March 14, 2021
Ostara
On March 20 the spring equinox will occur - each year this day falls on 19, 20, or 21 March. This is Ostara, one of the eight festivals of the Wheel of the year.
This is a time of the spring cleaning, when the light overcomes the darkness and the earth gets its power back.
The day of Ostara is exactly 12 hours long.
The name of the festival originates from the name of the ancient Germanic goddess Ostara, who is also known as Eostre (it can be considered a younger incarnation of Frigg, the mother of gods).
Easter is also called after Ostara, which is natural, as long as this Christian holiday is based on the ancient pagan celebration.
Hare is one of the main symbols of Ostara. But that is not a usual hare - it carries the eggs. There is a legend, that once Eostre has found an injured bird and turned her into a hare to save her life. But something went wrong, and the hare was still carrying the eggs (in some versions it also had a pair of wings on it's back). It is a sacred animal of the spring and of the female Moon magic.
In Germany, there was a tradition of the hare hunt right before the Ostara.
The hares are also the symbol of the Spring equinox because around the middle-end of March they have a mating period - remember "mad as a March hare".
At the Ostara young goddess of the witches as a maiden walks on the earth, surrounded by elves, fairies, and the spirits of nature. Her beauty blossoms like the irises.
Everywhere the goddess steps the buds appear on the trees. She meets a young God in the form of the Green Man - the lord of the woods.
On the day of the spring equinox, the God and Goddess fall in love with each other, and nature comes to life.
There is a tradition of coloring eggs on Ostara. The egg is a symbol of the new life, rebirth, and fertility of the earth. And the egg yolk looks like the Sun.
The Ostara altar is often decorated with spring flowers - irises, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, crocuses - the flowers in the pots work best. Jasmine, violet, and viola are often used too.
Colored eggs are also important. You can color them with a marker pen, wax pencils, or anything else you have - just draw anything you want to get in the current year.
The colors of Ostara are pink, green, yellow, and blue - all are in pastel tones. Those are also the colors of the Ostara altar candles.
Stones of the festival are amethyst, pink quartz, crystal, and jasper.
Blessed Ostara!
Daria Martina
© Pandora Witch Shop