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Articles & Stories Ostara
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| Written by Colin | |
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Easter, Eostre and Ostara are all names used to refer to the spring or Vernal equinox. Eostre was a Tuetonic fertility goddess and her name is probably a variant of Ishtar or Astarte. The Christian feast of Easter, which falls anywhere from right after the Spring Equinox to right before Beltain, celebrates roughly the same ideas as our pagan Ostara: the sun/son rises, conquers death/winter and makes possible new life for all/food (food will now be able to be grown etc.  Many of the symbols used by Christians at Easter time are quite appropriately used by pagans (the Christians adopted much pagan symbology). You could say that the symbols are more accurately universal - symbolising springtime and the new tide of life that is flowing through th earth. So we can now await the Ostara bunny knowing that the hare was one of the sacred beasts of the Goddess as well as a symbol of fertility which is very appropriate at this time of year. At this time of year we dye/paint our eggs (magical amulets of fertility, prosperity and protection) and bury them for the children in the knowledge that this little observance is truly a ritual celebrating springtime and the new life that is to be found all around us.
For more on Open Ritual events at The Coven, click here
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