Ostara

March 21 -- Ostara -- Spring or The Vernal Equinox
Also known as: Lady Day or Alban Eiler (Druidic)


As Spring reaches its midpoint, night and day stand in perfect balance, with light on the increase. The young Sun God now celebrates a hierogamy (sacred marriage) with the young Maiden Goddess, who conceives. In nine months, she will again become the Great Mother. It is a time of great fertility, new growth, and newborn animals.

The next full moon (a time of increased births) is called the Ostara and is sacred to Eostre the Saxon Lunar Goddess of fertility (from whence we get the word estrogen, whose two symbols were the egg and the rabbit.

The Christian religion adopted these emblems for Easter which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The theme of the conception of the Goddess was adapted as the Feast of the Annunciation, occurring on the alternative fixed calendar date of March 25 Old Lady Day, the earlier date of the equinox. Lady Day may also refer to other goddesses (such as Venus and Aphrodite), many of whom have festivals celebrated at this time.

Traditional Foods:
Leafy green vegetables, Dairy foods, Nuts such as Pumpkin, Sunflower and Pine. Flower Dishes and Sprouts.

Herbs and Flowers:
Daffodil, Jonquils, Woodruff, Violet, Gorse, Olive, Peony, Iris, Narcissus and all spring flowers.

Incense:
Jasmine, Rose, Strawberry, Floral of any type.

Sacred Gemstone:
Jasper

Special Activities:
Planting seeds or starting a Magickal Herb Garden. Taking a long walk in nature with no intent other than reflecting on the Magick of nature and our Great Mother and her bounty.

No rituals found!

Ostara Recipes

  Seeds, pine nuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc.

green leafy vegetables
 

Poppy Seed Cheese Bread

1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup biscuit mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 TBSP poppy seeds

Combine
1/2 cheese and all biscut mix in bowl
Add milk and stir until moistened pat dough
Combine remaining cheese, egg and onion and spread over biscuit dough
Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes
 

Violet Salad

1TBSP raspberry vinegar
1TBSP minced Shallot
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp chicken stock, vegetable for vegetarians
1 1/2 tsp virgin olive oil
1/2 lb mixed greens washed
1/4 cup violet blossoms
1/4 cup wild strawberries (optional)
Combine vinegar, shallot, mustard and some pepper in a small bowl.  Let stand 5 minutes
Whisk in stock then oil.  Toss greens with dressings,  top with violets and strawberries and serve immediately.