Cyber Cauldron

As the wheel keeps turn we move towards the vernal equinox the point where day and night are equal (give or take) and our thought turn to planting new crops for the on coming harvests.

Ēostre or Ostara is as the Venerable Bede said the origin of the word is actually from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring. Eostre is a very obscure Goddess, and uniquely Anglo-Saxon Heathen. She is not mentioned at all in the Norse corpus, and there are only fleetingly in the Old English by Bede in De Temporum Rationale. Some scholars have even conjectured that she may not have even been a goddess but rather just the Germanic name for the celebration that took place around the time of Vernal equinox.

It is must also be noted that Typically, the Celtic peoples did not celebrate Ostara as a holiday, although they were in tune with the changing of the seasons.

It can be assured well as much as it can be, Eostre is Teutonic in its origin as Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility was known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos.” Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: “eastre.”

Since we know that the wheel of the year is made up and cobbled together by Gardener I am sure sometime with a bit of humour. I feel that Gardener Choose to call vernal equinox Ēostre or Ostara, as it is very similar to Easter and in some way claiming a Christian festival as having pagan roots as with Yule and Christmas.

[1]According to Bede, Eostre was the Saxon version of the Germanic goddess Ostara. Her feast day was held on the full moon following the vernal equinox — almost the identical calculation as for the Christian Easter in the west.

The symbology of Easter and Ēostre or Ostara are similar but one thing that has to be brought to mind is Ēostre or Ostara (Ostara feast day see [1]) is a fixed festival based on the position of the sun where Easter is a movable feast based on moon position and phase. Easter like Ēostre or Ostara come from Germanic words so share commonalties. Although their commonalties between Christian and pagan these come from other pagan passed such as Mithras and Horus. The story of the Roman god, Mithras, is similar to the tale of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Born at the winter solstice and resurrected in the spring, with Horus there are many many more similarities.

It does not matter what you call the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere it a time for renewal and rebirth. A busy time of planting and new life stock being born and balance or at the very least thing returning into balance within nature.

Also this is the time for mating and high sexual tensions and creativity each country would have their own festivals and own goddess of the spring and appropriate festivities many including eggs a common symbol and hares sacred to the goddess Freya both of which are symbols of fertility the egg because it holds life and the hare because of the rampant sex drive. (In medieval societies in Europe, the March hare was viewed as a major fertility symbol — this is a species of rabbit that is nocturnal most of the year, but in March when mating season begins, there are bunnies everywhere all day long. The female of the species is super-fecund and can conceive a second litter while still pregnant with a first. As if that wasn’t enough, the males tend to get frustrated when rebuffed by their mates, and bounce around erratically when discouraged. This bouncing gives us the saying as mad as a March hare).

Modern pagans Celebrate vernal equinox by acting out the roles of Spring God and Goddess, playing out courtship and symbolically planting seeds. Egg races, egg hunts, egg eating and egg painting

Although the Wiccan wheel of the Year celebrates Ēostre or Ostara at the vernal equinox other pagan paths will follow their own goddess and own festivals some of the goddess invoked during the vernal equinox include

• Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus
• Ashtoreth from ancient Israel
• Astarte from ancient Greece
• Demeter from Mycenae
• Hathor from ancient Egypt
• Ishtar from Assyria
• Kali, from India

To name but a very few.

It is important to note that the northern hemisphere’s vernal equinox is in March while its autumnal equinox is in September. In contrast, the southern hemisphere’s vernal equinox is in September and its autumnal equinox is in March.

Related articles

• Basic Practices and Beliefs in Wicca (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• What is Wicca – The Path of the Goddess (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• Lunar and solar goddess’s Lesson three (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• What is a Pagan and Paganism? (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• New to Paganism and Wicca? Here Are a Few Tips (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• Never again! The law is on our side (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• Lammas The First Harvest (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• The Pagan Jesus – Did Jesus Come From Pagan Religions? (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• Goddess’s of death and rebirth (cybercauldron.co.uk)
• Unintentional Injuries and Ostara (acroan.com)

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