1Ostara Introduction

1.

@ Lady Bridget 1997

Ostara, Eostre, Easter, Vernal Equinox, Spring Equinox, and First Day of Spring are all
names for the same festival time. This is the day when the light and darkness are of equal
length, and afterwards the days get longer. This occurs when the Sun enters Aries, which is
on March 20th or 21st. This is the time when the light symbolically "triumphs over
darkness", so it is no wonder that the Christian's put their Easter, wbere the God of Light
triumphs over darkness and rises again, at this time of year. It has long been the time for
Gods to return from the Underworld, or the darkness, as we shall see.
Agriculturally, this is the time in most of Europe and America when the seeds are sown and
planted in the ground. This corresponds in Wicca also to the planting of new ideas, new
goals for the coming year, new businesses or new activities to be started.
This holiday is sacred to Eostre, Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring, also known as Ostre.
Sacred to Her are eggs, and white rabbits. There is a legend in which a white rabbit fell in
love with her, and to prove his love he laid colored eggs for her everyday. (Eggs and white
rabbits, sound familiar anyone?) The white rabbit symbolizes the transformation of
innocence, and constant fertility. The eggs symbolize new life, and also rebirth. In ancient
times, when hens were not domesticated, it was necessary to climb trees and hunt for these
eggs, no doubt a welcome treat after the dreary winter fare. Thus we may have the
origination of the egg hunt so many cultures still do today. Also, since the eggs are found in
the woven nests of birds, which were the inspration for woven baskets, we can see the link
between the ancient ways and our traditions today of putting the colored eggs into pretty
woven baskets.
Why decorate eggs? Birds eggs are naturally decorated for camoflauge or for other reasons
having to do with the preservation of the species. And that is the same reason why we
decorate our eggs today and why our pagan ancestors did theirs, the presevation of the
species! They used not only color to symbolize what they wanted to be "born" but also,
signs, runes, and different geometric designs.
If you want to see a very old tradition still in practice today, research the Ukranian art
form of making "pysanky" (from the word "pysaty" which means "to write"). These eggs
have highly stylized decorations of geometric and other designs, and are also quite
beautiful.
To decorate your own eggs, here are some of the ancient signs and what they mean:
CIRCLE and CONCENTRIC RINGS
for the cycles of life and rebirth
SOLAR CROSSES
 union of matter and spririt, or the union of the God and Goddess
TRIANGLES
triple Goddess
SQUARES
the earth
PINWHEELS and 8-POINTED STARS
the sun
WAVY LINES, or 3 "C's"
water
more modern symbols are:
$ for money,
HEARTS for love,
SMILEY FACES for happiness, etc.
You can also use pentagrams, ankhs, and any other symbols which have meaning for you.
Conincide the symbol with the color, for example, an egg for love and friendship would
have a heart on it and be pink or red. One for healing might be green or blue. One for new
ideas might be yellow and show an "!" on it! Be creative - use your imagination, this is how
we grow and learn our traditions, and incorporate them into our lives.
Decorated eggs were found in Egyptian tombs, and were not for food, since the eggs were
hollow, they were more of an amulet intended to help the soul find rebirth. It is known that
the Druids dyed eggs red in honor of the sun. Today, we have choices, such as whether to
use either commercial dyes, or natural ones.
If you want to experiment with natural dyes, here are some that I have seen listed in books.
I must tell you that I have not personally tried these, but they have been published by
several authors I respect, so I will pass them on for your benefit:
GREEN : colts-foot or bracken
YELLOW: turmeric
YELLOW-GREEN: carrot tops
ORANGE: onion skin
RUST: onion skin
RED: madder root or cochineal
 PINK: madder root or cochineal
BLUE: blueberries
BRIGHT BLUE: red cabbbage leaves
Leaving the eggs in the dye longer, will create the darker colors. Many of these must be
boiled, or brought to a boil, then add the egg and vinegar, and allow both to cool. Eggs
should be hard=boiled first, before dying. Mark the eggs before hand with crayon or wax,
or afterwards you can use lemon juice for the darker colors, or even "magic markers". Be
sure to add white vinegar to your colors so they will stick to the eggshell. With the natural
dyes, the eggs do scratch more easily, so handle with care!
Before your circle you may want to take your ritual bath and add an egg, and use an "egg
shampoo" by putting raw egg in your hair. It is wonderful for your hair, and also for your
bath!
Getting back to the theme of returning from the Underworld, there are quite a few myths
surrounding this holiday which all have the same theme, though the names and
circumstances may differ slightly. All have the common thread of the Goddess's love
bringing them back from the Underworld. Most were of lovers, such as Isis and Osiris,
Ishtar and Tammuz, Aphrodite and Adonis, Cybele and Attis. However, Mother and
daughter, Demeter and Persephone also follow this theme. As does the myth of Mother and
Son Bacchus and Semele, except that it was Bacchus who loved his Mother so much even
though he had never seen her, that he descended into the Underworld to bring her back to
Mount Olympus with him. These myths can be read in many books, so I won't go into them
here, but they are all appropriate themes for any Ostara Sabbat rite. (A note: in our
tradition and living in Florida we have already experienced the return of the Goddess at
Imbolc, so this is less appropriate for us, being in the warmer climate. You can adapt the
seasonal celebrations to more closely follow what your seasons are.)
All pastel colors are sacred to Eostre, but her color is especially blue. (Robin's egg blue!)
She is the Goddess of the East, and Spring. She is the same as Eos, the Greek Goddess of
the East, and of sunrise and dawn. Is this why so many Christians celebrate Easter Sunday
with a sunrise service? She is the Maiden aspect of the triple Goddess. In Hindu, she is
called Ushas, and her lover and opposite is the God of the West, of death, of the sunset. This
also corresponds to the Norse God, Vestri, god of the sunset and of fire, and the latin word
"Vespers". The Greek Goddess Vestra, who was goddess of fire and had a perpetual flame
tended by the Vestal Virgins also fits the fire in the west theme. In our tradition, we put fire
in the west, and it seems at some time in the past, fire was the traditional element for the
west, representing death, as most funerals were done by cremation in many cultures. Even
the Norse ships which carried the dead out to sea were first set aflame, then launched. It
seems a natural opposite to the water in the East where all life begins, (amniotic fluid) and
where the Goddess of Spring, the Maiden, rules.
In Ireland, the Shamrock is associated with Ostara, because it is the green of new life, and
the three-leafed variety was sacred to the triple Goddess. Four-leaved clovers were and still
are considered lucky, they represent the four elements in balance, and also a symbol of the
sun wheel.
Foods for this Sabbat include eggs (of course!), and hot cross buns, which have the solar
wheel representation on them in the form of the cross. Also the traditional Easter ham
comes to us from cultures which had a wild boar hunt at this time, and paraded the boar's
head around on a platter.
However you celebrate this holiday, remember that the traditions which have been passed
down to us are all pagan in origin, (as is the case with so many holidays!) and you can join
right in with them whole-heartedly!
If you would like to read further on this or any other holiday I strongly recommend two
books by Dan and Pauline Campanelli, "Wheel of the Year", and "Ancient Ways". They
are a wealth of well-researched information, and also have a lot of practical "hands on"
recipes for many traditional holiday endeavors.

Bibliography
"Ancient Ways" by Pauline and Dan Campanelli
"Wheel of the Year" by Pauline and Dan Campanelli
"A Witches Bible Compleat" by Janet and Stewart Farrar

Ostara Preparation
@ Lady Bridget 1997

This is a group ritual, and has parts for High Priest, High Priestess, 4 watchtower people,
and other parts can be assigned to other people as needed.
You will need (aside from regualar altar supplies and seasonal decorations): colored eggs
with runes on them (enough for one each minimum). basket to keep the eggs in.
The eggs can be colored prior to ritual by your group, and adorned with the appropriate
rune or symbol to go with the color. This can be done as a group activity, but the eggs do
take more than a few hours to dry, so do plan to do this at least 8 hrs prior to ritual, or the
day before would actually be best. We had our students do them and had each bring a
dozen.. that way there was plenty for all who came and plenty for feast later.
The meditation journey can be actually done in circle if you wish to have the participants
weave their own basket for the eggs they will pick. In that case, practice beforehand so you
can instruct everyone, and you will need to provide or have people bring basket weaving
material.
Or you could put a "myth play" on regarding one of the many goddesses returning from
the underworld which tie in to this time of year in many parts of the country. (We are in
Florida, so our Goddesses return at Imbolc!)
In any case, the ritual is there for you to use, rewrite, or substitute whatever you wish.
Blessed Be and Happy Ostara!

Ostara Ritual
@ Lady Bridget 1997

Cast circle in your usual manner.

Bless each participant, and do grounding if needed.
INVOKE WATCHTOWERS
EAST - WATER
Hail to thee Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, the powers of water. Swirling
waters of ocenas blue, grant us fresh ideas anew. We, your witches, invoke your presence as
we celebrate the triumph of light over darkness. So Mote It Be.
SOUTH - AIR
Hail to thee Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, the powers of air. I call upon you
to attend these rites, and share with us your gifts- the gentle breeze, the sweet scent of
spring flowers, the breath of life, and the ability to know, understand and communicate.
Come! We, your witches, invoke your presence as we celebrate the triumph of light over
darkness. So Mote It Be.
WEST - FIRE
Hail to thee Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, the powers of fire. Come! And fill
the souls of each individual in this circle tonight with the power and strength that we
require to drench the seeds of our desires with the fire of transformation! We, your witches,
invoke your presence as we celebrate the triumph of light over darkness. So Mote It Be.
NORTH - EARTH
Hail to thee Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, the powers of Earth. Corner of all
power, Guard our circle! Give us your Ancient Wisdom. Bring us knowledge, growth and
fertility. Reveal thy mysteries, this Sacred Night. We, your witches, invoke your presence as
we celebrate the triumph of light over darkness. So Mote It Be.
HPS
We gather together this evening,
In the presence of the Old Gods,
Without malice, without jealousy, without envy.
 Without fear of aught beneath the Moon, but the High Gods.
We celebrate the Maiden,
The light of life, which is a bright flame before us,
A guiding star above us,
A smooth path beneath us.
May this flame be kindles within our hearts,
A flame of love for our neighbors,
To our friends, to our kindred all.
We gather this Equinox night in honor
Of the virginal Daughter of Cerridwen.
The Maiden of Spring.
INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS
INVOCATION TO FLORA
By the flowers of the field, O lady of delight
By the crops thy blessing yield,
O Maiden clear and bright.
We invoke thy presence in kernels and sheaves
We see thy face in the moonlit leaves
Come now to us, extend thy grace
Come into our circle within this holy space
Daughter of the Earth, drinking sunlight
Queen of plants, Sister of night,
By leaf and twig, by root and bough
By water and earth, come to us now!
Bring us your grain, the staff of our lives.
Bring us your fruit, wherever it thrives.
Mistress of herbs, unlock your power
And lead us into your leafy bower.
In love and joy we call your name
With comforting hope, you ease our pain.
We see thee in the swelling bud
We feel thy stirring in our blood.
O Lady clear, we feel thee near
In Spring a Maiden with flowers crowned,
In Summer and Harvest, the Mother renewed.In Fall and Winter, the Had hols
sway,
Yet, the Maiden remains but months away.
Great Triple Goddess, the seasons flow
And ebb to thy will, as you come and go.
We call upon thee - Persephone!
We call upon thee - Eos!
We call upon thee - Aine!
We call upon thee - Arianrod!
We feel your presence here ! Blessed Be!
(As you call out each Goddess name, turn and face a different direction, that way you call one
for each. Have the participants repeat the names after you aloud, so that ALL are calling out
to the Goddess to come.)
INVOCATION TO THE GOD
Lord of the Springtime,
Father of flower, field, and fruit
Smile on us as the days grow longer!
Everywhere is the green of new growth,
The amazing sight of the renewal of the Earth.
Therefore, by seed and root, by stem and bud
By leaf and flower and fruit,
Do we invoke thee, Lord of Light,
and new Spring Sun.
Move our bodies, our minds, and our spirits,
To learn a whole new rhythm,
The rhythmic pulse of the renewing forests,
May Spring come to us, be in us, and recreate life in us.
We call upon thee - Adonis!
We call upon thee - Baldur!
We call upon thee - Apollo!
We call upon thee - Bacchus!
We feel your presence here! Blessed Be!
(Do the same with the God invocation as you did with the Goddess.)
(Now prepare everyone to take the Journey Meditation)
Now we will get comfortable, and close our eyes, and take a deep cleansing breath, to
prepare for our journey. For tonight we travel back in time, to the time fo our pagan
ancestors, to an egg hunt as it may have been before the old ways were replaced.
(get everyone in a meditative state, you may have to lead them through a grounding and
centering first, then proceed.)
See in your mind's eye, it is just daybreak, on the day of the equinox. The glorious new sun
is just risen over the horizon, and you can just see the first rays of sunlight slanting through
the gently swaying branches of the forest canopy. Smell the fresh scent of pine, and inhale
the fragrance of the forest morning. As you walk slowly forward, hear the rustling of the
foliage as you gently brush past them. You see a path ahead, you are taking that path.
Strolling along the path, you are enjoying the sight of the forest at day- break. Hear the
birds waking up and calling to each other. Pay attention to where you hear the bird songs
coming from, for you are searching for a bird's nest this morning. As you walk past trees
and bushes, look intently and ezamine each closely for sign's of nesting activity.
(pause here for an appropriate time)
Suddenly you hear the beating of wings very close by, and you see a bird flying away from
you, squawking to get your attention. You know that he wants to take you away from the
nest, so instead, look around you to see where the bird came from. As you search, you see a
glimpse of some bright fabric glinting in a stray strand of sunlight. Go to this color, and
search. There you find the nest.
Examine the outside of the nest closely, as close as you can get without disturbing it. See
what materials the bird has used, and how cleverly the nest has been woven. Notice how the
nest is attached to the branches, and how the stray peice of fabric has been woven into it.
You can't see inside the nest, but you know there are four eggs within. Figure out a way to
reach inside and remove only two of the eggs without distubing either the nest itself or the
other two eggs. You must only take two, you must leave some for the bird's survival.
(Pause here for a while)
Now that you have the eggs in hand, genly cradle them in front of you, and walk back down
the path the way you came. Walk a little quickly since you don't want to stay in the area of
the nest too long. Ahead of you, you see a split in the path, and you take the other side. You
come eventually to the side of a small pond.
See the reflection of the rising sun in the water, hear the birds and other wildlife stirring as
you approach slowly. Crouch down at the side of the water, and gently deposit your eggs
carefully on the grass there. Look at your eggs now, note their size and shape, what color
are they? What kind of bird do you suppose they come from?
Now look around the area around the pond, you are hoping to find reeds there, ones that
are about three feet high and at least an inch wide. There! Over there! Go to the reeds you
have discovered and gently pull some out of the marshy side of the pond, be careful not to
fall in! They come out easily and you harvest a full handful.
Take your reeds back to where you left the eggs, you find them easily since they show up
well against the grass. Sit down and make yourself comfortable as you are now going to
warve a basket to carry your eggs home. Separate 6 reeds and lay them flat on the ground
in front of you. Now take another reed and going over and under, over and under, weave
this reed into the six reeds on the groung. Now you will take another reed and weave it into
the six also, but going under and over this time, so it lays next to the first reed you have
woven. In this manner, weave 6 reeds into the six reeds on the ground. Leave the ends of the
reeds hanging out, and push the center woven part in tightly together. This is the bottom of
your basket.
Now take another reed, and this time weave this into the pieces hanging on the side, so that
it goes around the perimeter of the woven square. This will form the side of the basket.
Keep weaving more reeds around until you reach the ends of the side pieces. If some of
them are longer than others just tuck them over the top and back into the weaving. Even
up the top of the basket this way.
Now survey you handiwork! What a gorgeous basket you have woven! You place your eggs
into the beautiful piece and know that they are safe. Pick up your basket and prepare to
walk back to the path. You find the path easily, in the strengthening morning light. Hear
the chirpings and twitterings of the birds as you lazily stroll along, back into the forest.
This time when you come to the fork, you go back the way you came. continnue on your
way, and enjoy the trip back...
When you arrive back here at the circle, open your eyes.
(If any do not understand what they have done, explain that this represents what we believe
may have been the origination of egg hunts and baskets.)
(Now is a good time to get everyone up and raising energy, dance, sing, and charge the eggs
that are on the side of the altar. Some appropriate songs are "She will bring the buds in the
Spring", "We are the flow, we are the ebb", and the "Isis, Astarte, etc" chants.)
(After charging is finished, explain that each person shall take an egg, and whatever signs,
symbols, etc are on the egg is what they need to focus on in their life for the next moon cycle.)
(go aroung with the basket, have each person take what they want, then have everyone share
what they got, and what they believe it means. Have everyone eat the eggs and ingest the
"seed".)
Great Rite
THANK THE GOD AND GODDESS (impromptu, ad lib, say whatever feels right)
HPS & HP together:
We are poised in the moment of equal light and dark.
The breathless point of balance between sun and moon.
As we bid farewell to the cold purification of winter,
In that same moment we fling wide our arms
To embrace the warmth and glory of the spring sun
Be with us as we continue our lives journey
Throughout this season, and those to comeAs we grow ever closer to your perfection,
The true light that shines within us all.
Blessed Be!
EAST Person: Behold my brothers and sister, the spring has come!
The earth has received the embraces of the sun.
SOUTH Person: We shall soon see the results of this love
As every seed is awakened and so is all animal life.
WEST Person: It is through this mystery that we too have our being
Therefore we respect our neighbors,
NORTH Person: We respect also our animal neighbors,
As we all have the same right to inhabit this world.
HP & HPS: In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust, So Mote It Be.
 DISMISS WATCHTOWERS
EAST - Water
Hail to thee Guardian of the Watchtower of the East, the powers of Water. We thank you
for joining our Ostara celebration tonight. As ye depart to your mighty realms, we bid thee
hail and farewell, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.
SOUTH - Air
Hail to thee Guardian of the Watchtower of the South, the powers of Air. We thank you for
joining us this night and now as you depart to your mighty realms, we bid thee hail and
farewell, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.
WEST - Fire
Hail to thee Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, the powers of Fire. We have felt
your Fire! And thank you for the energy you have lent to our workings tonight. As ye
depart to your mighty realms we bid thee hail and farewell, and harm ye none on your way.
So Mote It Be.
NORTH - Earth
Hail to thee Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, the powers of Earth. We thank
you for attending our celebration. We praise and bless thee for planting the seed of wisdom,
truth, and enlightenment. As ye depart to your mighty realms we bid thee hail and farewell,
and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.
CLOSE CIRCLE.

Bibliography:
"The Witches Goddess" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"The Witches God" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"A Witches Bible Compleat" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"Earth Prayers" by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon
"Ancient Ways" by Pauline and Dan Campanelli
"Wheel of the Year" by Pauline and Dan Campanelli
The meditation journey was written by Lady Briget.
Each of the watchtowers were written by the person who invoked and dismissed them: East by
Bast, South by Miria, West by Atalanta, North by Leandra.
The "Invocation to Flora" was shared with us from a friend's BOS without an author
attached to it, if you know the author, please contact me with that information
Thank you!
Email Lady Bridget at ladybrid@bc.seflin.org