Ostara is yet another pagan holiday that christians converted to their own to try convince people to change religion. Paganism was just too popular for them to compete so they stole half our things so it would be familiar - although they shifted the dates a little.
But Ostara should be a time of celebration not tantrums, so lets talk about the positive side of it.
Ostara. The spring equinox. The middle of spring.
Now, to tell the truth, ostara actually falls on March 21 - the christians pushed the date of easter into april -, but I've been asking around and alot of pagans push it and celebrate it on 'easter' instead, because it is more convenient; the holidays are here, and chocolate eggs are on sale.
So lets go through some ways to celebrate this wonderful, lovely (yet terribly frustrating) holiday:
> Spring is the time of growing plants, so many pagans plant vegetable gardens. However, that's not possible for everyone - especially people living in apartment buildings - so another thing you can plant is goals. Set yourself a goal you want to achieve by the time next spring comes around - perhaps you want to save up money, or change job, or keep your garden alive -, whatever it is, now is the time to focus on it. If you're still shaky about that, then just start something new, a drawing, diary, a diet.
> Egg Painting. This is where easter eggs came from. It is a traditional activity because eggs represent fertility - new life. So boil yourself an egg and pull out the paints.
> If you have kids or young ones - or are a young one - go on an easter egg hunt.
> Some people light fires in the light of the new sun in hope of bringing luck and protection to their home, so thats another activity you can try,
> Do a ritual. It is a very common thing amoung pagans to participate in a ritual and perhaps make an offering to the goddess.
> You can also just say a prayer if you want, at your alter. Make sure you decorate with ostara correspondences though, and put some eggs on your altar.
> Stones/Gems: Jasper, amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone and red jasper.
> Incense: African violet, jasmine, rose, sage and strawberry
> Herbs/Flowers: Honeysuckle, Iris, Peony, Violet, Woodruff, Gorse, Olive, Iris, Narcissus, Daffodils, Jonquils, Primrose, Forsythia, Crocus, all spring flowers, pine tree
> Colors: Green, Yellow
> Symbols & Decorations: four leaf clover, baskets, eggs, lambs, flowers, chicks, bunnies, budding twigs, flowers, pussy willows, sprouting bulbs, colored ribbons
> Foods: jelly eggs (jelly beans), chocolates, lamb, eggs, seeds, leafy green vegetables, spiced or flower cupcakes, fruits, hot cross buns, sprouts, honey cakes, unleavened bread
So there you have it. Everything Ostara (for the northern hemisphere). I'm very sorry to those of you in the southern hemisphere, I know it's autumn right now, but I can't cover them both at the moment. Don't worry though, I will work on getting it up. I'm actualy writting this on a full moon. Please comment and tell if you did anything in celebration of the full moon!
D.R.
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