- 1 (12-oz) can frozen raspberry juice
- 2 cups apricot nectar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Almonds and cherries for garnish
- blueberries: dunk eggs in strong tea (simmer 15 minutes) of crushed berries and juice. They result in a powdery, periwinkle to purple color.
- onion skins: wrap eggs in skins and steep in hot water (in which more skins have been simmered for 15 minutes) from 3 to 20 minutes. Results in mottled effect of pale yellow to gold, while simple steeping in onion skin tea creates a matte effect, not mottled
- beets: dunk eggs in two cups of a strong tea of beets (simmered in water for fifteen minutes) mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar for a few seconds to a few minutes. Results in pale pink to deep rosy red, depending on the time
- red cabbage: shred red cabbage and cook eggs covered and nestled inside.
- 4 whole dandelion buds
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 marigold blossoms, chopped
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup cream or milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
"Of violets and lavender, take a few
Ostara: the Spring Equinox, when the Earth has awakened. A green
time, when our tulips bloom and the cherry tree's buds burst open.
The Spring Equinox usually happens in the early morning. This
season's tree is the elder, a tree sacred to the Mother Goddess. It's
a custom to ask the elder tree permission for its wood before you cut
any, which can be seen in the extended Wiccan Rede: "Elder be the Lady's tree
The Spring Equinox is a time of growth and newness. Spring flowers,
like tulips and daffodils and daisies, begin to show up. There was an
amusing phenomena at my elementary school which I called the
"Daisy Wave": every spring, a veritable army of daisies would
take over the grass playfield, followed by the Dandelion Wave
and the Clover Wave.
"And Spring arose on the garden fair
As with all holidays, a recipe or two is a nice thing to have for
festivals and whatnot. This recipe was found in A Kitchen Witch's
Cookbook.
Enclose them of myrtle, of dark green hue.
Make them in a posy, small and round and bright
You may see your true love in dreams tonight.
If your love to you you'd bring
Hold these in your hand in Spring
Myrtle green and violets blue,
Then your love will come to you."
--Eostre love spell
Burn it not or cursed ye'll be."
Like the sprit of love felt everywhere
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
Rose from the dreams of its wint'ry rest.
The snowdrop and then the violet
Arose from the ground with warm rain wet
And their breath was mixed with sweet odour sent
From the turf, like the voice and the instrument."
--Percy Bysshe Shelley
Cherry Chill
Prepare the juice according to can directions. Mix the cherry juice, apricot nectar, sugar, and almond extract in a large bowl. Freeze until semi-solid. Tranfer the mixture to a blender or food processor; mix until very smooth. Pour into glasses. Garnish, if so desired, with a whole almond and a cherry.
The violet is the flower of march; legend has it that picking the first violet you see in the spring will bring you good luck.
My sister and I have a peculiar tradition of decorating the car with the first blossoms on our ornamental cherry trees. It's rather pretty, even if it does mean picking blossoms out of our teeth for the next week. Try using spring flowers that grow near you in your ritual; if you have enough of them, you can even use them to mark the circle.
Since this is a Sabbat associated with fertility, eggs are an important symbol. (As a child, I wondered what eggs and bunny rabbits have to do with the rising of Jesus. I never got a satisfactory answer, for that matter.) The reason rabbits are associated with Eostre is that rabbits multiply very quickly. And I do mean very quickly; I own a rabbit. Never buy a rabbit that the previous owner assures you has just "put on a little weight lately".
But back to eggs. The Easter tradition of dying eggs is also a part of Pagan tradition; plant dyes can turn eggs marvelous colors.
Plant dyes (info from Auramooth's Page):
Cook the usual time (about 12 minutes at a boil) and allow eggs to cool and remain covered overnight. Smash bits of cabbage into eggs for a mottled effect. Creates a pale lilac/pink.
By mixing the dyes, you can also create colors of peach, orange, sunflower, violet, magenta, dove gray, olive green, dusty turquoise, cornflower blue, sienna, orchid, mulberry, etc.
Eggs are also, as omelette lovers know, delicious. Particularly when scrambled with cheese and occasionally mushrooms.
Marigold and Dandelion Eggs
from A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook
Pick the dandelion buds when they are just about to open. Melt the butter in a frying pan over low heat. Saute the dandelions until they open wide. Beat the marigold, eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a small bowl. Pour over the dandelions, which will poke through. Cover; cook over low heat until the egg is set and dry on top. Fold in half. Yield: two servings.
Variation: For the same magical results without the flowers, substitute 1 cup diced cashew nuts, 1/4 teaspoon orange rind, and 1/4 cup diced, peeled onions.
It's important to honor Nature at this time. Try going outside, with shoes if you're squeamish about bugs, and just crouching down and examining the grass/flowers/moss for a few moments. See? It's not all dull green stuff. There's tiny world in the ground that's coming awake with Spring. Remember this, and do it every so often to keep in touch with the Earth. Pretend you're tying your shoe, if you're embarassed. Watch how the dewdrops cling to the underside of a blade of grass. See how moss looks rather a cactus, but is much nocer to step on. Look closely at a bud and at new green leaves.
Honor the Earth's awakening.
A Spring Prayer
Spring air,
--Patricia Telesco
Found in A Victorian Grimoire (a wonderful
book; I recommend it highly)
Rise with loving rains,
Greet the dawn o'er hills and plains,
Bring your song, pray come again.
Touch the dews with scents of myrrh,
Wings of peace in our hearts stir,
Ne'er cease your praise of Her.
