Ostara

Origin of the name

Ēostre (or Eostre, Ostara) was an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and dawn, mentioned by the medieval English chronicler Bede the Venerable (8th century) in his ecclesiastical history. According to Bede, the Anglo-Saxons celebrated her in the lunar month corresponding to April. The historical existence of Ēostre as actual ancient goddess is debated by modern Anglo-Saxon historians (some argue Bede may have been confused or exaggerated), but the name has stuck in the English-speaking culture and via early Christianity in the early Christian "Easter" festival.

In modern Wicca, Aidan Kelly in the 1970s adopted the name "Ostara" to designate the spring equinox sabbat — partly because the English Christian "Easter" (which falls near the spring equinox by the Christian liturgical calendar based precisely on this equinox + the next full moon) preserves the etymological memory of Eostre. The festival is therefore a recovery and Wiccan reformulation of the spring equinox, with the name of an Anglo-Saxon goddess of dubious historicity but symbolic-poetic strong.

Themes and symbols

Spiritual themes of Ostara: 1) Equal day-night balance — equinox of perfect balance between equal light and darkness; from this point on, days will be longer than nights until the summer solstice. 2) Awakening of nature after winter — first flowers, first leaves, first warm sun, return of birds. 3) Renewal and beginning of new cycles — perfect moment to start projects, plant intentions, dedicate to new growth. 4) Fertility — animal mating, the awakening of fertile soil; also metaphorical: creative fertility, spiritual fertility. 5) Childlike joy — Ostara is innocently joyful; festival of children, of games, of fresh and naive joy.

Traditional symbols: 1) Eggs — universal Mediterranean and Indo-European spring fertility symbol; egg-painting traditions are explicitly continued in modern Wicca AND in Christian Easter eggs. 2) Hare or rabbit — sacred animal of Eostre, symbol of fertility (rabbits proverbially fertile). The "Easter Bunny" of modern Easter is direct Christianisation of this pre-Christian fertility symbol. 3) Spring flowers — daffodil, tulip, daisy, primrose, hyacinth. 4) Pastel colours — pale yellow, pale pink, pale green, pale blue. 5) Seeds for literal planting AND metaphorical (intentions of new beginnings).

Celebrating Ostara today

1) Walk through nature observing the early spring (first flowers, first awakened buds). 2) Plant seeds — literal in pots or garden, AND symbolic (write your intentions for the productive cycle). 3) Decorate eggs — traditional craft of meditative work, you can give them as gifts to friends and family. 4) Spring balance — the perfect equinox invites self-reflection on life balance: where am I excessive? where am I deficient? 5) Spring cleaning of your home — physical cleansing AND energetic (smoke, fresh air, opening of all windows after the introspective winter). 6) Cooking with fresh seasonal foods — first asparagus, first young leaves, fresh sprouts, light vegetables. 7) Crowns of daffodils or springflowers — beautiful old tradition. The celebration is luminous, fresh, optimistic — perfect antidote after long winter.