Spring Equinox, Ostara or Oestara

Spring equinox , Ostara or Oestara, was celebrated on March 21, when day and night are of equal length, in a perfect balance of Light and Dark. It was known as the Wiccan Sabbat of Ostara, or Oestara, Eostar or even Eostre, from which the German “Ostern” and the English “Easter” derive, or Alban Eiler, “Light of the Earth”. This recurrence, particularly felt in ancient Mediterranean cultures, celebrated the return of Persephone from Hades upon the earth, and consequently the return of spring, life and fertility: the return of warm weather and the renewal of nature are indeed manifest.
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The northern populations, such as Celts (heirs of traditions even more ancestral), celebrated the spring equinox on the day of Beltane, feast of livestock reproduction (first day of May). Equinoxes and solstices are not Celtic festivals, but belong to the tradition of southern Europe. Among the Celts, Solstices and Equinoxes were celebrations sacred to the Sun and to the masculine cosmic principle, while the other four were festivities related to the Moon and to the cosmic feminine principle (they had therefore changeable date in relation to the phases of the moon).
The Celtic year was divided into two parts: Samhain (November 1st) marked the beginning of the dark half of the year, Beltane (May 1st) was the beginning of the light half. Between these two “doors” there were two other passages: Imbolc (February 1) and Lughnasadh (August 1), thus dividing the year into four parts. To further divide that partition there were then Solstices and Equinoxes, called the four Albans, and considered transition times.
The Spring Equinox was the fourth celebration of tradition, a fixed date because it corresponded to the entry of the Sun in the constellation of Aries, and with the closer full moon. The Equinox marks the very moment of union in a cosmic symbolism, linked to the awakening of Nature; this is connected to the theme of marriage between a male deity, belonging to the solar sphere, and a female deity, linked to the Earth or to the moon. The Sun God is coupled, in fact, with the Young Earth Goddess.
On this day ritual fires were lit on the hills and, according to tradition, the longer they remained on, the more fruitful the earth would have been, and the fields were irrigated. The Druids celebrated their rites, taking advantage of the perfect match between sunshine hours and night hours.
As for the harvest of September 21, this festival celebrates the balance and harmony in the universe. This time of balance between light and dark, sun and moon, male and female marks a rich period of fertility, love and colors; a season of creativity and joyful dance.
For Nature and all its creatures, Equinox is the time of the encounter and dance of the Goddess and God as children, the end of the long winter’s lethargy and the first encounter with the Other, the time of falling in love and the time of transformation.
The term is derived from the name of the ancient Germanic goddess of fertility and spring, Eostre, Ostara or Oestara, whose symbols are the dens of rabbits, the eggs of birds, butterflies and cocoons, and the new moon.
The colors of Oestara – Eostre include pink, light blue, light yellow, green, mauve, purple and white (all colors of spring nature), the stones include opal, aquamarine, rose quartz and moonstone; its mythical animals are unicorns, horses and winged centaurs.
Plants and herbs associated with this festival are all spring flowers: crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, jasmine, Irish moss, ginger.
In particular, clover is the plant sacred to Spring Equinox, linked to the “Triskell”, the sacred wheel with three or four arms.
Spring Equinox is the phase in which the four elements – Air, Fire, Water and Earth – are in their greatest brightness: Air is vivified by gentle winds, the fire of Aries begins its work of transformation, spring rains quench and heat fields and the Earth is more lush than ever.
There are various ways of celebrating Oestara, some of which are still practised today: windows are opened to let wind pass through the house (even the interior one), cleaning it from winter’s prolonged influences; houses are decorated with spring flowers as daffodils, primroses, forsythie, and with colored candles in the shades of yellow, mauve, pale blue and green. Blooming flowers in gardens and fields are taken care of. Cakes and pastries are prepared, decorating eggs are decorated (boiled and colored with bright colors) and hidden in gardens, for the children to find.
Pastel colored candles are put in a circle, along with pots of spring flowers. People immerse themselves in nature to absorb its renewed energy.