Ostara

*Southern Hemisphere Date: September 23rd
*Northern Hemisphere Date: March 21st

*Origins: Pronounced Oh-star-ah, and named after an ancient virgin Germanic Goddess of Spring, it is also called The Spring or Vernal Equinox, the Festival of Trees, Alban Eilir, or the Rites of Spring, and occurs between March 19 and 21 and marks the first day of true Spring. Day and night are of equal length on this day.

The Goddess covers the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God grows to maturity. He walks the greening fields and enjoys the abundance of nature. The lighting of new fires at dawn is performed for the promise of renewed life, and protection of the harvest. Eggs were gathered and used for the creation of talismans and also eaten during rituals. Today the Easter Egg hunt is a derivitive of ancient practice of collecting different bird's eggs for ritual.

It is now a time to sow spells for your future. At this time all things, life and death, masculine and feminine, dark and light are in balence. Now is the time for self examination, to do those things required to establish an equibilibrium in our lives.

Symbols of Ostara include seeds, eggs and rabbits. Any leafy green vegetable, foods made with seeds, are appropriate. Pine nuts are placed on the alter.

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