About
Ostara is the modern pagan name for the spring equinox, one of the eight sabbats of the Wheel of the Year, a twentieth-century framework that not every tradition uses. The name draws on Bede's brief eighth-century note that the English month of Ēosturmōnaþ was named after a goddess, Ēostre, and on Jacob Grimm's later reconstruction of a German Ostara. Very little is known of any ancient worship, but the festival gathers up long-standing folk customs of eggs, hares and spring flowers.
Customs
- Decorating and hiding eggs
- Planting seeds or sowing a windowsill garden
- Gathering spring flowers such as primroses and daffodils
- Taking a dawn walk to greet the lengthening days
- Balancing light and dark with a moment of reflection
Food
- Eggs
- Honey cakes
- Hot cross buns or sweet spiced bread
- Spring greens and fresh herbs
- Recipe: Ostara honey cakes 40 minutes
A simple ritual
- Decorate an egg with natural dyes or paint, thinking of something you want to hatch.
- Plant a seed in a pot and water it.
- Light a candle safely and give thanks for the returning light.
- Name one thing you wish to bring into balance in your life.
- Put out the candle and place the egg on your shrine or table until it is eaten.
Never leave candles or fires unattended, and keep them away from pets and children.
Who is honoured
- Iðunn Keeper of the apples of youth
- Jörð The Earth, mother of Thor
- Persephone Queen of the underworld and the returning spring