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 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:54 am
March 19-21st
The date varies yearly "It is believed that the name Ostara comes from the Germanic Goddess Oestara. Oestara is the Goddess of Fertility. From this day forth, the Sun will be giving its growing energies to most all items on Earth. The first indications of Spring, and her green fields, are now appearing. At Spring Equinox (Ostara), light and dark are in complete balance and from this day forward the scales will tip in favor of the Sun."www.amysticalgrove.com (site no longer works)
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:39 pm
Ostara Information
Ostara is pronounced Oh-star-ah, it is also known as the Spring Equinox. It is one of the four Lesser AKA Minor Sabbats of the year.
~Ostara marks the day when night and day are equal and balanced.
~On Ostara we honor the Goddess. This is a time to rejoice, celebrate and dance.
~Winter has passed and you have survived the harshness of the darker days, life beings anew this day. This is a time to plant the sees of our flower, herb, vegtable and spiritual gardens.
~Most rituals at this Sabbat emphasize blessings and laying of plans. All seeds that are to be used for garden purposes should be blessed on this day for a fruitful "harvest". The hardy seeds can be planted after blessing.
~On a personal note, we should make plans for our own personal growth...be it Love, happiness, wealth, and the like. Many of these plans are the ones that were written our or memorized at Yule. These plans should now be reavaluated and finalized.
www.amysticalgrove.com
(site does not work, last 2 posts)
~At this time of the year the Lord and Lady are seen as young and innocent. The Lord is seen as a growing youth as well.
~Ostara is sometimes called "Lady Day," this holiday represents the return of fertility to the land. The holiday finds more influence through the Nordic, Greek, and Roman deities than anything else.
Did You Know:
~That the symbol of Ostara is the egg and the sacred animal is the rabbit.
~That Ostara is the Norse Goddess of fertility.
~That eggs have been a symbol of renewed life and fertility since the time of ancient Egyptians and Persians. Both cultures people dyed eggs and ate them in honr of the returning spring.
~If you can celebrate at the exact moment of the vernal equinox you can balance a raw egg on one end because of the change in the Earth's tilt.
~In some Wiccan traditions, for one week prior to this date, each Witch should take into account all the injustices they have done to their families and friends. The individaul writes down his or her negative acts and, throughout the week, must seek to create balance with those whom they have injured through aplogy, paying back past due loans, et cetera. On the night of the circle the Witch brings the list, with what the Witch has done to Karmically right each problem, into the celebration. In ritual the Witch burns the paper, wiping clean his or her Karmic slate.
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:42 pm
Ostara Correspondences
AKA:
Ostre, Oestre, Eostre, Rites of Spring, Eostra's Day, Lady Day, First Day of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Alban Eiler, Bacchanalia
Animals/Mythical beings:
unicorn, merpeople, pegasus, rabbit/easter bunny, chicks, swallows, snakes
Gemstones:
rose quartz, moonstone, amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone, red jasper
Incense/Oil:
african violet, lotus, jasmine, rose, magnolia, sage lavender, narcissus, ginger, broom, strawberry
Colors/Candles:
gold, light green, grass green, robin's egg blue, lemon yellow, pale pink, anything pastel
Tools/Symbols/Decorations:
colored eggs, baskets, green clothes, shamrock, equilateral cross, butterfly, cocoons, sprouting plants; violets, lily, spring wildflowers, new clothes, lamb, hare/rabbit
Goddesses:
Eostre (Saxon Goddess of Fertility), Ostara (the German Goddess of Fertility) (Teutonic)Kore, Maiden, Isis, Astarte (Persia, GrecoRoman), Ishtar(Babylonian), Minerva (Roman), Youthful Goddesses. Faerie Queen, Lady of the Lake (Welsh-Cornish), the Green Goddess
Gods:
Hare, Green Man, Youthful Gods, Warrior Gods, Taliesin, Lord of the Greenwood (English), Dagda (Irish), Cernunnos (Greco-Celtic), Pan (Greek), Adonis (Greek)
Essence:
strength, birthing, completion, power, love, sexuality, embodiment of spirit, fertility, opening, beginning
Dynamics/Meaning:
the God comes of age, sexual union of the Lord & Lady, sprouting, greening, balance of light and dark
Purpose:
plant and animal fertility, sowing
Rituals/Magicks:
spellcrafting, invention, new growth, new projects, seed blessing
Customs:
wearing green, new clothes, celtic bird festival, egg baskets coloring eggs, collecting birds eggs, bird watching, egg hunts, starting new projects, spring planting
Foods:
light foods, fish, maple sugar candies, hot crossed buns, sweet breads, hard boiled eggs, honey cakes, seasonal fruits, milk punch, egg drinks
Herbs:
acorns, celandine, tansy,cinquefoil, crocus, daffodil, dogwood, Irish moss, ginger, honeysuckle, iris, jasmine, rose, hyssop, linden, strawberry, violets
Element/Gender:
air/male (solar)
Threshold:
dawnList courtesy of:
http://katybugdidit.tripod.com/id21.html
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:43 pm
Ostara Ritual
Preparation:
For decorating the altar use dyed eggs and pink and green ribbons or streamers. Prepare the altar with the God and Goddess candles and the supplies for casting the circle. Include a soil-filled cauldron, a sword, a small shovel, a small pot, a few seeds of your favorite flower or herb, a Corn Dolly, and a Grape Dolly. The Corn Dolly should be dressed in white. The Grape Dolly should be dressed in green. The cauldron should be placed in front of the altar.
(I am pretty sure you can use other types of "dollies" if you cannot get a Grape Dolly and a Corn Dolly)
Begin by casting the circle. Then Say:
"Here I am on this day, Ostara, Lady Day, Rite of Eostre, the Vernal Equinox, and the first day of the planting season. I am here to understand life, death, and rebirth, and to give reverence to those who have endured each."
Bow your head to think about how Ostara fits in one of the three groups above and how it fits in the Wheel of the Year. Then Say:
"I stand at the gate between the living and the dead on this night when both light and dark are equal. I am here to witness the union of my Goddess, Mother Earth, the waxing Lady of the Moon, and of our God, Green Man, the waxing Lord of the Sun. Conception. . . a necessary transition on the Wheel of the Year."
Lay the Dollies next to each other on the pillow. Then Say:
"Now is the time of the Great Rite between the beloved Maiden, one of the three faces of my Goddess, and her consort, the beloved Sun King, one of the three faces of my God. I watch as the Goddess is impregnated by the God with the seeds of conception."
Unite the blade of the sword with the depth of the cauldron symbolizing the Great Rite. Leave the sword standing. Hold the God candle and mingles the flame with the Goddess candle. Replace these on the altar and set them closer than they were before. Then Say:
"The Elder Gods wish to bestow upon us the gift of knowledge. Thus they shall speak."
Hold the Grape Dolly and Corn Dolly up high, one in each hand. Then Say:
"These wise words are their gifts. "There is a time for ever purpose under the heavens above. Now is the time to sow that which will be reaped come fall and winter. Now is the time of the conception of the Divine Child which is necessary to keep the Wheel of the Year turning. As I plant these seeds of child and harvest, each dependant upon the other, the Wheel of the Year turns, the land also ready to take to it seeds. It is now your time to begin your sowing of seeds, material, spiritual, and symbolic, to ready you for the coming seasons.
So mote it be. !"
Place the Dollies closer to each other on the pillow. Then Say:
"The Gods have shown me the way. Now, on this day of Ostara, at this time of planting and beginning, I shall sow my own seeds for the coming seasons."
Use the small shovel to transfer soil from the cauldron to the small pot.
As you are plating the seeds, you should be thinking about your goals as though they were the seeds.
You can now conclude the ritual. And Say:
"May these newly planted seeds, material, spiritual, and symbolic, bring to me plentiful fruits and bounties."
Close the circle.
Serve yourself hard boiled eggs, honey cakes, and egg nog.
You can leave the cauldron and sword on the altar until Beltane to remind you of the seeds sewn on this day. Also leave plastic colored eggs to remind you of the conception of the Divine Child.Ritual Courtesy of:
http://www.jaguarmoon.org/public/Wheel/Ostara/Ritual.html Check out the other rituals on that page, they are fairly simple to do.
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:44 pm
Ostara Recipes
Not all recipes here are meant for consumption
Ostara Incense Recipe
2 Parts Frankincense
1 Part Benzoin
1 Part Dragon's Blood
1/2 Part Nutmeg
1/2 part Violet flowers
(or few drops violet oil)
1/2 Part Orange peel
1/2 Part Rose petals
Chop all fresh ingredients into small pieces, then grind all ingredients together until a fine paste. Burn upon lit charcoal blocks in a fire proof container.
Fresh Herb Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, unsalted
2 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
2 tablespoon fresh chervil, minced
2 tablespoon lemon sorrel leaves, minced
2 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 cup celery ribs - finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
Salt and Pepper
1 pinch sugar
4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
Dash freshly ground nutmeg
Grated cheddar cheese
Mix ingrediants like you would any other soup, and enjoy!
Egg Drop Broth
2-14 oz Cans Chicken Broth (or home made chicken broth if available)
2 Large Eggs
Put the eggs into a bowl and using a fork, whisk them, as if making scrambled eggs.
In a medium soup pan, bring the Chicken Broth to a boil. Slowly pour the whisked eggs into the broth, stirring constantly. Once all the eggs have been incorporated, continue to stir for an addition 30 to 45 seconds and then remove the soup from the heat source and it's ready to serve.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spiritwolf/ostara.htm
(site still works)
Spring Sabbat Incense
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Sandalwood
1 part Benzoin
1 part Cinnamon
a few drops Patchouli oil
Burn during spring and summer Sabbat rituals.
Spinach (or Broccoli) Quiche
1 9-in pie crust, unbaked
3 eggs, beaten
8 oz pkg of Swiss cheese slices
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
dash pepper
1 c milk
dash nutmeg
1 small onion, sliced and sauted lightly
10 oz pkg frozen spinach (chopped) or broccoli, cooked and drained
Cut cheese in strips. Toss with flour. In pie crust, alternate layers of onion, spinach (or broccoli) and cheese, ending with cheese layer. Mix milk, eggs, and spices. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
Ostara Oil
2 parts frankincense
1 part benzoil
1 part dragon's blood
1/2 part nutmeg
1/2 part violet
1/2 part orange
1/2 part rose
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/tigris/567/id70.htm
(site still works)
"Be Sweet" Honey Cakes
1/2 cup Riesling wine
1 large egg
2/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Cooking oil
For dipping:
1 cup honey
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Instructions:
Beat the wine and egg in a bowl. In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Add flour to the mixture in other bowl. Mix until well-blended. Let stand for 30 minutes. Combine the honey and nutmeg in a small bowl for dipping.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet until hot, but not smoking. Drop batter into oil 1 tablespoon at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip in honey/nutmeg mix.
Yield: 6 cakes
Source: Wood & Seefeldt, The Wicca Cookbook
Use for: Ostara, Beltane
Candied Flowers
Petals from any edible flower
Several well-beaten egg whites
Vanilla extract
Bowl of granulated sugar
Instructions:
Mix a few drops of vanilla into the egg whites. Dip a paintbrush in the egg whites and coat the petals. Dip petals into sugar until coated, then spread on wax paper to dry.
Please be advised that you cannot use flowers bought at a florist for this recipe!! Many commercially-bought flowers contain pesticides and it is not worth it to ingest poison. Please obtain all flowers from organic retailers or from home-grown sources.
These flowers may be safely eaten and are suggested for this recipe: Allium, angelica, apricot blossom, apple blossom, bachelor button, bean blossom, begonia, calendula, carnation, chrysanthemum, clover, crab apple, dandelion, day lily, dianthus, gardenia, geranium, ginger, gladiola, hibiscus, hollyhock, honeysuckle, hyacinth, jasmine, johnny jump-up, lavender, lilac, lily, marigold (the calendula type only), monarda, nasturtium, orange blossom, pansy, peach blossom, pear blossom, peony, plum blossom, primrose, rose, snapdragon, squash blossom, strawberry blossom, tulip, viola, violet, and yucca.
Source: McCoy, Ostara
Use for: Ostara
Vareneky
This is similar to a perogie
Dough:
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon oil
Filling:
1/2 pound sharp cheese, shredded
2 cups mashed potatoes
Instructions:
Heat 3 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt in large pan. Mix flour, egg, salt, milk, and oil until sticky dough emerges. Roll out dough on floured board 1/4 inch thick. Cut into circles. Combine cheese, mashed potatoes. Fill centers of dough circles with filling, 1-2 tablespoons. Wet edges of dough, fold in half. Pinch together to seal. Drop into simmering water; cook for 10 minutes. Remove and drain, then fry in butter until brown.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Source: Telesco, A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook
Use for: Ostara, Beltane
http://2witchesblog.wordpress.com/2007/03/17/recipes-for-ostara-spring-and-even-easter/
(site still works)Check out the site, it a few recipes, and if you search well enough you might find recipes for each sabbat.
Solid Chocolate Eggs
1 lb of plain ,white or milk chocolate,
4 eggs
With a needle pierce a tiny hole in each end of an egg, and blow out the contents. Enlarge one end to take a small piping nozzle and wash out the egg. when dry put a peice of tape over the smaller pin hole. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering hot water. Spoon the melted chocolate into a nylon piping bag fitted with the small nozzle and pipe the chocolate into the eggs till full swirling from time to time to remove air bubbles, leave eggs overnight to harden, carefully peel off egg shell and decorate.
Chocolate Egg Found at Poleadra's Kitchen PoleadrasKitchen@groups.msn.com
A MSN Group
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:45 pm
Ostara Activities/Crafts
~decorate eggs
~egg hunt
~begin a magical herb garden
~make hot cross buns to honor the union of earth and sun , mark the x with your boline and bless them
~toss crushed egg shellls in the garden and say 'for fairy for flower for herbs in the bower these shells pass fertility with springtime flowers '
~wear green clothes
~eat an egg you have empowered with a quality you desire ...
~make a plant special to you and study it as it grows
~take a nature walk observe the signs of spring, make notes, and sketch
~plant a tree, herb or flower garden ,or start seeding trays
~join an enviromental project,or start your own
~spring clean
~light a black and white candles to honour the equal balance of light and dark.
~give potted plants as gifts instead of eggs
~hang bird feeders and place out water to welcome returning winter birds
~decorate your home with spring bought flowers ,dont pick the wild.
~begin your imbolic projects
instead of painting eggs,gather tiny flower petals ferns grasses etc, dip in water and press onto hard boiled egg, place in a cut up mesh tight twisted at top , lower into dye. when dry remove and patern will remain, finish by rubbing with a tiny bit of vegtble oil on a soft cloth to shine.
wishing egg
make a small hole at pointer endof egg, and larger at the other, blow through small end and remove insides, rinse under cold water, dye and decorate egg, add to the insides through the larger end, glitter, herbs, tissue, and seal together with glue. at ostara break on favorite tree and make a wish
(oomancy) diviation by egg
seperate egg white from yolk, drop the egg white into hot water and divine from the shape.
draw /paint sprouting flowers on a egg and bury in the gargen to encourage plant growth.
A grow charm egg
take a hard boiled egg, decorate with symbols or write the qualities you would like to grow in yourself, empower it, then eat it, place the crushed shells outside for the fae.
Making Cascarones
Did being hit over the head ever seem like a blessing to you? It would if you lived in the American Southwest, where the Latino people have adapted a lovely Easter egg custom with Pagan origins into thier spring celebrations. They bless you by knocking you in the head with special eggs known as cascarones. They are eggshells that have been collected for many many weeks prior to Easter and carefully hollowed out. They are then decorated and filled with a variety of substances that will shower over their recipients when cracked over their heads.
Common Cascarone fillers include confetti, lavender, sage, perfumed herbs, and flour or cornmeal.
Though the idea now is more one of playfulness, it was once a very real tool for making magic and offering the blessings of the equinox to others.
Items you will need to make your own cascarones include eggs and some clear carton-sealing tape.
You will also need bowls to catch the inside of the eggs as you hollow out the shells; colourful items with which to fill out the empty shells. A small kitchen funnel can also be useful to have on hand.
Start by emptying the eggs. Make a small hole in both ends of the egg andm with the narrow end down, gently blow the contents into the waiting bowl. Wash out the empty shells with cold water and let dry. Paint and decorate the shells before filling them. The filling is done by taping up the smallest hole and using a small funnel in the larger hole to channel your desired contents into the egg. Be careful not to fill the shell more than three-quarters full or it will not break well and could be solid enough to hurt the recipient of your attention! When full, seal the other end with clear tape and store in a cool, dry place until Ostara morning.
Wishing Egg Tree
this is based on the traditional easter egg tree of Germany and Austria, which they have to decorate inside and outside their homes over the easter period..
You will need 'blown eggs' that you have decorated , make them colourful, or for a more natural theme have them decorated with leaves flowers etc. useing thin colored ribbon or plaited embrodery thread, glue into a hanging hoop on the top. For the tree you need branches (ask tree first) or use a tree in the garden. The branches can be left natural or sprayed. If using branches any container can be used ranging from terracotta pots, baskets, buckets ,even vases with pebbles inside, depending on size you want. soil or florist foam is used for pushing and standing up the branches. To use as a wishing tree bless the tree ,then everyone hangs the egg they have decorated on the tree as they make a wish, or, make a simple small plant pot tree to place on the altar.
Egg candles
ideal for your altar or as gifts.
make a small opening at top of a uncooked egg with a nail, empty contents, rinse well and leave to dry completly. When dry, place in a small container that will hold it upright, and catch any spilage. Melt down household candles white or colored, do this by melting slowly in a Double pan or useing two pans one inside the other, useing a funnel, pour the melted wax which will look clear into the egg until it is completly full, add a string wick, securing with a peice of tape until set. When hardened remove and shell, warm the base to soften and flatten on a hard surface so it can stand.
For variations, add glitter to wax, layer in differant colors by allowing each layer to harden. Add leaves for a botanical theme.Found in Poleadra's Kitchen -- PoleadrasKitchen@groups.msn.com
A MSN Group
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:46 pm
Ostara Chants/Prayers/Blessings
Dancing With Hecate
Gracious Maiden, will you guide us with your light?
My Hecate, holy lady of the night
We call out to thee of air earth and sea
Faces of three -- Hecate
Skin hair muscle and bone, maiden mother and crone
Water fire air stone maiden mother and crone
You are never alone maiden mother and crone
Looking at the unknown maiden mother and crone
Gentle mother bringing life up from the dawn
Fierce Hecate famous bringer of the storm
Your magick inside, powers abide
Our loved ones and friends, the dance never ends
Ever standing at the crossroads in my life
Amidst sacrifice and happiness and strife
We call out to thee of air earth and sea
Your faces are three -- Hecate
Lord of the Dance
Lord of the dance, Heart of the flame
Seen in a trance, We call out your name
Son husband and father to our triple Queen
It's an honor to meet you, to know what you mean
The Squire the Knight, bedecked and adorned
Danced with the Maiden as their bond was formed
In shining armor or sweat, paint and skin
Pleasure and fun, always striving to win
I next met the Father, a pearl without price
He knows of true love and he knows of sacrifice
Some battles he has lost, but the war he has won
Carries his burdens for his daughters and sons
The sage stood nearby, his staff in his hands
Looking backwards and forwards, reviewing his plans
A lifetime's experience, a head full of wisdom
You can learn at his feet, just sit still and listen to the
Lord of the dance, Heart of the flame
Seen in a trance, We call out your name
Uruk
Chant:
Brick by Brick, stone by stone, we build Uruk, it is our home
Chant:
Inanna, Inanna, child of the Moon God
Spoken:
On her smooth brow she paints fire beams and fearsome glint
Fastens carnelian, blood red and glowing around her throat
And then her hand clasps the seven-headed mace
Steps, yes, she steps her narrow foot on the furred back of a wild lapis lazuli bull
And she goes out, white sparked, radiant
In the dark vault of the evening sky
Star-steps in the street through the Gate of Wonder.
Chant:
I, Innanna, circling the sky, circling the Earth
I, the Lady, circling the sky, circling the Earth
The Ishtar Pomp
Hail to Ishtar, Hail to Ishtar, Lady of the Largest Heart.http://www.musicforthegoddess.com/lyricshome.htm#dwh
(site still works)Most of the chants listed above are parts of songs, that have been used as chants
A Chant to honor the Trees
Trees are very important to Witches, and indeed important to us all. They are the lungs of the Earth, purifying the very air we breathe as they shade us and protect us.
When nights and days are balanced and halved,
The ancient Oaks sprout life anew.
Limbs of buds and leaves reach out
Collecting the breath of the mornings' dew
Summer will come and the Winter winds,
Turning and turning the leaves on their stems.
Then they must fall, but now in the spring
the twig is bound, and the Bud remains.
Hang the leaf from sturdy limb
Of Oak or Maple, or Ash, or Elm,
Praise the Oak God, the tree is him!
Thus will the trees live long and well.Found at
AussieWiccans BOS AussiewiccansBOS@groups.msn.com
A MSN Group
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:26 am
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:45 pm
For the Goddess, would not Persepohne, Demeter, and Circe be added as well, the first two from Greek and the other from Roman for new life and such?
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