Tag: Sabbat
Spell for Today – 5 Simple Ostara Rituals
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Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence and Symbols For Ostara c.2022
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Correspondences & Symbols of Ostara
Symbols used to represent Ostara include the egg-for fertility and reproduction, and the hare-for rebirth and resurrection, the New Moon, butterflies and cocoons. Symbolically, many Pagans choose to represent Ostara by the planting of seeds, potted plants, ringing bells, lighting new fires at sunrise, either in the fireplace, in the cauldron, or light a balefire outdoors. I always give myself a gift of a newly potted plant or take a seed and plant it within my cast Circle. Ritually, a fire may be lit in the cauldron during (not before) the rite itself. You may want to decorate your altar with a colorful bouquet of Spring wildflowers. Other traditional activities include working on magickal gardens and practicing all forms of herbal work—magickal, artistic, medicinal, culinary, and cosmetic. author unknown
Ostara Deities: Eostre, the adolescent Spring Maiden, the adolescent Spring Lord, All Youthful and Virile Gods and Goddesses, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, Love Goddesses, Moon Gods and Goddesses, and all Fertility Deities including :Persephone, Blodeuwedd, Eostre, Aphrodite, Athena, Gaia, Cybele, Hera, Isis, Ishtar, Minerva, Venus, Robin of the Woods, the Green Man, Cernunnos, Lord of the Greenwood, The Dagda, Attis, The Great Horned God, Mithras, Odin, Thoth, Osiris, and Pan.
Symbolism of Ostara: Renewed promise of life, The Union of the Goddess and the God, Fertility, and dispensing of the old and making way for the new.Resurrection of life , The Season of Rebirth
Symbols of Ostara: Eggs, bunnies, new moon, butterflies, cocoons, dragons, flowers,trees.
Colors: lemon yellow, pale green and pale pink. Other appropriate colors include green, all pastels, Robin’s egg blue, violet, and white.
Ostara Foods: eggs, egg salad, hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, first fruits of the season, fish, cakes, biscuits, cheeses, honey and ham. You may also include foods made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts. Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables.
Plants and Herbs: acorn, broom, celandine, cinquefoil, crocuses, daffodil, dandelion, dogwood, elder, ginger, Gorse, honeysuckle (woodbine), iris, jasmine, jonquils, irish moss, lavender, lemon balm, lilac, Lily, lily of the valley, lovage, marjoram, meadowsweet, narcissus, oak, oakmoss, olive, orris root, peony, rose, rose hips, sage, snowdrops, strawberry, tansy, tarragon, thyme, trefoil (purple clover), tulip, vervain, violet, willow, woodruff and all spring flowers.
Incense: jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, dragon’s blood, cinnamon, nutmeg, aloes wood, benzoin, musk, African violet, sage, strawberry, lotus, violet flowers, orange peel, or rose petals.
Gemstone: agate, amazonite, amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone, clear quartz crystal, garnet, lapis lazuli, moonstone, red jasper and rose quartz.
Spellwork for Ostara: Spellwork for improving communication and group interaction are recommended, as well as fertility, balance and abundance
Animals and Mythical Beasts: rabbits,snakes,unicorns, merpeople, and pegasus
Candle Colors: Yellow and Green.
Tree: The Alder, a tree sacred to the God Bran, who is said to protect the British Isles. Trees are very
important to Witches, and indeed important to us all. They are the lungs of the Earth, purifying the very air we breathe as they shade us and protect us.
Straight from
13 Fascinating Winter Solstice Traditions Around the World
Winter solstice traditions from around the globe
Just when you think December has enough to celebrate between Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the impending New Year, there’s yet another reason to gather with your loved ones and celebrate: the winter solstice. You might be more familiar with the winter solstice as the day with the shortest amount of sunlight. But around the world, many cultures still celebrate the longest night of the year with unique winter solstice traditions. Read on to find out what they are. Then learn when the winter solstice is this year and what the 2021 winter solstice means for your zodiac.
Winter solstice traditions: Saint Lucia Day, Scandinavia
As with many modern celebrations, ancient festivals observing the winter solstice merged with newer traditions to create the holiday season as we know it today. In Scandinavia…
Click here to read the rest of this article
Special Edition of Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondences, Rituals and Other Things for Samhain
Symbolism: death and regeneration, transformation, end of old projects, new beginnings, return, change, rest, success, plenty, knowledge
Symbols: skulls, bats, cats, leaves, nuts, seeds, barren trees and branches, pumpkins, cauldron, pentacle, crystal ball, besom or broom, witch’s hat, moon, crows/ravens, ghosts, goblins, banshees, candy/caramel apples, chocolate, Jack-o-Lanterns, costumes, Trick-or-Treats, Death, acorns, bones, gourds, scarecrowsColors: black, orange, red, silver, gold, brown, purple, yellow
Food and Drink: apples, cider, pork, hazelnuts, pomegranates, pumpkins, potatoes, squash, cranberries, turnips, beets, mugwort tea, ale, mulled wine, pies/cakes for the dead
Herbs: apple leaf, almonds, bay leaf, nettle, hemlock, cloves, cinnamon, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort, pine, rosemary, sage, wormwood, tarragon, rue, garlic, ginger, hazelnut, allspice
Deities: Hekate, The Crone, Cerridwen, Bast, Persephone, Horned Hunter, Cernunnos, Osiris, Hades, Anubis, Loki, Arawn, Dis, and any other death/underworld god or goddess
Crystals and Gemstones: black obsidian, jasper, onyx, bloodstone, smoky quartz, carnelian,
Animals: cats, especially black cats, bats, spiders, rats, wolves, snakes, ravens and crows, owls, stags, jackals, scorpions
Magic: This is the time to honor the dead. Set up an altar, serve them cakes, and let them know they are not forgotten. If you wish to communicate with deceased friends and family, this is the best time of year. The veil thins the night of Samhain, making communication easy. Do NOT, however, entice spirits, disrespect them, or perform any other magic that is anything less than respectful. I repeat, don’t do it. Samhain is also a great time to practice divination in the form of runes, scrying, tarot, tea readings, etc. Reflect over the previous year and perform blessing spells to ring in the new year. Astral projection, lucid dreaming, and hedge riding are also much easier to perform on this night but remember to be safe. Banishing magic, especially those for bad habits, are especially strong on this night.
Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. If I have missed something that you feel should make the list, please feel free to contact me via the comments or through email.
Click her for more ideas from Zenned Out for Samhain Rituals and Correspondences
The ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), celebrated on October 31st and November 1st, marks the end of our seasonal cycle on the Wheel of the Year. This is why it’s often referred to as the witch’s New Year. Seasonally speaking, Samhain is the third and final harvest of the season or the last rally to store and prepare for the coming Winter season.
This sacred celebration reaches much farther than harvests and is also a time when the veil between the physical and spirit world is at its thinnest. The Celtic people believed that spirits walked among them during this time, so Samhain is accepted as an ideal time to communicate and connect with the spirit realm. Here’s a fun drawing I created with ritual suggestions for Samhain. Keep scrolling to learn more about each one.
From PaganPages.org Samhain Correspondences By Jennifer Wright
Free Pagan Magazine
Other Names:
celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide Day, Sauin or Souney ( Manx), oidhche na h-aimiléise-the night of mischief or confusion(Ireland), Oidhche Shamna (Scotland)
Rituals:
End of summer, honoring of the dead,scrying, divination, last harvest, meat harvest
Incense:
Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, myrrh or patchouli
Tools:
Besom, cauldron, tarot, obsidian ball, pendulum, runes, oghams, Ouija boards, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, or magick mirror
Stones/Gems:
Black obsidian, jasper, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone
Colors:
Black, orange, red
Symbols & Decorations:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon
Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts-representing resurrection and rebirth, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash.
Goddesses:
The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), all Death & Otherworld Goddesses
Gods:
Horned Hunter(European), Cernnunos(Greco-Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis(Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh), acrificial/Dying/Aging
Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods
Herbs and Flowers:
Almond, apple leaf , autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, calendula, Cinnamon, Cloves cosmos, garlic, ginger , hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort (to aid in divination), mullein seeds, nettle, passionflower, pine needles, pumpkin seeds, rosemary (for remembrance of our ancestors), rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, tarragon, wild ginseng, wormwood
Animals:
Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin
Mythical Beings:
Pooka, goblin,medusa, beansidhe, harpies
Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death & rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning; ancestors; lifting of the veil, mundane laws in abeyance, return, change
Dynamics/Meaning:
Death & transformation, Wiccan new year,wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects
Work:
Sex magick, release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection , inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation,creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane
Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten; clear knowledge of our path; guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation
Rituals/Magicks:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall
Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack-o-lanterns, spirit plate, the Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes
Element:
Water
Gender:
Male
Threshold:
Midnight
From Plentiful Earth – How to pronounce Samhain
Popularized by Wicca, Samhain is a celebration that occurs around the same time as Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, and Day of the Dead — on or around October 31. This wonderful day is often celebrated as a time to commune with our ancestors and the passing spirits, as the veil between the worlds has become its thinnest. The festival of Samhain is easily most Witches’ favorite Sabbat of the year, a fact we can all agree on. However, it’s easy to strike up a war of the Witches when it comes to saying the word out loud!
We know first hand, as American Witches in the United States, how embarrassing it can be to read the ancient Gaelic word as “Sam-hayne” on paper when we’re learning and then try to say it in front of seasoned coven-mates! We’re here to save you some red cheeks and give you the confidence to talk about your favorite holiday out loud! The good news? There are 3 ways to pronounce this ancient Celtic, each from a different region of its birthplace!
3 Correct Samhain Pronunciations
How to pronounce Samhain – Video
How to pronounce Samhain in Irish Gaelic
- Sow-in
How to pronounce Samhain in Welsh
- Sow-een
How to pronounce Samhain in Scottish Gaelic
- Sav-en
Now, pick your favorite way and say it with pride, Witch!
Remember what is not harvested by Samhain needs to be left in the fields, tress, bushes, ectara for the wild animals to forge over the cold months.
Wish you all a safe, blessed, and happy Samhain.
Time to Celebrate with Your Inner Child and the Children in Your Life Litha and Yule Coloring Pages – Printable
Flashback 2004 Beltane
Beltane is he holiday that draws all witches outside to celebrate the returning power of the Sun and the fertility of the land.
Wear red robes for ritual and dress your altar with reds for passion. If you have identified a nearby rowan tree, you can make a wreath for your hair using rowan twigs. Decorate your house with freshly cut greens, herbs, and flowers. Arrange for music or drumming to lighten your steps of the dancers of the maypole or spiral dance. Lose yourself in the dance.
Fire is the honored element at this ritual, so have circle members jump a cauldron for purification and protection. Watr is another honored element: be certain to visit your local sacred spring or riverbank. Sprinkle perfume into the water for the undines. Again, leave a drop or two of milk and other food offerings for the nature spirits.
Wake before dawn on this day and watch the Sun rise over a river or beach. Gather a pitcherful where the Sun has gilded the water. When you return home, walk the bounds of your land, sprinkling water in your garden beds to ensure plenty of rainfall during the growing season.
By K. D. Spitzer in Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2004 Page 63
Flashback 2004 Samhain
Expect the unexpected if you celebrate Samhain – the Celtic New Year – on All Hallows Eve: the planets bring a lot of energetic talk and chaos, and the resultant noise will add exuberance to the ritual. Look for psychic dreams on astrological Samhain, November 6; your intuition will be in top form if you do readings at ritual. The power is the strongest it has been in several years.
This is the sabbat for wearing your witchy black. Clean the house, including the hearth, from top to bottom; the garden also needs to be prepared for the winter by this date. Lay new fires. Fest with your family and set places for your ancestors. Cleanse divination tools (cards, crystals, runes) and rededicate them to the Goddess. For the last harvest festival, put apples, nuts, acorns, and squashes on the altar, and add pictures of the family members you are missing.
Using fresh harvested hazel nuts, make a wreath with nine nuts (three times three) to protect your house from fire and lightening. Offer thanks to the river gods or the gods of the sea, and remember to honor the goddess Hecate.
By K. D. Spitzer in Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2004 Page 63
March 20 Daily Divination Journal – Ostara
Tarot Card
From Tarotx.com – Gilded Tarot Deck
Six of Cups
Menu of Contents
I. Meaning of the Six of Cups Gilded Tarot
II. Message of the Six of Cups Gilded Tarot
III. Interpretation of the Six of Cups Gilded Tarot in a spread
Rune
From TheRuneSite.com – Medieval Runes
Sól
Sound: “ss” as in “kiss”
Stands for: Disk of the sun
Magick/Healing use: Brings the healing power and warmth of the sun.
Witch’s Rune
From GroveandGrotto.com
The Leaf
Ostara
Growth, abundance, promise of harvest, good fortune. A strong “maybe”.
Ogham
From LearnReligions.com – Celtic Ogham
Fearn or Fern
F is for Fearn or Fern, which is associated with the Alder tree. The Alder is representative of the evolving spirit. Connected with the month of March and the spring equinox, Alder is the symbol of Bran in Celtic mythology. In The Mabinogion, Bran laid himself across a river as a bridge so that others might cross–likewise, the Alder bridges that magical space between earth and the heavens. It is also associated with oracular powers–Bran’s head was an oracle in legend.
Alders are often found in swampy, boggy areas, and conveniently, their wood doesn’t rot when it gets wet. In fact, if left to soak in water, it becomes hardened. This came in handy when early Britons were building strongholds in bogs. The city of Venice, Italy, was originally built upon piles of Alder wood. Once it’s dry, though, Alder tends to be less than durable.
Fearn Correspondences
Mundane Aspects: Keep in mind that you are an individual… but so is everyone else. When you look at someone, see the unusual which makes them themselves–and allow them to see that uniqueness in you. Be a mediator, a bridge, between people who may be having a disagreement.
Magical Aspects: Follow your instinct. Others will turn to you for advice and counsel during spiritual disagreements, and it’s your job to be the mediator and voice of reason.
I Ching
Click here for more detailed information about Hexagram 18 from iching.online
(Question – What do my southern hemisphere readers need to know for Mabon?)
Hexagram Eightteen/18
Ku / Repairing the Damage
Winds sweep through the Mountain valley:
The Superior Person sweeps away corruption and stagnation by stirring up the people and strengthening their spirit.
Supreme success.
Before crossing to the far shore, consider the move for three days.
After crossing, devote three days of hard labor to damage control.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
You are blessed with an opportunity to resuscitate that which others have abandoned as beyond repair.
This ruin wasn’t caused by evil intention, but by indifference to decay.
Just by addressing yourself to the problem, you exhibit a new awareness, a fresh perspective.
This is a time of recovery, renewal, regeneration.
Numerology
Click here to read more about the numerology meaning of the number 18 from numerology.com
Eight
Every number in Numerology has a different meaning. The real substance is in the single digits; each of these numeric symbols casts a unique energy that impacts us on both external and internal levels — and even how it relates to our compatibility with other people! By understanding the different meanings of these numbers in Numerology, we can better realize the messages the numbers are sending when they appear in our lives. If there is an abundance of the number 8 in your life, the meaning of these messages center around hard work, success, and karmic balance.
What is the definition of 8 in Numerology?
Of all the numbers in Numerology, the number 8 is the achiever and measures life by the goals it reaches. It has good business sense, a powerful presence, and a strong drive for success. The 8 is also a symbol of balance — you can see it in its symmetrical shape. For every blessing it receives, it puts one back out to the universe. When things are balanced, they feel stable, controlled, and supported, which is the most productive environment for the 8 to work in.
In Chinese culture, the number 8 is considered the luckiest number of all, and …
Angel Number
Click for more information about Angel Number 321 from informationseries.com
Three Hundred Twenty One
Basic knowledge of angel number 321
An angel number has a meaning as a block of numbers and a meaning separated. Also, when it comes to a three-digit number like angel number 321, the meaning of the middle number is the strongest. First, let’s learn basic knowledge.
321 can be decomposed most strongly in the middle number
In the case of angel number 321, it means “321”, “3”, “2” and “1”. The 321 means that believing in God gives you the support of the Ascended Master. It has multiple meanings.
3-digit numbers are considered to have the strongest meaning in the middle
It is said that the energy of an angel number increases as the number of digits increases. Also, in the case of numbers like three digits, the middle number has strong energy. In the case of angel number 321, the energy of the number 2 is strong.
Meaning of angel number 321
Angel number 321 has multiple meanings, but the overall meaning is supported by the ascended master. It also means trusting God and turning fear into confidence and security. Let’s take a closer look.
Ascended Master Dedicated Help
Ascended Masters are saints who have accomplished feats in the human world, such as Jesus Christ and Buddha. The Ascended Master has been a lofty person even after the Ascension. By believing in the Ascended Master, you will receive a positive message…
Animal Spirit Guide or Helper
Click here for more information about the spiritual meaning for the RAccom from UniGuide.com
Raccoon
Raccoon meanings and symbolism include disguise, trickery, adaptability, dexterity, resourcefulness, and training. In this post, you’ll learn about raccoon symbols and meaning and the raccoon spirit animal. Plus, you’ll learn about the raccoon in cultural mythology and more.
Table of Contents
What does a raccoon symbolize?
Detailed Racoon Symbols and Meanings
Raccoon Mythology and Folklore
Native American Raccoon Meanings
Abenaki Tribe: Azeban the Trickster
Biblical Meaning of the Raccoon
Japanese “Raccoon”: The Tanuki
Organizations that Protect Raccoons
Imbolc – History, Traditions, Correspondences, and Simple Ritual Ideas
Many Pagans, Witches, and those interested in Nature Spirituality celebrate the seasonal cycles. Sometimes referred to as the Wheel of the Year, and consisting of eight celebrations. Four of these festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain) are rooted in Celtic history and origins. The other four (Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice) represent the sun’s location. I created a complete guide to each season, including history, traditions, symbols, correspondences, ritual ideas, and how you can celebrate.
Imbolc is a fire festival that celebrates the home and the halfway point between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is quite literally Midwinter and while the days continue to grow lighter it is still dark and cold outside. Cabin fever has set in and we are all yearning to unburden ourselves from the long dark days. This can be an especially difficult time for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and is a BIG reason why a celebration is so lovely right now!
After months of self-reflection, planning, and goal setting, aspiration and ambition are beginning to stir. The tiniest bits of enthusiasm is starting to awaken beneath the surface. Goals and dreams that you’ve created over the long cold nights are now being lit from the flames of Midwinter. Let your creativity and imagination help manifest these dreams!
Table of Contents
- How do you pronounce Imbolc?
- When is Imbolc?
- Imbolc History and Traditions
- Imbolc Correspondences
- Simple Solo Imbolc Rituals
- How to Celebrate Imbolc and Activities
Click here to read more of this article about Imbolc from www.thepeculiarbrunette.com
Printable Imbolc Correspondences
Imbolc marks the Irish pagan start of spring – something is stirring
As the great wheel turns, we find ourselves slowly re-emerging from the deep dreamtime of winter into the portal of Imbolc.
Click here to read the rest of this article about Imbolc from www.irishcentral.com
Flashback 2022 – Imbolc
(I know to be a real flashback the post should be from a previous year, but I want to make sure when I look up posts from Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook that I do not repeat something I have already posted.)
Imbolg Sachet of Light
Also called Candlemas, Imbolg (or Imbolc) is the sabbat of “gestation,” seeing as the earth is readying for her renewal of spring. Because of this, as well as due to the ancient Celtic associations with the goddess Brigid, Imbolg is widely considered a festival of the divine feminine.
To harness the light of life and renewal that is also awakening in ourselves, gather a number of seeds from a verity of plants. This mixture can contain anything from sunflower seeds to wildflower seeds, or even a variety of plants you intend to plant later in the spring. Place these inside a sachet bag along with a battery powered light, such as an artificial tea light. Bury it within the mixture of seeds.
With all the lights in the room turned off, turn your focus to the glowing to the glowing sachet and envision all the wonderful things you intend to manifest this year. Deeply focus: visualize smile, chant words of power, and make the sachet an illuminating personalize spell. What do you do with the sachet and seeds is totally up to your Witchy intuition!
Raven Digitals Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2022 Page 43
Printable Game Pages – Winter
Difference Between the Winter and Summer Solstices?
To understand the difference between summer and winter solstices, we need to have a clear understanding of the word solstice. We know that earth revolves around sun in an elliptical orbit, but it also spins around its own axis. This is an imaginary line going right across the planet from North Pole to South Pole. Fortunately for our planet, this axis is not perpendicular but tilted about 23.5 degrees and it is this tilt that gives us seasons on earth. This tilt makes one half of earth receive more direct rays from sun than the other half which remains away from earth.
The axis, when it tilts towards the sun, it makes northern hemisphere receive more direct rays from the sun than southern hemisphere. This phenomenon occurs between June and September and thus this is the period when it is summer season in the northern hemisphere. Again, this axis tilts away from the sun between December and March which is why we have winter season in the northern hemisphere during this period. While it is summers in northern hemisphere as it receives more direct rays from the sun, it is winter in the southern hemisphere, and vice versa in winters.
To read the rest of this article from differencebetween.com
Wheel of the Year
The Wheel of the Year is a symbol of the eight Sabbats (religious festivals) of Neo-Paganism and the Wicca movement which includes four solar festivals (Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Fall Equinox) and four seasonal festivals (celebrating or marking a significant seasonal change). Contrary to modern-day Wiccan claims, there is no evidence of an ancient Wheel of the Year in its present form but it is clear that the Celts of thousands of years ago celebrated the festivals the wheel highlights, even if these celebrations were known by another name now long lost.
In the ancient Celtic culture, as in many of the past, time was seen as cyclical. The seasons changed, people died, but nothing was ever finally lost because everything returned again – in one way or another – in a repeating natural cycle. Although time in the modern world is usually regarded as linear, the cyclical nature of life continues to be recognized.
The modern-day Wheel of the Year was first suggested by the scholar and mythologist Jacob Grimm (1785-1863 CE) in his 1835 CE work, Teutonic Mythology, and fixed in its present form in the 1950s and early ’60s CE by the Wicca movement. The wheel includes the following holy days (most dates flexible year-to-year): …
Click here to read the rest of this article about the Wheel of the Year
Happy and Blessed Ostara Dear Sisters and Brothers – Printable
History of Ostara, The Spring Equinox
History of Ostara, The Spring Equinox
The word Ostara is just one of the names applied to the celebration of the spring equinox on March 21. The Venerable Bede said the origin of the word is actually from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring. Of course, it’s also the same time as the Christian Easter celebration, and in the Jewish faith, Passover takes place as well. For early Pagans in the Germanic countries, this was a time to celebrate planting and the new crop season.
Typically, the Celtic peoples did not celebrate Ostara as a holiday, although they were in tune with the changing of the seasons.
According to History.com,
“At the ruins of Chichen Itza, the ancient Maya city in Mexico, crowds now gather on the spring (and fall) equinox to watch as the afternoon sun creates shadows that resemble a snake moving along the stairs of the 79-foot-tall Pyramid of Kukulkan, also called El Castillo. On the spring equinox, the snake descends the pyramid until it merges with a large, serpent head sculpture at the base of the structure. While the Maya were skilled astronomers, it’s unknown whether they specifically designed the pyramid to align with the equinox and create this visual effect.”
A New Day Begins
A dynasty of Persian kings known as the Achaemenians celebrated the spring equinox with the festival of No Ruz, which means “new day.” It is a celebration of hope and renewal still observed today in many Persian countries, and has its roots in Zoroastrianism.
In Iran, a festival called Chahar-Shanbeh Suri takes place right before No Ruz begins, and people purify their homes and leap over fires to welcome the 13-day celebration of No Ruz.
Mad as a March Hare
Spring equinox is a time for fertility and sowing seeds, and so nature’s fertility goes a little crazy.
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 superfecund 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.
The Legends of Mithras
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, Mithras helped his followers ascend to the realm of light after death. In one legend, Mithras, who was popular amongst members of the Roman military, was ordered by the Sun to sacrifice a white bull. He reluctantly obeyed, but at the moment when his knife entered the creature’s body, a miracle took place. The bull turned into the moon, and Mithras’ cloak became the night sky. Where the bull’s blood fell flowers grew, and stalks of grain sprouted from its tail.
Spring Celebrations Around the World
In ancient Rome, the followers of Cybele believed that their goddess had a consort who was born via a virgin birth.
His name was Attis, and he died and was resurrected each year during the time of the vernal equinox on the Julian Calendar (between March 22 and March 25).
The indigenous Mayan people in Central American have celebrated a spring equinox festival for ten centuries. As the sun sets on the day of the equinox on the great ceremonial pyramid, El Castillo, Mexico, its “western face…is bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. The lengthening shadows appear to run from the top of the pyramid’s northern staircase to the bottom, giving the illusion of a diamond-backed snake in descent.” This has been called “The Return of the Sun Serpent” since ancient times.
According to the Venerable Bede, Eostre was the Saxon version of a Germanic goddess called 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.
There is very little documented evidence to prove this, but one popular legend is that Eostre found a bird, wounded, on the ground late in winter. To save its life, she transformed it into a hare. But “the transformation was not a complete one. The bird took the appearance of a hare but retained the ability to lay eggs…the hare would decorate these eggs and leave them as gifts to Eostre.”
Modern Celebrations
This is a good time of year to start your seedlings. If you grow an herb garden, start getting the soil ready for late spring plantings. Celebrate the balance of light and dark as the sun begins to tip the scales, and the return of new growth is near.
Many modern Pagans mark Ostara as a time of renewal and rebirth. Take some time to celebrate the new life that surrounds you in nature–walk in a park, lay in the grass, hike through a forest. As you do so, observe all the new things beginning around you–plants, flowers, insects, birds. Meditate upon the ever-moving Wheel of the Year, and celebrate the change of seasons.
Author
Patti Wigington
Published on ThoughtCo.com
OSTARA LORE
OSTARA LORE
A traditional Vernal Equinox pastime: go to a field and randomly collect wildflowers [Thank the flowers for their sacrifice before picking them, using a collection formula such as can be found in “An Herbal Grimoire”]. Or buy some from a florist, taking one or two of those that appeal to you. Then bring them home and divine their magickal meanings by the use of books, your own intuition, a pendulum or by other means. The flowers you’ve chosen reveal your inner thoughts and emotions.
It is important at this time of renewed life to plan a walk (or a ride) through gardens, a park, woodlands, forest and other green places. This is not simply exercise, and you should be on no other mission. It isn’t even just an appreciation of nature. Make your walk celebratory, a ritual for nature itself.
Other traditional activities include planting seeds, working on magickal gardens and practicing all forms of herb work – magickal, medicinal, cosmetic, culinary and artistic.
Foods in tune with this day (linking your meals with the seasons is a fine way of attuning with nature) include those made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts.
Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables. Flower dishes such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes also find their place here. [Find a book of flower cooking or simply make spice cupcakes. Ice with pink frosting and place a fresh carnation petal on each cupcake. Stuff nasturtium blossoms with a mixture made with cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress.]
Magickal Ideas for Imbolc
Witches Of The Craft® 
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