Ostara

Northern Hemisphere: March 21

Southern Hemisphere: September 21

Spring equinox

Other names, same festival: Ostara, whose original name is Eostre, is the festival of
Spring Equinox. Ēostre is the Germanic goddess of spring; the Anglo-Saxons
They called the month of April 'eosturmonath', after this goddess. Ēostre was accompanied by a follower.
rabbit that, to honor her, laid some sacred eggs that he decorated by painting them vividly
colors. The Goddess was so happy with the gift that she wanted to share her joy with the
humans. He asked the rabbit to distribute that gift around the world. That's why, he
they decorate and adorn eggs that are placed on the altar as decoration or are taken as
fertility talisman. The Ostara eggs symbolize eternity and unity.

Eostre comes from the Proto-Germanic austrō and from the Proto-Indo-European root aues (to shine).
a link between Eostre and the Greek goddess of dawn, Eos (known as Aurora for the
Romans). As a goddess of fertility associated with the beginning of spring, she is a goddess of
dawn and the awakening of nature. In the Druidic tradition, this celebration is known as
name of Alban Eilir.

A pagan legend tells that at dawn of the equinox a white rabbit would emerge from the
depth of the forest and hid golden eggs in the hollows of the trees. Those who
they would find abundance throughout the year.

For the Celts, this was the festival of 'Lady Day' during which they celebrated the return of the
virgin (the virgin goddess) after her long winter slumber (during which the goddess is considered
the old woman/sorceress.

In some places, this day is celebrated as the first of the year, as the Sun enters the first.
zodiac sign.
The Sun rises directly in the east, making day and night of equal length.
Days are longer than nights. It breaks with the inactivity of winter and is celebrated.
continuation of life.

Good time to explore Nature, picking wildflowers, walking through

gardens, fields, and parks. What bothers our progress is left behind.

The young God falls in love with the Goddess and they play together. This love makes Nature...
Renew, the Sun caresses the Earth and the animals begin to mate. It is a party of love and
growth. The God and the Goddess reign together again, the days and the nights are equal and everything
rebirth after the cold and dark winter. It is a festivity related to fertility,
Renaissance, the awakening of nature and balance.

In Greco-Latin mythology, it is the moment when Persephone returns from the Underworld.
Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the earth. She was abducted by
Hades, god of the underworld, who fell hopelessly in love with her. Her mother, seized by the
sorrow, caused the sterility of the fields. It was finally agreed that Persephone would spend the
half of the year in the underworld (the winter) and the other half of the year with her mother,
Demeter, in the world of the living (spring). While Persephone is in the underworld.
your mother is sad and nothing grows in the soil.

A period of fertility and sacred balance between night and day begins the process when the
stored energy bursts forth in its realization. It focuses mainly on renewal, the
expansion and the return of the life-giving heat of the Sun.

The first flowers, eggs, and rabbits are symbols of Ostara. Color and hide.
eggs and the symbolism of the rabbit continue to be popular today. It is a time of
celebration. The light tips the scale and surpasses the night, lengthens the days and brings the anticipation
of the return from a growth period.

Herbs are planted, and the work to prepare the soil for the planting season begins.
houses and the land are cleaned of the winter waste and the spring cleaning is done
in depth and it is complete. It is a time of new beginnings and possibilities. New ones begin
adventures, new relationships are formed and life forces the earth to begin to awaken.
It is a time of deep gratitude.
The exuberant expansion of nature begins in spring. Night and day
They equalize, and it is the festival of balance and fertility, also called the ritual of life. It is the
perfect day to bless the seeds for planting.

It is a special time to cast fertility spells in any sense one desires.

but, it is also a time to admire the beautiful creation of nature from its
birth. In Ostara we banish what we do not like about ourselves. The tradition
advises walks in the woods and hiding decorated 'Easter' eggs as a symbol of the
fertility and eternity.

Some typical traditions of Ostara are painting boiled eggs and hiding them in the forest or
give them away to wish for abundance and prosperity; write down on a piece of paper everything bad that
we want to leave behind, burn it and bury the ashes, since Ostara is a time of
Renaissance and renewal; the rain dances, present in multitude of cultures.

The best way to celebrate Ostara is in some forest or natural setting, where we can
connect with nature and thank it for its abundance. We can plant seeds
In our magical garden, Ostara is the right time for it. Another tradition is to offer flowers.
fresh or fill our cauldron with them

The Church and the celebration of Ostara.

Easter is the Christian festival that celebrates the victory of the god of light (Jesus) over the
darkness (death), which seems to be absolutely aligned with pagan traditions
In this season. Ironically, the name 'Easter' was taken from a goddess.
Teutonic lunar, Eostre, which in turn gave her name to the female hormone: estrogen,
It was represented by a rabbit due to its fertility and by the egg as a cosmic origin.
of the universe.

Their party was held on the Full Moon of the Spring Equinox. Of course, the church did not
celebrates the full moons, so Easter is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the
first full moon after the Equinox, still, if Easter Sunday falls on a Moon
Fill, you have to postpone until next Sunday.

In addition to this, it is the time of year when the Goddess or the God descends to the underworld.
This may be more noticeable in the Christian tradition. Starting with the
death on the cross on Good Friday, it is said that Jesus descends to hell during the three
days that remains in his tomb.

But on the third day (Easter Sunday), his body and soul are reborn from death and ascend.
to the sky. Relating this to the lunar aspect of the Goddess, it refers to the three days in which the
the moon does not appear in the sky (New Moon).

CORRESPONDENCES

Foods: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and pine nuts, green vegetables, and asparagus.

Wine, fruit juice, and herbal tea.

Herbs: Spring flowers, violets, iris, olive, peony, lilies, gorse, daffodil.

Incenses: Jasmine, rose or any floral incense.

Colors: Light green, lemon yellow, pale pink.

Stones: Jasper.

Inciensos: Benjuí, Violeta, Rosa, Jazmín.

Candles: Pink, red, brown.

Altar decoration: Wildflowers, small silver, decorated eggs, container with water
from the spring (or mineral, from the bottle), flowers and buds.

Additional tools for the ritual: Red candle inside the cauldron, sickle/wand,
bell, paper, pen, metal plate (or container where something can be burned)

WHAT TO DO?
Plant seeds.

Work in the garden.

Working with plants (magic, cosmetics, art...).

Use egg-shaped maracas to raise the energy in the ritual.

Offer food to the little people (fairies, spirits of Nature), who are the ones responsible.
to give fertility to the Earth.

Climb a hill to meditate and send energy to places with environmental issues
to help repair damage.

• Empty eggs or give them a layer of wax or varnish, decorate them. The eggs are adorned and
used as decoration on the altar in honor of the gods, as well as being worn as talismans of
fertility.

Bury eggs in a seedbed or among seeds that birds eat; or store it

along with the seeds to be planted in the garden until they are to be used for planting.

Fill eggs with glitter or confetti and break them over the heads of friends.

Choose seeds to plant outdoors and plants with magical connotations, depending on
what one wishes to 'plant' in life during the spring season.

RITUALS

Cleanings

Bless the cleaning items (broom, mop...) with water and salt. Draw a pentacle.
about the salt saying:

Bendigo this salt.

Bless the water in the same way. Add three pinches of salt to the water and stir in a clockwise direction with the
power hand. Splash the object a little with the mixture, saying:

I bend this (object) to cleanse my life

Sweep the house from the upper floor (or if not possible, from the farthest room in the house)
front door) to the lower, taking everything out through the back door (or the entrance one, or
picking it up with the dustpan and throwing it into a trash can on the street), saying:

Out of here, dirt. Out of here, cold. Out of here, winter

Go to the main door and sing:

Spring, you are welcome. You are welcome. Three times, welcome.

To plant

Gather all the seeds to be used, soil, etc. and draw the circle. Invoke Demeter.
Flora or another deity of plants and growth. Raise the hands above the head,
attracting the energy of the skies and saying:

Bless me and bless what I am going to plant in this coming season.

Lower your hands, directing them to your feet and say:

Give me and mine the strength and the life

Plant the seeds as you normally would; after planting each seed, meditate.
about what this will contribute to our lives, whether it's love, prosperity, or the joy of some
home-grown tomatoes.

After drawing the Circle, take the sickle/wand, raise your arms and say:

I admire the Gods, generators of life. Without their Lord, the Goddess would be barren. Without their Lady, the
God would lack life. Both need each other to complete themselves, like the Sun and the
Earth, the Spirit and the flesh, man and woman

Light the red candle. Hit the cauldron with the sickle/wand and say:

Great Goddess, accompany me in your aspect of Maiden that brings joy and new life.

Ring the bell once and say:

Great God, accompany me in your aspect of Lord of the Forests who brings warmth and love.

Hit the cauldron with the sickle/wand and say:

May the power of the ancient penetrate into the new. Great Lord and Great Lady, make all the
things become strong and produce new life. Blessed be you!

Put incense in the censer and walk sunwise with it around the Circle. Deposit it in
the altar, raise your arms and say:

All the creatures of the Earth, awaken! Greet the Maiden and her lover, who announce
the arrival of spring

Touch the paper with the ribbon, saying:

I discard my last fogs of winter and the past and only contemplate what I have before me. I
the time has come to plant seeds, both in the physical plan and in the mental one.
spiritual

On each paper, write a wish for what remains until the next Ostara. Fold the papers.
and keep them on the altar as an offering to the Gods and say:

This is a moment of joy, a moment to plant. With joy and confidence, I deposit these
petitions in the hands of the Gods

Light each paper one by one on the red candle and leave them on the plate, saying:

I voluntarily deposit these seed-thoughts in the hands of the Gods. May these
wishes and dreams may manifest and become reality. Blessed be the Gods!

Touch the plant, connecting with its energies and with Nature. Say while touching it
plant

I walk the Earth as a friend, not as a Lady. Mother Goddess and Father God, may they awaken in me.
through this plant, the love for all living things. Teach me to revere the Earth and all
your treasures and never let him forget it

Meditate on the change of the seasons.

Celebrate the Simple Fest and the work that is required.

WHAT TO COOK
BREAD WITH POPPY SEEDS AND CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 cup of bread mix or flour

1 / 2 cup of milk

1 egg

1 / 4 cup of chopped onion

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Preparation:

Half of the cheese and all of the bread mixture (or the flour) in a bowl.

Add the milk and stir until everything is mixed.

Combine the remaining cheese, the egg, and the onion and add them to the dough.

Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes.

You can also make the bread in the form of cookies.

Violet Salad

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of raspberry vinegar

1 tablespoon of chopped chives

1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Fresh black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons of chicken broth, vegetable for vegetarians

1 1/2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 pound of washed mixed green vegetables

1/4 cup of violet flowers

1/4 cup of wild strawberries (optional)

Combine: vinegar, scallions, mustard, and a little pepper in a small bowl. Let it sit.
Let it rest for 5 minutes. Beat and add the oil. Dress the vegetables with the mixture. Place the
violets and the strawberries on top. Serve immediately.

STUPENDOUS EGGS

Ingredients:

6 hard-boiled eggs.

1/4 cup of mayonnaise (or 3 tablespoons of yogurt sauce).

Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them in half. Remove the yolks, place them in a bowl and
Mash them well. Add the mayonnaise or yogurt sauce and mix it all well until
Leave a homogeneous cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put the mixture inside the
egg whites, sprinkle them with paprika and serve.

Optional:

To season, you can add a teaspoon of mustard or 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.

from Chile, or a few drops of hot sauce. For another type of seasoning, add 1/2
teaspoon of horseradish sauce or 1 teaspoon of onion juice or a tablespoon of
chopped onion.

To make the eggs more substantial and colorful, you can add any of the
following things, or all of them: 2 tablespoons of chopped ham or ham hot sauce, 2
tablespoons of chopped celery, or 2 tablespoons of chopped sweet pickles or sauce
shortened.

EASY TRUFFLES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of margarine or butter.

1/3 cup of cocoa powder.

3/4 cup of powdered sugar.

Chopped nuts or shredded coconut.

Preparation:

Beat the margarine or butter until it becomes a cream. Add the cocoa, sifting it in,
making sure there are no lumps. Add the powdered sugar, without lumps
neither. Move the mixture until you get a cream. If it's too soft, add more
sugar.

Shape it like a trunk and roll the exterior over nuts or coconut. Place it in the
freeze for 45 minutes and then cut it into slices.

If preferred, they can be given a rounded, egg shape.

OSTARA FRITADA

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of chopped green onions

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of soft butter

200 grams of diced sweet ham

3 cups of boiled and chopped potatoes

1 cup of grated cheese

8 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sauté the onions and mushrooms in olive oil until they are tender. Prepare a
baking dish of glass greasing it with butter and pouring the onions into it and the
mushrooms. Add the ham, the potatoes, and the grated cheese. Pour in the beaten eggs and
mix it lotus. Put it in the oven at 350º, uncovered, for about 25-30 minutes until
the eggs have been hard boiled. Serve it with toast and fruit.

Asparagus Casserole

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of margarine

2 1/2 tablespoons of flour

2 cups of milk

2 drops of Tabasco sauce

1/2 teaspoon of salt

A pinch of pepper

110 grams of Velveeta or Cheddar cheese

2 cans of drained cut asparagus

3 hard-boiled eggs sliced into thin rounds

Preparation: To coat: Crush 20 rice cakes with half a stick of butter.

melted. Melt the margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until
mix well until it acquires a slight toasted tone. Continue stirring, add
Gradually add the milk and boil for 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
Add the tabasco, salt, pepper, and cheese. Stir well until you obtain a smooth mixture.
creamy. Remove from the heat. Generously grease another pot approximately 22 cm
of diameter and put pieces of butter. Place a layer of asparagus, another of thin
slices of egg, again asparagus and finish with slices of egg. Pour the sauce over
on top and crown with pieces of butter. Bake at 175º for 30-35 minutes.

CHOCOLATE EGGS

Make a hole in the top of the egg to empty it. Clean it by filling it and
emptying it of water several times. Then fill it with previously melted chocolate and
put it in an egg carton directly to freeze. Once frozen, take it out of the freezer and
paint the shell. Normal egg on the outside and decorated, chocolate egg on the inside.

CHEESECAKE WITH FLOWER PETALS

Ingredients:

1 cup of sliced cheese

1 cup of assorted cookies

1/2 cup of milk

1 egg

1/4 of chopped onion

1 cup per person of flower petals (check which are edible)

Mix:

1/2 cup of cheese and all the cookies in a bowl or dish. Add the milk and stir until it
make a paste and mix it well.

Mix the remaining cheese, the chopped egg, and the onion and mix until it is combined again.
Sprinkle with flower petals and bake it at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Zucchini Flower and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of butter

4 tablespoons of finely chopped onion

3 chopped sprigs of paico (epazote, Chenopodium ambrosioides)

1 bunch of washed and chopped squash flowers

1½ liters of chicken broth

300 grams of fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced

Preparation:

In a hot pot, heat the butter and sauté the onion, mushrooms, and zucchini flowers. Add the
consume and salt to taste. Finally, let it boil for 10 minutes.

ROASTED PIG

Ingredients
3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

4 teaspoons of chopped garlic, divided

2 pork loins, approximately one pound each

1 teaspoon of black pepper

2 tablespoons of dried thyme

2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 pound of asparagus tips (top)

1 cup of fat-free and low-sodium chicken broth, divided

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Mix the mustard with the 3 teaspoons of chopped garlic. Spread the
mustard mixture on both loins. Mix the thyme, black pepper, and salt and set aside
set aside a teaspoon of the preparation. Spread the rest of the mixture over the loins,
lightly beating them. Place them on a grill in a low baking dish and
Bake it for 25 minutes.

Arrange the asparagus and peppers in a single layer in a shallow pan. Add 1/4
of broth, the remaining mixture of thyme and the leftover teaspoon of garlic and
cover it.

Cook the vegetables along with the loins for 15 to 20 minutes or until the temperature of
thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160° F and the vegetables are internal. Bring the
Cut the loins into a cutting board and wrap them in aluminum foil. Place the vegetables.
in the plate, preserve the juice and cover it. Add 3/4 cup of the remaining broth and the juice
in the pot. Place it over the fire for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring slowly until
reduce to 3/4 cup. Cut the fillets into 3/4 inch pieces and place them in a
tray. Pour the juice over the loins and the vegetables.

NOODLES WITH GARDEN SAUCE

Ingredients:
500g Whole Wheat Noodles

250g sliced mushrooms

1 Chopped eggplant

1 chopped zucchini

150g Tofu

2 crushed garlic cloves

½ chopped onion

3 very ripe tomatoes for cooking

Salt and Pepper

3 small leaves of finely chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

In a pan, we add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and let it heat for a few minutes.
We add the onion, mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini to the pan,
A few minutes later we add the tofu and the crushed garlic so that it doesn't burn beforehand.
We stir-fry the vegetables with the tofu for about 5 more minutes. We will add the
peeled tomatoes and we'll let them cook for about 15 minutes on low heat.

While the sauce is cooking, we pour the pasta into a pot of boiling water, salt, and a teaspoon.
of olive oil. When it is al dente, drain it and return it to the pot. We season it.
the pasta with salt and pepper. We distribute the sauce over the pasta and mix everything well.
We decorate with chopped basil.

PUFF PASTRY AND FLOWER SALAD

Ingredients:

1 bouquet of organic mixed flowers

1 rose in julienne

1 Italian lettuce

1 red lettuce

1 escarole lettuce
20 grams of grated carrot

3 ounces of wine vinegar

8 ounces of extra virgin olive oil

Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Gently wash the organic flowers and the lettuces. For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar
red wine, extra virgin olive oil, chopped parsley, julienne of rose petals and the
pepper mill.

Place the lettuce leaves in the center of the plate and gently arrange the petals of
the organic flowers on the sides of the lettuce, taking care of the visual effect of the presentation, and the
Carrot julienne on top of the lettuce. Serve the vinaigrette on the side.

Lentil Meatballs

Ingredients:

250g red lentils

4 chopped green onions

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

80g of freshly grated bread

125g shredded cheddar cheese

1 large zucchini, grated

150g polenta

Preparation:

Pour the lentils into a medium pot and immerse them in water. Bring them to a boil, lower the
fire, cover them and let them cook for 10 minutes until they are tender. Drain them and
rinse them well under the cold water stream.
Pour half of the lentils, the spring onions, and the garlic into the food processor and chop it all up.
for 10 seconds, in order to obtain a mushy mass. Transfer it to a large bowl and add the
remaining lentils, the cumin, the breadcrumbs, the cheese, and the zucchini, mix it all well.

Take tablespoons of dough, shape them into balls and roll them in the polenta.

In a pan, fry them until golden and crispy, then drain on paper towels.
We serve them with chutney or in yogurt sauce.

Stuffed eggs

Ingredients:

Eggs

Fried tomato

Mayonnaise

Tuna

Preparation:

Boil the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise (so that they end up as elongated halves.
equal). Mix the yolks (leaving one aside) with fried tomato and tuna. Put that mixture in the
hollow where the yolk was and place the eggs upside down in a dish (with the filling)
(supported at the base of the fountain). Coat the eggs with mayonnaise and to each one, with a
spoon, draw a line with fried tomato and sprinkle it with the reserved yolk. This is
just for the presentation.... You can decorate what remains of the fountain with salad or flowers.

OAT AND BANANA BREAD.

Ingredients:

2 cups of oat flour

2 teaspoons of yeast

1 small cup of milk

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1/3 cup of margarine

2/3 cup of sugar

2 fresh eggs

1 cup of ripe banana puree (2 large bananas or 3 small ones)

1 teaspoon of salt

Preparation:

We start by greasing a loaf pan with butter, after this we

we flour our pan so that our preparation does not stick to the mold when taking it out
from the oven.

In a small jar, we dissolve the two teaspoons of yeast in the milk and let it sit.
one side for fermentation. In a bowl, preferably glass (as it is always more
We dissolve the margarine in a hygienic way, to which we will add the sugar. We mix well.
We add the eggs one by one, while mixing the preparation, we beat well afterwards.
add each egg.

Once this is done, we add the dry ingredients, that is the oat flour, and then the
yeast that should have already fermented, we mix them well.

Then we add the banana puree to the mixture and followed by the chopped walnuts,
we mix again and then we put our preparation in the English pudding mold.

We bake our oat bread in a hot oven for one hour, or until when we stick a skewer
a toothpick comes out dry. After taking it out of the oven, we let it cool before
cut it, so that it is firm. If we wish, we can sprinkle our pudding with
Ostara with a little powdered sugar.

HONEY BREAD

Ingredients:

250 g of flour

1/4 liter of milk

1 teaspoon of honey

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of baking powder

Sunflower seeds

Barley seeds
breadcrumbs

Butter.

Preparation: Boil the milk and honey until everything is well dissolved. Remove from heat and
reserve. Sift the flour with the baking powder and mix with the eggs gradually with
the milk and the honey reserved. Beat until obtaining a fluffy dough. Grease a mold
rectangular for bread, sprinkle the bottom with seeds and cover with breadcrumbs. Pour
in the mold the previous dough and place in the oven at moderate temperature for 30
minutes. Remove from the oven and before unmolding, let cool.

Sources:

Wiccans

Book of Shadows by Morgana and arikelilla

Wiccans on the Net

Celtic Magic by D.J. Conway

Llewellyn's Witches' Calendar

Magic corner

Tarot cards

Pagan community Mexico

Wicca Argentina

Celtic moon