ostara or the spring equinox

Ostara marks the beginning of the growing period. The dark, cold days are giving way to light as the Sun returns. From this point until the Midsummer Solstice the hours of daylight gradually increase flooding the world with life energy. Now is the season of manifestation as unions of all kinds merge to create new life. This is the time when the energy of the universe transfers from Spirit into Matter bringing what is within to manifest without. For just as the sun is reborn at Yule, so is the earth reborn at Ostara. “Almost every civilized race held feasts at the time of the Vernal Equinox, in honour of the Passover or Cross-over of the Sun,” writes John Denham Parsons in The Non-Christian Cross. Our modern national holiday is named after one of these ancient goddesses of Springtime. So it's not surprising that Easter symbols are the hare and egg.

According to the the Catholic Encyclopedia. "The term Easter relates to Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of the rising light of day and spring (Simrock, Mythol., 362). Eostre, Ostara, or Astarte is the Goddess of the dawn in Germanic paganism. 7th century English monk Bede wrote that the English Pagans called April "Eosturmona” or the Month of Eostre. Eostre is a fertility goddess, the goddess of dawn and light associated with the rising sun and direction East.Spring is here and is flooding the Earth with life energy.

Witness the magick. Hold a Spring observation. Depending upon where you live, different things are occurring as Nature’s tide floods with energy for growth. Winter may just be loosening its grip, ice melting in wet mud puddles, the crocuses rising in spots of color. The trees unfurling budding leaves as sap begins to run. Perhaps you live in a warmer climate and the ground is already green with new grass and brilliantly colored wildflowers. Step outside and observe. Go for a walk and mindfully witness this change of seasons. Let your spirit wake to the magick awakening in the Earth. Become a part of the celebration, a witness to the arrival of Spring as nature renews and recharges the world with life.

Ostara is also known as the Spring Equinox.

The name equinox comes from Latin words aequus and nox which means ‘equal night’. This solar celebration marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator creating a day in which the hours of light and the hours of darkness are equal. The cold, hungry, darkness of winter is behind us, before us bounty, warmth, and light. Just after this point daylight lengthens to become longer than darkness and grows stronger by the day.

Meditation to Shed the Restraints of Winter

This is a time of awakening, a time for growth and renewal. Close your eyes and come to center. Turn your awareness to the energy of life all around you. Breathe deep and draw the energy in. Let it fuel the spark within. Feel the energy of your blood come alive. See yourself shedding your winter-cold habits as you step into the transformative energy of Spring.

Embrace the energy of the season with a change in diet, shifting it from hearty fare to living foods. Choose vegetables, greens, and sprouts and seeds to refuel your energy and renew your life force with the flood of spring energy. Adopt a more active lifestyle. Work a form of daily exercise into your schedule.