Ostara, The Spring Equinox ~ The Beginner’s Guide To The Wheel Of The Year

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Ostara, The Spring Equinox ~ The Beginner’s Guide To The Wheel Of The Year

March 20, 2013 by Lily Wight

Updated 19/03/2015

Ostara (Old High German) or Ēostre (Old English) falls upon 20th March. It is one of eight ancient Wheel Of The Year festivals denoting seasonal shifts.

Ostara marks The Vernal (meaning “youthful”) Equinox: the height of Spring.

Daylight and darkness are balanced at The Equinox, prior to the lengthening of days: a period sometimes referred to as Lent. It is a time to celebrate fecundity and growth.

Ostara is named for an ancient Germanic goddess and the month that bears her name; Ôstarmânoth, now April.

Ostara is a dawn goddess associated to the Greek Eos and the Roman Aurora. She represents the resurrection of light following the death of Winter.

Ostara’s totem animal is the hare: a symbol of fertility dating back to prehistoric times. The hare was admired for its enthusiastic mating rituals and it’s associations to moon goddesses and the female reproductive cycle.

Eggs are an ancient symbol of renewal, fertility and life-force. They can be decorated to represent the wishes we hope will manifest in the coming summer.

Eggs were used to play a number of festival games such as treasure hunts, races and relays (our modern egg and spoon race).

Ostara is a solar festival so bonfires, hearth fires and candles can also be lit.

The daffodil or “harbinger of Spring” is the traditional flower of the Ostara festival.

Lily Wight’s Complete Guide to The Wheel of The Year

Posted in Wheel of The Year | Tagged Easter, Easter Egg, Events, History, Inspiration, Lent, Life, Mad March Hare, Nature, Ostara, Pagan, Photography, Religion, Spirituality, Spring Equinox, Vernal Equinox, Wheel Of The Year, Wicca, Ēostre | 11 Comments

11 Responses

on March 21, 2013 at 9:06 am | Reply bluebutterfliesandme

Another fantastic post. Happy Spring Lily. My middle name is Sue which means lily, did you know that? lol I purchased some daffodils today.

✿ღ✿ღ.¸¸ღ♫*¨`*•..¸ƸӜƷ ✿ღ ✫❀
Sindy

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- on March 21, 2013 at 8:25 pm | Reply Lily Wight
  
  Oh yes, I had a friend called Susan at school and I remember looking through name books – it was a popular thing to do.
  I went out to buy daffodils but the only ones on offer were a bit sorry looking (the weather is still so damp and cold). I shall try again tomorrow – and console myself by ramming chocolate eggs in my mouth x
  
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  - on March 21, 2013 at 9:58 pm | Reply bluebutterfliesandme
    
    Yum for a chocolate eggs. Here is wishing you all across the pond lovely Spring days soon~
    ☆ ♥
    *`•.¸(¯`•♥•´¯)¸.•♥ ☆ ♥•
    ☆ º ` `•.¸.•☆ ´
    Sindy
    
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on March 21, 2013 at 6:04 pm | Reply Felice Ostara o felice equinozio di primavera | Lifestyle

[…] Ostara, Spring Equinox ~ The Beginner’s Guide To The Wheel Of The Year (lilywight.com) […]

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on May 1, 2013 at 6:31 pm | Reply Beltane ~ The Beginner’s Guide To The Wheel Of The Year | Lily Wight

[…] Ostara (Spring Equinox) […]

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on June 20, 2013 at 6:03 pm | Reply Litha, The Summer Solstice ~ The Beginner’s Guide To The Wheel Of The Year | Lily Wight

[…] Ostara, The Spring Equinox ~ The Beginner’s Guide To The Wheel Of The Year […]

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on March 15, 2014 at 11:17 am | Reply Lily Wight

Reblogged this on Lily Wight.

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on March 15, 2014 at 12:18 pm | Reply hocuspocus13

Reblogged this on hocuspocus13.

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on March 15, 2014 at 2:02 pm | Reply Clairsentient1

Reblogged this on Beacon of Aquarius.

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on March 15, 2014 at 3:08 pm | Reply neptune's Aura Astrology

Reblogged this on neptune's aura astrology and commented:
Spring Equinox will always belong to Taurus, Long live the Goddess in all her forms

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on March 19, 2015 at 4:12 pm | Reply The Beginner’s Guide To Ostara | Lily Wight

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