Spring Equinox...Also called Vernal Equinox and Ostara
Circa 21st March in the Northern hemisphere and circa 21st September in the Southern Hemisphere
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A time of balance when day and night are equal length. From now till Autumn Equinox the days will be longer than the nights. We are stepping into the light, fertile, creative part of the year. Energy is moving from the inner depths of the winter world to the outer manifestation of the creative conscious world. Dreams and plans made in the quieter times are now coming to fruition.
The song of Goddess at Ostara
I am the warmth of Spring.
My light brings forth abundant growth.
I hold this time of balance, when night and day are equal.
Come to Me with your desires and dreams
And I will draw them into reality.
Step into the light of My golden rays.
Feel My presence.
I am perfect creation’.
This is a wonderful happy festival! Spring has come! We have survived the cold winter months! A time to celebrate that the earth is warming and new life is beginning to show! Eostre (or Oestre) is the Germanic Goddess closely associated with this season. It is interesting to note that the Her name is the root of many medical terms relating to fertility such as 'oestrus' ( the fertile time in an animal's sexual cycle) and also oestrogen (the female hormone that stimulates ovulation).
The Maiden Goddess of spring brings light, fertility and potential. This potential is symbolized by the egg...and she is often depicted carrying a basket of eggs.
There are many lovely traditions involving the decorating of eggs to celebrate the season.
You can blow an egg by piercing it at both ends and break the yolk inside using a large needle or skewer. Then with a straw blow through one whole (you have to blow quite hard!) and the egg will come out of the other whole (don't forget to catch it in a bowl for later use!). Then wash the egg shell carefully, dry it and now you can paint it with colours and symbols or words that are significant to you. There are many symbols of balance that you might like to include in your decoration including the spiral, the Celtic cross and the triple spiral (triskelion). While the paint is drying write a prayer, intention, hope, dream or gratitude on a small piece of paper, roll it tightly and post it into the shell. Now thread a thin string or ribbon through the holes making a knot at the bottom or tie a matchstick to the string to stop it being pulled through. Take your egg, now filled with your prayer, and hang it somewhere special dedicating it to the Goddess of Spring.
If you are not an egg eater then you can make your egg out of papier mache.
The hare too is closely associated with Spring Equinox. Also a symbol of fertility as she can conceive whilst already pregnant. We see hares 'boxing' in the fields, chasing in wild exuberant courtship dances.... mad March hares! Hare embodies the female spirit of the land - intuitive, wild and free. She runs with the energy of the season!
The following is a excerpt from my book 'Luna Moon Hare'
She nestles down into the soft new grass. A calm stillness comes over her and in that silence she has a strange feeling that she has been here before. Luna falls asleep and dreams of fire and dragons! She is woken by a chorus of birds; each seems to be trying to out-sing the other! She stretches and looks around her. There are clumps of Primroses and Luna feels happy and full of energy! She kicks out with her hind legs and springs around madly.
“Hello, you mad March hare!”
Luna stops in her tracks. She looks up to see a primrose veiled young woman smiling at her. She is carrying a basket filled with eggs and has the tenderness of new green leaves. She giggles and says sweetly.
“It’s good to see that you are full of the joys of spring! I am Eostre and your journey has brought you here to Ostara. It is the Spring Equinox. Night and day are the same lengths. From now on, the days will be longer than the nights. The earth is warming and waking up.”
Eostre begins to skip joyfully around the meadow. Luna follows her, leaping and bounding. They skip and leap. They dance and prance. Round and round, happily, dizzily … dreams and promises … vitality and joy. As they swirl, through the chattering, twittering song of the birds, Luna hears Eostre’s laughing voice calling. “I bring new life and the wheel turns.”
