd like to invite you to come forward and take a seed packet now filled with your energy. Take them and grow your vision.
HPS: Grounds; Dismisses Quarters, snuff candles; Opens Circle.
Baked goods, Fruit, Tea & Coffee
Drumming with dancing and merriment!!!