Welcome to Spring where the Wheel of The Year now rolls through the point of balance for the second time this year as we celebrate the occurrence of the Spring Equinox.
This is a blessed time of the year when the promise of fertility from Imbolc has burst forward into new life. Babies, saplings, sprouts, buds, and blossoms abound as the youthful Masculine energy of the God is complemented and balanced by the graceful, floral Feminine energy of the Goddess.
Light and dark are in equilibrium for a moment before the tilt towards the direction of the Sun. This festival is a solar festival but is equally balanced with Moon lore as well. To our ancient Northern Hemisphere ancestors, this occasion was honored as a 'Holy Day' to the Germanic / Teutonic / Saxon Lunar Goddess Ostara (also spelled Eostara) - the Goddess of Fertility and Spring from where the words East, Easter and Estrogen take their origin.
This was a very special time of the year for our ancient ancestors as the Earth warmed and fresh food became more abundant. Ostara is a time of planting, planning, hatching, birthing and rejoicing the end of the long cold winter. In many ancient traditions, this time was regarded as the start of the New Year.
Our pagan ancestors honored the Goddess Eostara so deeply that their worship of her was unshaken during the burning times. The Christians incorporated her holy day as their own and renamed it Easter! Her symbols were the rabbit or the hare (for fertility and because in ancient times, her worshippers often saw the image of a rabbit in the full moon) and the egg (representing creation). Another association of the egg to this Sabbat / Esbat is the symbol of balance with the golden yolk representing the Sun God enveloped in the white representing the Goddess.
The Spring Equinox holidays are dedicated to many great Goddesses around the globe: Ishtar / Astarte the Babylonian Goddess of morning and evening stars, Isis (Egyptian Goddess with the story of life, death and rebirth of her partner Osiris), the Greek Goddess Aphrodite welcomes the return of her lover Adonis in the spring, The Roman Goddess Flora (fertility Goddess) was venerated at this time with the festival Floralia, the Nordic Goddess Freyja (also a fertility Goddess) returns to the Earth after the winter with her beautiful necklace the Brisingamen (representing the fire of life) to restore the beautiful abundance of nature, the Virgin Mary is also honored at this time with her own feast day (The Annunciation) as well as her association at this time with the Christian festival of Easter.
The ancient Greeks celebrated this time as the reunion between the Goddess Demeter and her daughter, Kore (Persephone) the essence of spring, who was kept in the Underworld for half the year and upon her return, life is renewed and the earth once again flourishes with life.
Other names (among many) for this 'holy day' are; Eoastrae, Oestre, Alban Eiler, Esther, Eostre, Ostarun, Nawruz (Persian)and Ladies Day (from the Vernal equinox being associated with the moon and therefore being feminine).
Bunnies, Eggs, Fertility, Blossoming Spring, Hot Cross Buns and Babies... It all abounds this time of year!
For more down to Earth traditions and wise crafts visit www.ecolitecandles.com.au
Dana Harris is a light worker and the owner /creator of http://www.ecolitecandles.com.au. At EcoLite Candles, we are all about people helping each other create more harmonious ways to live with Mother Earth. Stop by for a visit sometime, we'd love to see you!
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