Well it is that time of year when everything thrives. Babies are born to many animals this time of year. Plants flower, leafing out, many different colors abound this time of years. We celebrate the the maiden Goddess in one of her aspects. This is a time of fertility when the Earth is its most at its most fertile. Winters grasp is finally falling away to be replaced by the heat of the coming summer (although I think this year is a bit strange not many cold days it is almost as if summer couldn’t give in to winter).
Many different rituals can be done to worship the Goddess. If you are a solitary practitioner like me and don’t do the elaborate rituals that is how I believe, because the Mother nurtures and talks to us constantly trying to guide us along our path but doesn’t interfere we ultimately choose the path we go down. So I celebrate with coloring of eggs, an Egg hunt for my children, presents and a basket I guess that would also be traditionally Easter fair yet on a different day not to mention I don’t buy the stuff animals and Easter grass and stuff like that it actually has to be unique and valuable why clutter the house with plastic stuff and things that will never ever be used or will be discarded after one day. I do put out candles and flowery incense, making seed cakes, cleansing the home with spring cleaning, flying kites, Planting plants out in the garden that are frost tolerant, I feed the birds and other animals because of the burden of birth and hatching of little ones that can tax their bodies and I think that the Goddess and God would want that.We also take a nature hikes around our property and have a picnic. And do other games, arts and crafts, stories and many fun things during this time of year.
I like to decorate for the day. I use flowering branches, colored eggs that are to be used during the egg hunt, seasonal flowers such as daffodils, any of the colors of spring and with rabbits and other animals figurines no many though I am limited on space. I also set up my alter during this time I have to do it outside so I always pray for nice weather with low winds and no rain. And I place out offerings of seeds, and take many of the wild flower seeds I saved from last year and throw all along road ways so that they can repopulate an area that they previously but now no longer live in (it is sad but I see it happen a lot in fact I collected some of my original seeds from those areas for my own garden I even now have a unique variety that grows because of the genetic diversity that happens I don’t think it grows anywhere but in my garden will have to look).
There are a few recipes, and other things I would like to show you I will put these on a Page Under Ostara and hope you enjoy the activities yourself , with your family, and or with friends.
Here are some links to explore on Ostara History, Traditions, Rituals, ect hope you enjoy.
http://www.ladyoftheearth.com/sabbats/sabbats.html
http://www.thesacredpaths.com/village/2006/02/24/ostara-solitary-ritual/
http://thewiccalife.blogspot.com/2011/01/solitary-ostara-ritual.html
http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/ostara_solitary_ritual.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/ia/LiliWicca/ostara.html
http://www.thewiccanway.org/files/SolitaryOstaraRitual.pdf
http://witchhaven.com/?page_id=6
http://autumnearthsong.com/2012/03/03/ostara-recipes-2012/
http://magickwyrd.wordpress.com/sabbats-2011-2012/ostara-spring-equinox-march-20th-2012/
http://witchofhowlingcreek.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/ostara-the-equinox-and-balance/
http://acroan.com/2012/02/29/unintentional-injuries-and-ostara/
http://celticawitch.wordpress.com/the-wheel-of-the-year/ostara/
The Green Wiccan 