Welcome to the Raven’s nesting grounds! Here we hope to give you useful bits of information we’ve gathered from the far corners of the web, and maybe something shiny will catch your eye while you are here. We do not proclaim to be experts in anything. We’re just a couple of souls with similar tastes in many things, that hope in some small way we can help you on your journey as well. Whether it be physically, mentally or spiritually.
We’re just gonna jump into the middle of things here and get this ball a rolling! The Spring Equinox is coming up, typically anytime from March 19 to March 22. I believe our current calendar, the Gregorian calendar, marks it as March 20th. For the Pagan/Wiccan community this time is called Ostara. One of the eight Sabbats, and believed to be named after the Goddess Eostre, this holiday is closely related to the holiday of Easter in the Christian religion. Many of the same symbols of spring are used in both religious practices, such as the hare or rabbit for fertility since March is typically when the hare comes out of hibernation to mate for the season. Female hares can get pregnant with a second litter while still pregnant with the first, which explains why they were big symbols of fertility.
It is unclear on the exact origins of the Goddess Eostre, though she is mentioned in several scholarly writings in Germany. The monk Bede mentions that the pagan Anglo-Saxons held festivals in her honor. Two hundred years later in The Life of Charlemagne the monk Einhard mentions her again. The materials on her are so scant some scholars speculated Bede made her up, but he was a known heathen-phobe, and very unlikely to go about making up Goddesses. Some decided she must be an aspect of Freya, while others believed she was Iduna or Walburga. While still many modern Pagans believe her to be a Vanic Goddess, or at least closely related. Yet her very name is related to that of Eos, the Greek goddess of dawn.
In spite of all the mystery swirling around her origins, the true magic is in the first warm spring winds, the birds that return, trees that bud and curl forth leaves and flowers. The awakening of the Earth, rabbits and hares, the eggs that appear after a lightless winter. Chickens that are kept in natural lighting quit laying eggs during the winter months, because the days are shorter. Once the days starts to lengthen, they begin laying eggs again. So March/April is a prime time for chicken eggs, and after a long winter with no protein, a chicken egg looks mighty good! This may have lead to the practice of coloring eggs for Easter, to show the appreciation of the warmer days to come.
Now is a great time to plant seeds, clean those ritual areas, (car, computer or office space), organize your spice cabinet, take a walk in nature, meditate or journal on your goals for the upcoming year. Take the time to take the steps towards making your goals and ideas that you started around Yule or Imbolc happen. Decorate your altar with items associated with Ostara and gifts for the Goddess, to help bring your plans to fruition. Maybe you just got out of a relationship, but that person keeps lingering in the back of your mind…. now is the perfect time to perform a cord-cutting ceremony and start fresh! (We have beeswax candles that would be perfect for this!)
However you wish to spend your Equinox, don’t forget to take time for yourself. When de-cluttering a space like your home office, if you feel overwhelmed take a break. If you only get your desk cleared off and organized, that’s great! The rest of the office can wait till the next day. Go get a book and a hot cup of tea and relax for a bit. Surf your favorite web pages, listen to your favorite albums – whatever helps you declutter inside for a bit. That’s just as important. You are important. Blessed Be.
Symbols of Ostara
Colors: blue, green, pink
Foods: eggs, honey, sprouted greens, baked goods
Stones: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Rose Quartz
Symbols: rabbits, eggs, clover, lambs
Flowers & Plants: crocus, daffodil, tulip
Deities: Isis, Estotre (Eostre, Ostara), Adonis
Check out our on hand products, we have several items perfect for your Equinox festivities. We have Goddess pendants, tumbled stones, candles and more!