Circa March 21st Lesser Sabbat
Channelling and Manual by Farhad Najafi
The Pagan calendar is based on the Celtic 'Wheel of the Year'. This calendar is closely attuned to the natural rhythms and cycles of nature and the passing seasons and the eight points in the year are seen as having specific significance - these are the Sabbats.
The modern Gregorian calendar is dotted with holidays and festivals celebrating notable events in history or honouring some event of religious significance. However, nature has no knowledge of these man-made dates - the trees do not drop their leaves because of the month, sheep do not lamb according to the dates on a calendar and the tortoise does not go into hibernation because the date is right. All of these things are influenced by daylight hours and temperature, which change as the Earth travels in its elliptical orbit of the sun - the seasons.
As the earth traverses its path around the sun, there are points which give rise to special phenomena. The Equinoxes are the points when both daylight and darkness are of equal length. One occurs in the spring (the Spring or Vernal Equinox) and the other occurs six months later and is known as the Autumn Equinox. These two events divide the Pagan calendar into two equal halves.
Ostara, one of the Lesser Sabbats, is the Spring or Vernal equinox when days and nights are once again equal in length. It is the time of renewal and rebirth when nature springs into life with a promise of the bounty yet to come over the following months and a time of budding fertility and abundance. The God and Goddess are in perfect harmony before the Goddess slowly gives way to the energy of the God. Ostara is the time when the seeds of the God are planted within the Goddess to be reborn at Yule.
The name Ostara is believed to be derived from Eostre - the Teutonic lunar Goddess. Her chief symbols are the hare, which represents fertility (thus the expression 'breeding like bunnies') and the egg, which is a symbol of rebirth. The egg itself is believed to be very symbolic with the golden yolk representing the God and the white of the egg representing the Goddess, both parts making a single whole.
The painting of eggs - which is still a tradition followed today - is believed to have its roots in ancient pagan customs associated with the Goddess of fertility. Eggs were gathered and used as talisman to ensure a bountiful crop and eaten during ritual feasts. The eggs were gathered from many different nests with many different colours, and it is probably this custom that gives rise to the painting of eggs at Easter today.
The term Spring Cleaning is again borrowed from ancient Pagan tradition. Spring is a time of new life, vigour and renewal, a time to shake off the starkness of the winter, to celebrate its survival and to welcome and prepare for the bounty of harvests. The Pagan tradition was to rid their homes of any negative energy harboured from the long hard winter by scrubbing and cleaning in a clockwise motion. This action filled the home with positive energy and vigour. Many observe it today with no real knowledge of its origin, just a need to replace shut-in stagnant air with fresh, clean air full of vitality.
Ostara in a Nutshell Northern Hemisphere: March 21 Southern Hemisphere: Sept 21 Spring Equinox, Lady Day
Traditions: colouring eggs, decorating with flowers.
Correspondences: jasmine, daffodil, lotus, new spring flowers.
Included is orb of life attunement and 1 digital PDF manual delivered electronically by link
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