By Patti Wigington
Say a blessing over your garden as you prepare it for spring.
The earth is cool and dark,
and far below, new life begins.
May the soil be blessed with fertility and abundance,
with rains of life-giving water,
with the heat of the sun,
with the energy of the raw earth.
May the soil be blessed
as the womb of the land becomes full and fruitful
to bring forth the garden anew.
By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide
Spring is the time of year when the cycle of life, death, and rebirth is complete. As plants bloom and new life returns, the theme of resurrection is ever present. As Ostara, the spring equinox, arrives, it’s the season for that which has gone dormant to become revitalized, alive, and reborn. This ritual includes a symbolic rebirthing — you can perform this rite either as a solitary, or as a part of a group ceremony.
The HPs greets the participant, and says:
Today is the time of the Spring equinox.
Ostara is a time of equal parts light and dark.
Spring has arrived, and it is a time of rebirth.
The planting season will soon begin, and
life will form once more within the earth.
As the earth welcomes new life and new beginnings,
so can we be reborn in the light and love of the gods*.
Do you, (name), wish to experience the rebirth of spring, and
step out of the darkness into the light?
With the blessings of the earth, and the life within the soil,
you are reborn in the eyes of the gods.
Next, the HPs takes the lit incense and passes it over the participant, saying:
With the blessings of air, may knowledge and wisdom
be brought to you upon the winds.
The HPs takes the burning candle and (carefully!) passes it over the participant, saying:
May the fire of the spring sun bring growth and harmony
into your life.
With the blessings of water, may the chill and darkness of winter,
be swept away by the warm spring rains.
Rise! Step forth out of the darkness, and climb into the light.
Awaken once more in the arms of the gods.
The High Priestess then welcomes the participant, saying:
You have stepped once more into the light,
and the gods welcome you.
By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide
Ostara is a time of balance. It is a time of equal parts light and dark. At Mabon, we have this same balance, but the light is leaving us. Today, six months later, it is returning. Spring has arrived, and with it comes hope and warmth. Deep within the cold earth, seeds are beginning to sprout. In the damp fields, the livestock are preparing to give birth. In the forest, under a canopy of newly sprouted leaves, the animals of the wild ready their dens for the arrival of their young. Spring is here.
For this ritual, you’ll want to decorate your altar with symbols of the season. Think about all the colors you see in nature at this time of year — bright daffodils, crocuses, plump tulips, green shoots — and incorporate them into your altar. This is also a time of fertility in the natural world — the egg is the perfect representation of this aspect of the season. Symbols of young animals such as lambs, chicks, and calves are also great altar adornments for Ostara.
In addition, you’ll need the following:
Perform this ritual outside if at all possible, in the early morning as the sun rises. It’s spring, so it may be a bit chilly, but it’s a good time to reconnect with the earth. If your tradition normally requires you to cast a circle, do so now.
Begin by taking a moment to focus on the air around you. Inhale deeply, and see if you can smell the change in the seasons. Depending on where you live, the air may have an earthy aroma, or a rainy one, or even smell like green grass. Sense the shift in energy as the Wheel of the Year has turned. Light the green candle, to symbolize the blossoming earth. As you light it, say:
The Wheel of the Year turns once more,
and the vernal equinox arrives.
Light and dark are equal,
and the soil begins to change.
The earth awakes from its slumber,
and new life springs forth once more.
Next, light the yellow candle, representing the sun. As you do so, say:
The sun draws ever closer to us,
greeting the earth with its welcoming rays.
Light and dark are equal,
and the sky fills with light and warmth.
The sun warms the land beneath our feet,
and gives life to all in its path.
Finally, light the purple candle. This one represents the Divine in our lives — whether you call it a god or a goddess, whether you identify it by name or simply as a universal life force, this is the candle which stands for all the things we do not know, all those things we cannot understand, but that are the sacred in our daily lives. As you light this candle, focus on the Divine around and within you. Say:
Spring has come! For this, we are thankful!
The Divine is present all around,
in the cool fall of a rain storm,
in the tiny buds of a flower,
in the down of a newborn chick,
in the fertile fields waiting to be planted,
in the sky above us,
and in the earth below us.
We thank the universe* for all it has to offer us,
and are so blessed to be alive on this day.
Welcome, life! Welcome, light! Welcome, spring!
Take a moment and meditate on the three flames before you and what they symbolize. Consider your own place within these three things — the earth, the sun, and the Divine. How do you fit into the grand scheme of things? How do you find balance between light and dark in your own life?
Finally, blend the milk and honey together, mixing gently. Pour it onto the ground around your altar space as an offering to the earth**. As you do, you may wish to say something like:
I make this offering to the earth,
As thanks for the many blessings I have received,
And those I shall some day receive.
Once you have made your offering, stand for a minute facing your altar. Feel the cool earth beneath your feet, and the sun on your face. Take in every sensation of this moment, and know that you are in a perfect place of balance between light and dark, winter and summer, warmth and cold — a time of polarity and harmony.
When you are ready, end the ritual.
By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide
It’s Ostara, and it’s a time of year in which many Wiccans and Pagans choose celebrate the balance of light and dark that heralds the beginning of spring. It’s a time to celebrate new life and rebirth — not only the physical embodiment of renewal, but the spiritual as well. Try some — or all — of these ideas to ready your altar for Ostara.
To get an idea of what colors are appropriate for spring, all you really have to do is look outside. Notice the yellows of the forsythia blooming behind your house, the pale purples of lilacs, the green of new leaves appearing in the melting snow. Pastels are often considered spring colors as well, so feel free to add some pinks and blues into the mix if the idea strikes you. Decorate your altar in any of these colors — try a pale green altar cloth with some purples and blues draped across it, and add some yellow or pink candles to carry the color up.
Altar decor should reflect the theme of the Sabbat. Ostara is a time of balance between light and dark, so symbols of this polarity can be used. Use a god and goddess statue, a white candle and a black one, a sun and moon, even a yin/yang symbol.
Ostara is also a time of new growth and life — add potted plants such as new crocuses, daffodils, lilies, and other magical spring flowers. This is the time of year when animals are bringing forth new life too — put a basket of eggs on your altar, or figures of new lambs, rabbits, calves, etc. Add a chalice of milk or honey — milk represents the lactating animals who have just given birth, and honey is long known as a symbol of abundance.
Calendar of the Moon
Ash Tree Month
Color: Pale Blue
Elements: Water and air
Altar: On a cloth of pale blue set a great bowl of salt water in which are set many shells and stones, a shell full of salt, incense, and the figures of sea-birds and fishes.
Offerings: Wash something clean, or air it out.
Daily Meal: Either fish or seafood, or poultry.
Nion/Anthesterion Invocation
Call: Now is the time of wind and water.
Response: Now is the time of sea and sky.
Call: Now is the time of the Gods of weather.
Response: Now is the time of the great waves.
Call: Now is the time of terrible flooding.
Response: Now is the time of needed rain.
Call: Now is the time of battering gales.
Response: Now is the time of winds of change.
Call: Now is the time of fear of change.
Response: Now, and always, change will win.
Call: The wild winds disturb our dreams.
Response: The wild winds awake our minds.
Call: The heavy rains flood our hearts.
Response: The heavy rains water our future.
Call: The sea will sweep us away.
Response: The sea will bear us up.
Call: The sea is cold and unending.
Response: The sea is the source of life.
Call: We are ships on the lost expanse of the ocean.
Response: We are winds that call to one another.
Call: We will brave the wind and water.
Response: We will bring together mind and heart.
Call: We will come home safely after wandering.
Response: We will anchor safely after our journeys.
Call: We will come through wind and water!
Response: We will come through wind and water!
(Repeat last two lines twice more.)
Chant:
We will come through wind and water
We will come through sea and sky
Calendar of the Sun
20 Hrethemonath
Day of the Ram – Beginning of Aries
Quinquatria Day 2: Wrestling Day
Colors: Red
Element: Fire
Altar: Set with red cloth and a sheepskin, weapons such as swords and spears, a cradle with an infant doll surrounded with spring flowers, a ram’s horn, and above all a burning torch.
Offerings: Candles. Small weapons. An act of courage. In the morning, the exercise of Gymnastika shall be wrestling, in honor of the second day of the Panathenaea when there were wrestling competitions, and each shall name their opponent for a knotty problem they have been wrestling with, and shall wrestle with each other in such a way that neither be hurt or harmed, but give a fair struggle.
Daily Meal: Spicy food – chiles, cayenne, etc.
Invocation to Aries
Infant of the Springtime,
Warrior of the long spear
And the short temper,
Ram who protects his flock,
Fiery torch of First Light,
Whose gift is Bravery,
Bless us with the courage
To do what we know is right,
And to never walk ashamed.
By the power of all beginnings,
You challenge us
To defend each other from attack,
Abuse, scorn, and mistreatment,
Even if it endangers our own bodies and spirits.
May we all go forth
In courageous innocence.
Chant:
Fire burn, fire burn through me, bonfire, brush fire, lightning strike,
Fire burn, fire burn through me, fire heart, give me light.
(Let one who has been chosen to work for this ritual stand in the center of the room with a large lit red candle, of a wax that will not burn skin but only make pain, and each shall come forth and hold out their hand to receive the wax, and s/he shall say, “Have courage and hold fast,” and drip the wax upon them, until they pull away their hand. Then they shall say, “I am tested,” and stand back. At the last shall s/he receive the wax herself, and then set the candle to burn upon the altar.)
The Moon’s Phase
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The Moon for Mar 20, 2012 (At Midnight, US Central time, as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere) Illuminated Fraction: 0.019 Sun In Pisces Moon In Aquarius |
Did you take full advantage of last night’s solar shift from the end of Pisces to the beginning of Aries? If not, utilize the first few hours today to be more gung-ho and assertive with your key plans and aims for the next year of your life. Healing forces are definitely on the march – courtesy of the monthly Moon-Chiron union in Pisces (6:02AM PDT). Be more compassionate and empathic to the truly needy and disenfranchised. This is reinforced a few hours later when Venus makes a contra-parallel to Pluto (10:15AM PDT). Venus in cahoots with Pluto in this kind of liaison can equate with a rising tide of challenges for lovers and business partners. Be a good listener who is ready to lend a helping hand rather than a critic who would rather disagree than find common ground. Mercury and Chiron also form a contra-parallel formation (2:52PM PDT) and this association can assist you in building bridges of trust and friendship with many people in your community and around the world. Dust off your problem-solving skills later on when the Moon makes its monthly union with Pallas (5:00PM PDT). This can also be a good time-period for having strategy sessions, conducting research and strengthening your immune system. Be ready to dance the night away as the Moon in Pisces can give you happy feet.
Magickal Intentions: Courage, Physical Strength, Revenge, Military Honors, Surgery and the Breaking of Negative Spells, Matrimony, War, Enemies, Prison, Vitality and Assertiveness
Incense: Dragon’s Blood, Patchouli
Planet: Mars
Sign: Aries and Scorpio
Angel: Samuel
Colors: Red and Orange
Herbs/Plants:Red Rose, Cock’s Comb, Pine, Daisy, Thyme and Pepper
Stones: Carnelian, Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet and Pink Tourmaline
Oil: (Mars) Basil, Coriander, Ginger
Mars rules Tuesday. The energies of this day best harmonize with efforts of masculine vibration, such as conflict, physical endurance and strength, lust, hunting, sports, and all types of competition. Use them, too, for rituals involving surgical procedures or political ventures.
Alternative Names/ Spring Celebrations: Alban Eiber, Bacchanalia, Caisg, Eostre’s Day, Lady Day, Mean Earraigh, Pasch, Pess, Spring Equinox, Vernal Equinox
Symbolism / Ritual Work: new beginnings, new life, rebirth, fertility, balance, communication, growth, agriculture, planting, love, sex
Decorations / Symbols: Eggs, new moons, butterflies, bees, cocoons, rabbits, baskets, sprouting plants, wildflowers, lambs, robins, chicks
Traditionally Worshipped Deities: Warriors, hunters, youthful, spring, horned, moon, sexual, of ove
Animals of Ostara: snakes, rabbits, chicks, hares, robins
Mythical Beasts of Ostara: Unicorns, merpeople, dragons
Stones: Aquamarine, amethyst, rose quartz, moonstone, bloodstone, red jasper
Plants: Blessed thistle, crocus, daffodil, jasmine, Irish moss, oak, snowdrop, ginger
Incense / Oils: Lotus, magnolia, ginger, jasmine, rose, sage, lavender, narcissus
Foods: Seasonal foods, seeds, edible flowers, eggs, fish, hot crossed buns, sweet breads, chocolate, honey cakes, fresh fruit, milk, dairy foods, nuts, sprouts, asparagus,
Drinks: Lemonade, mead, egg nog
Planet: Mars
Colors: pastels, grass green, robin’s egg blue, red
References:
Kris Bradley, Domestic Witchery Examiner
“The name Ostara goes back to Jacob Grimm, who, in his Deutsche Mythologie, speculated about an ancient German goddess Ostara, after whom the Easter festival (German: Ostern) could have been named. Grimm’s main source is De temporum ratione by the Venerable Bede. Bede had put forward the thesis that the Anglo-Saxon name for the month of April, Eostur-monath, was named after a goddess Eostre. Ostara is one of the four lesser Wiccan holidays or sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. Ostara is celebrated on the spring equinox, in the Northern hemisphere around March 21 and in the Southern hemisphere around September 23, depending upon the specific timing of the equinox. Among the Wiccan sabbats, it is preceded by Imbolc and followed by Beltane. In the book Eight Sabbats for Witches by Janet and Stewart Farrar, the festival Ostara is characterized by the rejoining of the Mother Goddess and her lover-consort-son, who spent the winter months in death. Other variations include the young God regaining strength in his youth after being born at Yule, and the Goddess returning to her Maiden aspect. Ostara is the virgin Goddess of spring. This holiday concerns the deity’s trip to the underworld, and their struggle to return from the Land of the Dead to Earth. When they accomplish this return, they have a life renewed. It was considered bad luck to wear anything new before Ostara, so the people would work through the winter in secret to make elegant clothes for the Sabbat celebration. The entire community would gather for games, feasting, and religious rituals while showing off their clothing. The modern belief that eggs are delivered by a rabbit known as the Easter Bunny comes from the legend of the Goddess Eostre. So much did a lowly rabbit want to please the Goddess that he laid the sacred eggs in her honor, gaily decorated them, and humbly presented them to her. So pleased was she that she wished all humankind to share in her joy. In honor of her wishes, the rabbit went through the entire world and distributed these little decorated gifts of life”
References:
Before I start today, I would like to apologize to all of my dear friends. Yesterday was pitiful on my part as far as the daily postings go. I am so sorry. I had been up since 2:30 a.m., that morning. I had cleaned the house, washed clothes and also went outside and did yard work. By the time it was to do the postings, I thought I was fine. But I sit down and the next thing I knew, I was so sleepy. I couldn’t hold my eyes open. I was falling asleep between posts and I couldn’t remember what I had posted and hadn’t. Finally, I just slid out of the chair and into the floor. I finally woke up at 7:00 p.m., yesterday evening.
I felt so bad about not getting my work done here. I know you come here each day for certain posts. I know if I don’t get them done, you will quit coming and I don’t want that. I have made some good friends and I don’t want to loss any of you.
So, please forgive me. I promise I will do better. I won’t say it won’t never happen again. Most of you know of my bionic back, my medicine for it also plays a big part in my passing out. Because most of my medicine is for pain and to keep me calm and relaxed. So when I have been without sleep, it sort helps me to pass out when I take my next dose.
But again, I am very sorry for the mess yesterday was. Now on to what is important, today’s postings. And I promise I won’t fall asleep, lol!
Love to you all,
Lady A
Calendar of the Moon
Ash Tree Month
Color: Pale Blue
Elements: Water and air
Altar: On a cloth of pale blue set a great bowl of salt water in which are set many shells and stones, a shell full of salt, incense, and the figures of sea-birds and fishes.
Offerings: Wash something clean, or air it out.
Daily Meal: Either fish or seafood, or poultry.
Nion/Anthesterion Invocation
Call: Now is the time of wind and water.
Response: Now is the time of sea and sky.
Call: Now is the time of the Gods of weather.
Response: Now is the time of the great waves.
Call: Now is the time of terrible flooding.
Response: Now is the time of needed rain.
Call: Now is the time of battering gales.
Response: Now is the time of winds of change.
Call: Now is the time of fear of change.
Response: Now, and always, change will win.
Call: The wild winds disturb our dreams.
Response: The wild winds awake our minds.
Call: The heavy rains flood our hearts.
Response: The heavy rains water our future.
Call: The sea will sweep us away.
Response: The sea will bear us up.
Call: The sea is cold and unending.
Response: The sea is the source of life.
Call: We are ships on the lost expanse of the ocean.
Response: We are winds that call to one another.
Call: We will brave the wind and water.
Response: We will bring together mind and heart.
Call: We will come home safely after wandering.
Response: We will anchor safely after our journeys.
Call: We will come through wind and water!
Response: We will come through wind and water!
(Repeat last two lines twice more.)
Chant:
We will come through wind and water
We will come through sea and sky
Calendar of the Sun
19 Hrethemonath
Quinquatria Day I: Racing Day
Colors: Red and blue
Element: Fire
Altar: Upon cloth of red (for Ares) and blue (for Athena), place a sword, a spear, a shield, a length of hand-woven cloth, red and blue candles, a book and a pen, and two chalices, one filled with spiced wine or beer, and one with carbonated seltzer water.
Offerings: Engage in a struggle of some kind. To honor Ares, make it physical; to honor Athena, make it mental. The morning exercise hour should begin with running or fast walking, as this was traditionally Racing Day.
Daily Meal: Light, nutritious, high-protein, as for an athlete.
Quinquatria Invocation I
We pray now to Ares,
Bright warrior who has no fear,
Hot of head and heart, you run
The extra mile with your passion,
You are the one who will never give up.
And we pray to Athena,
Armored one, keen of vision,
Cool of head and heart, you always keep
Yourself a ways apart from the crowd,
Yet from there you can see further
Than we can at our close distance.
We ask for your blessings, warriors hot and cold,
Tactician and strategist, one who sees the way
To the goal, and one who has the courage to reach it,
For both are of equal value in this our struggle
To keep from being beaten down
By the many enemies that spring from
Our hearts and minds and lives.
Bless us, fearless ones,
And lead us down the straight path
To glory, to accomplishment, to the goal.
(Each comes forth and takes one of the weapons, and salutes the altar twice, calling out “Hail Athena!” and “Hail Ares!” The seltzer is poured out as a libation to Athena, and the spiced drink is poured out for Ares. In the workday to come, everyone should take on some physical task that strains them to their limit, and tests that limit, or if they are disabled, some organizational task requiring uncharacteristically complex strategizing.)
The Moon’s Phase
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The Moon for Mar 19, 2012 (At Midnight, US Central time, as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere) Illuminated Fraction: 0.053 Sun in Pisces Moon in Aquarius |
As the first workday of this week, there could be some strange vibrations going on since the Sun is not only located in the last degree of Pisces, but also in the last degree of the archetypal zodiac that starts with zero degrees of Aries around this date every year. The zodiac contains 360-degrees of space – like any geometric circle – and the solar life-force is now ending one cycle and, at 10:16PM PDT, starting a new cycle. Therefore, much of today’s 24-hour astro-psychic energy-field is filled with a solar dynamic that is harkening back to the past few weeks and months. You may want to mimic this reasoning and conduct a careful review of your last twelve months as a soul-infused personality dwelling on this planet some 93 million miles away from the star that rules over our cosmic neighborhood in the Milky Way galaxy. Re-evaluating your investment and business strategies certainly makes sense because Vesta forms a subtle and yet still important, 30-degree rapport with king of the gods Jupiter (Noon PDT). The Moon enters a 3+ hour void uncertainty zone in Aquarius at 1:32PM PDT and this ends at 5:06PM PDT when the lunar orb enters Piscean waters for the next 2+ days. Tune into your creative imaginative talents, experiment with a video camera or improvise on a favorite musical instrument when the Moon unites with Neptune (8:18PM PDT). Utilize the Sun’s entry into fiery Aries (10:16PM PDT) – one of four sacred turning points of the calendar year at either an equinox or solstice – as an opportunity to take a great leap forward with key enterprises that can give you an enormous boost across the board during the next twelve months.
Cut Hair to Retard Growth, Mow to Retard Growth, Castrate Farm Animals, Dig Post Holes, Harvest, Wean, Quit Smoking, Potty Train, Jar Jams/Jellies, Wash Wooden Floors, Paint, Start Diet to Lose Weight, Kill Wild Onions and Weeds, Host a Party
Witches Of The Craft® 
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