The vernal equinox has arrived! In other words, spring has sprung with the marking of Ostara on March 21st. It's officially the season of rebirth and renewal as the first bright yellow daffodils start to pop their heads out of the sleeping ground. The birds are returning from their winter vacation in warmer climates and will be busy making their nests to welcome their new families.
This vernal equinox has a long history steeped in magick and myth. In early pagan times, the goddess Eostre was the Saxon version of Ostara. Eostre's feast day was celebrated at the full moon immediately following the spring vernal equinox. This day coincides with the Christian Easter. Legend has it that Eostre found a wounded bird in the last of the winter snow. In order to safe it, she turned it into a rabbit, but the transformation was not complete. Therefore, the rabbit was able to lay eggs like a bird. The hare then decorated the eggs to leave as an offering for Eostre in thanks for saving its life.
There are many religions around the world who recognize dieties that are associated with the spring equinox or Ostara. One of them is the Norse goddess called Freya who is known as being the goddess of fertility. It is said that when she returns in the spring, it is to restore life to the earth. Wearing a necklace called a Brisingamen which represents the sun, Freya is frequently called upon to assist with marriage or childbirth.
Because modern Pagans consider Ostara a time of rebirth, some of the ways it is celebrated is by honoring nature in its returning splendor. It's a time of balance between the dark and the light, with evidence of new life all around us. Some ways to celebrate Ostara are walking in nature, preparing your soil for the upcoming planting season, taking time to observe all the life emerging around you, and meditate in the grass.
I hope you each are able to take the time to walk outside, listen to the birds, smell the fresh flowers and touch the softness of the newly emerging grass.
