Spring is the budding time, and Gaia is donning Her soft green mantle. Warm sap, like life’s blood rises and flows thru the trees and buds begin to break. Perhaps a few hardy spring flowers are starting to push up bravely thru the muddy, moist soil and will grace us with their vibrant colors – much appreciated after winter’s grays and browns. It is a time of growth, of possibility, of resurrection, renewal and rebirth. During this emergent stage of the year the whole world seems more active, the earth energy seems to vibrate a little higher, a little lighter and just a bit quicker paced now. New life can be found sprouting, burgeoning everywhere. If you take a deep, cleansing breath on a spring day you can positively taste the freshness in the air. There is an almost tangible sense of the unlimited potential for dreams to be born and realized…for miracles of all kinds to occur; for they do, all the time.
The vernal equinox is the first official day of spring. Observance of spring’s return has occurred throughout history under many names: the Druid’s Alban Eilir, (light of the earth), the Persian celebration of NawRuz (new day), Lady Day, elements of the Jewish feast of Purim, ancient Roman Bacchanalia, Christian Easter, and as Ostara, the latter being the name we shall use.
Ostara was originally a fertility festival in honor of spring’s awakening. The name comes from a somewhat obscure Germanic Goddess and means “movement towards the rising sun”. She is the maiden of growing light, the dawn, and of springtime, and Her name may also be related to the Greek dawn Goddess, Eos. Ostara is also known by a Saxon name, Eostre or Eostar, meaning “light in the east”. Aside from lending Her name to the holiday of Easter, it is also thought to be from Eostre that the word estrus is derived, which describes the phase of time when female species of mammals are receptive and able to conceive…and this also happens to be where we get the name for the female reproductive hormone estrogen. Suffice is to say, a prevalent theme that runs through Ostara is that of fertility. So, it is quite apropos that the rabbit, or hare, acts as an emblem for this holiday, for fairly obvious reasons!
Aside from being a fertility symbol, rabbits represent the earth and were thought to be able to travel between the world of the living and the underworld. During this time of awakening from winter’s slumber many myths around the world tell of the previous autumnal descent and then joyous homecoming of a god or goddess, who brings the returning warmth of spring with them.
Throughout these last months of winter we drew inward, we too descended, as if snuggled deep in our own rabbit warren. Now it is a time to look outward, to awaken after hibernation, to shed our winter coats -- both on a physical & spiritual plane, to peel off the layers like a snake sheds it’s old outgrown skin. This is an opportunity to make way for the new, to continue the creative energy spawned at Imbolc. It is a time for the seeds of prosperity and abundance to be sown in the fertile soil of our spring-gladdened hearts, for the promise of bounty to come.
Many symbols and correspondences are relevant to spring celebrations, but perhaps none is more closely associated with this time of year as the egg. Wild birds of all kinds are nesting now, a sure sign of spring’s triumphant return. More than merely a signal of spring’s rebirth, eggs are a symbol of new life. All manner of creature begins from a simple egg; insects lay eggs…reptiles…the ovum contained in the ovaries of a female mammal are also known as eggs. Eggs can represent the very universe itself as in the mythological cosmic egg. Nothing encapsulates, literally and figuratively, the marvel of pure potentiality better than a seemingly unassuming little egg. It’s all there: new life waiting to be initiated, evolving, developing, transforming, then tentatively cracking open a constraining shell, hatching, yet just a little hesitant to leave the safety of a cloistered world behind. Finally, emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon, awkward and fledgling at first, but then…slowly wings unfurling…a long magnificent stretch at the dawn of incarnation --ready to embark on a wondrous new journey!
Eggs represent the ultimate beginning, the first spark of life waiting to manifest. They are perfect little holistic packages designed to contain nothing less then the awesome power of creation. They are fragile, yes, but let this be a lesson to us in how precious the miracle of each our lives truly is…how we should handle ourselves and each other with care, be gentle spirits, for we too are containers of awesome miracles.
Now, there is an often-perpetuated myth that abounds this time of year regarding eggs. It is frequently suggested that only on the Vernal Equinox can you get an egg to “stand up” or balance on its end. I’m sorry to shatter anyone’s illusions, but this is merely the rural equivalent of an urban legend. An egg can be stood on its end any time of year. This feat depends solely on the individual egg and the level of human patience applied.
However, it does seem fitting that a connection is made between eggs and balance, for another common theme of Ostara is balance. From the day after the Vernal Equinox onward the hours of sunlight will be ever increasingly longer than those of darkness until we reach the Summer Solstice. But on the Equinox itself the hours of light and dark stand poised in almost perfect equilibrium for just a brief moment in time. This graceful balancing act of light and dark is fleeting, but can serve as a reminder for us to examine other points of duality in our lives. I know many of us, myself included, are striving for balance, trying to exist in a more congruent way. This idea of seeking balance is not about the achievement of some state of perfect stability – for that is impossible, and boring! It is about continually making the attempt to strike a balance, to keep all the different parts of our lives in perspective. The rewards & benefits come from the process itself, from living in a conscious and sincere manner.
To pursue a life in more harmonious balance is an art, like a dance. There is the push and pull of everyday living, the rhythm and pulse of trying to keep step with life’s ups and downs, of meeting demands and embracing pleasure. Each stride can be a fluid motion or sharp staccato step and everyone hears a different tune. Erratic tempos can send us twirling – but how glorious to spin with abandon! The ecstasy of being empowered and free, of giving ourselves over to the irresistible and enticing draw of dancing our own dance is pure magick.
Still, as we spin, if we don’t keep our eyes focused on a single point we might become dizzy and fall – losing our innate sense of equilibrium, disrupting the dance. Yet conversely, to stand still in the corner is to ignore the melody, the beautiful cadence, and the throbbing beat of life itself. So, it is that single point, that focus that makes staying on one’s feet possible yet allows us to dance & sway to whatever music we may hear…oh, and there is such beautiful music to be heard! For many of us that point, that focus-spot, is our faith and our sense of spirituality. Grounded in the rhythms of the earth we find our balancing rod, our ballet bar. The divine, in whatever way perceived, is the ultimate partner for the magnificent sacred dance of life.
So, kick up your heels and cut loose, hop for joy and give in to that spring fever. Times like these call for a strong tonic, something to heal the winter weary soul and restore balance to the system. I can think of nothing more fitting than to dance a wild dance, to spread your wings and revel in the deep, innate spiritual grace that we all possess.
The vernal equinox is the first official day of spring. Observance of spring’s return has occurred throughout history under many names: the Druid’s Alban Eilir, (light of the earth), the Persian celebration of NawRuz (new day), Lady Day, elements of the Jewish feast of Purim, ancient Roman Bacchanalia, Christian Easter, and as Ostara, the latter being the name we shall use.
Ostara was originally a fertility festival in honor of spring’s awakening. The name comes from a somewhat obscure Germanic Goddess and means “movement towards the rising sun”. She is the maiden of growing light, the dawn, and of springtime, and Her name may also be related to the Greek dawn Goddess, Eos. Ostara is also known by a Saxon name, Eostre or Eostar, meaning “light in the east”. Aside from lending Her name to the holiday of Easter, it is also thought to be from Eostre that the word estrus is derived, which describes the phase of time when female species of mammals are receptive and able to conceive…and this also happens to be where we get the name for the female reproductive hormone estrogen. Suffice is to say, a prevalent theme that runs through Ostara is that of fertility. So, it is quite apropos that the rabbit, or hare, acts as an emblem for this holiday, for fairly obvious reasons!
Aside from being a fertility symbol, rabbits represent the earth and were thought to be able to travel between the world of the living and the underworld. During this time of awakening from winter’s slumber many myths around the world tell of the previous autumnal descent and then joyous homecoming of a god or goddess, who brings the returning warmth of spring with them.
Throughout these last months of winter we drew inward, we too descended, as if snuggled deep in our own rabbit warren. Now it is a time to look outward, to awaken after hibernation, to shed our winter coats -- both on a physical & spiritual plane, to peel off the layers like a snake sheds it’s old outgrown skin. This is an opportunity to make way for the new, to continue the creative energy spawned at Imbolc. It is a time for the seeds of prosperity and abundance to be sown in the fertile soil of our spring-gladdened hearts, for the promise of bounty to come.
Many symbols and correspondences are relevant to spring celebrations, but perhaps none is more closely associated with this time of year as the egg. Wild birds of all kinds are nesting now, a sure sign of spring’s triumphant return. More than merely a signal of spring’s rebirth, eggs are a symbol of new life. All manner of creature begins from a simple egg; insects lay eggs…reptiles…the ovum contained in the ovaries of a female mammal are also known as eggs. Eggs can represent the very universe itself as in the mythological cosmic egg. Nothing encapsulates, literally and figuratively, the marvel of pure potentiality better than a seemingly unassuming little egg. It’s all there: new life waiting to be initiated, evolving, developing, transforming, then tentatively cracking open a constraining shell, hatching, yet just a little hesitant to leave the safety of a cloistered world behind. Finally, emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon, awkward and fledgling at first, but then…slowly wings unfurling…a long magnificent stretch at the dawn of incarnation --ready to embark on a wondrous new journey!Eggs represent the ultimate beginning, the first spark of life waiting to manifest. They are perfect little holistic packages designed to contain nothing less then the awesome power of creation. They are fragile, yes, but let this be a lesson to us in how precious the miracle of each our lives truly is…how we should handle ourselves and each other with care, be gentle spirits, for we too are containers of awesome miracles.
Now, there is an often-perpetuated myth that abounds this time of year regarding eggs. It is frequently suggested that only on the Vernal Equinox can you get an egg to “stand up” or balance on its end. I’m sorry to shatter anyone’s illusions, but this is merely the rural equivalent of an urban legend. An egg can be stood on its end any time of year. This feat depends solely on the individual egg and the level of human patience applied.
However, it does seem fitting that a connection is made between eggs and balance, for another common theme of Ostara is balance. From the day after the Vernal Equinox onward the hours of sunlight will be ever increasingly longer than those of darkness until we reach the Summer Solstice. But on the Equinox itself the hours of light and dark stand poised in almost perfect equilibrium for just a brief moment in time. This graceful balancing act of light and dark is fleeting, but can serve as a reminder for us to examine other points of duality in our lives. I know many of us, myself included, are striving for balance, trying to exist in a more congruent way. This idea of seeking balance is not about the achievement of some state of perfect stability – for that is impossible, and boring! It is about continually making the attempt to strike a balance, to keep all the different parts of our lives in perspective. The rewards & benefits come from the process itself, from living in a conscious and sincere manner.
To pursue a life in more harmonious balance is an art, like a dance. There is the push and pull of everyday living, the rhythm and pulse of trying to keep step with life’s ups and downs, of meeting demands and embracing pleasure. Each stride can be a fluid motion or sharp staccato step and everyone hears a different tune. Erratic tempos can send us twirling – but how glorious to spin with abandon! The ecstasy of being empowered and free, of giving ourselves over to the irresistible and enticing draw of dancing our own dance is pure magick.Still, as we spin, if we don’t keep our eyes focused on a single point we might become dizzy and fall – losing our innate sense of equilibrium, disrupting the dance. Yet conversely, to stand still in the corner is to ignore the melody, the beautiful cadence, and the throbbing beat of life itself. So, it is that single point, that focus that makes staying on one’s feet possible yet allows us to dance & sway to whatever music we may hear…oh, and there is such beautiful music to be heard! For many of us that point, that focus-spot, is our faith and our sense of spirituality. Grounded in the rhythms of the earth we find our balancing rod, our ballet bar. The divine, in whatever way perceived, is the ultimate partner for the magnificent sacred dance of life.
So, kick up your heels and cut loose, hop for joy and give in to that spring fever. Times like these call for a strong tonic, something to heal the winter weary soul and restore balance to the system. I can think of nothing more fitting than to dance a wild dance, to spread your wings and revel in the deep, innate spiritual grace that we all possess.
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