Ostara

Ostara came and went in the blink of an eye! As happens, life has been busy with all its ups and downs and I'm finally finding some time to get to some of the things that have been on my to-do list. Like post Ostara pictures!.

Here are some pictures of my Ostara altar for this year. I left up most of what I had for Imbolc and added a few items like the eggs I had dyed last year. I changed out the crystals adding some pretty ones that I thought represented Ostara.

If you follow my blog you'll know that last year Mary spoke to me saying she wanted to be on my Imbolc altar and so she is here and will stay on the altar through the end of May. As May is the month of Mary, I'll change the altar to reflect this special month.

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Ostara!

Happy Ostara!

Well, time slipped away on me and I wasn't able to get a video or pictures of my Ostara altar done before today. But for those of you who enjoy the videos, not to worry, I'll have one up in a day or two!

Sending everyone Happy Ostara wishes and may the Goddess bring you abundant blessings!

Ostara

I wanted to share with you a bit about Ostara, but rather than go into a diatribe about what Ostara is (because there are so many fabulous blogs and websites you can visit for more information) I decided to share a few things of how I'll celebrate this year.

An acquaintance from my Reiki class has invited me to a Labyrinth Walk on March 20th in the evening to celebrate the Spring Equinox. I'm so excited about this event as I've never experienced a labyrinth walk before and I think it will be a beautiful way to honor this time.

Ostara is the Goddess of Spring and the Dawn, whose worship goes back to ancient Pagan Teutonic/Saxon cultures. Contemporary Pagans of many paths honor Her at Spring Equinox time. Also known as Eostre, the Christian festival of Easter was named for her. The Easter Bunny, baskets, and colored eggs that are part of spring and Easter celebrations in America, Europe, and other parts of the world are rooted in her lore and symbology. Here is a lovely meditation to honor Ostara.

I'll also be performing a ritual to honor spring and my hope is to be able to do it outside, in the early morning as the sun is rising. It might be a little chilly, but it's a good time to reconnect with the Earth. I found a lovely ritual here that can be done by solitaries. Of course, feel free to add your own prayers or invocations as the mood (or the Goddess) moves you.

I also created some Ostara Eggs a few posts ago which were a lot of fun. Here's the link to that post.

And with that I'd like to share my Ostara altar with you. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was guided to have a statue of Mary on my altar. The statue arrived last Friday and it was with reverence that I added Her to my altar. I am so moved by all that She is bringing to my life at this time . . . spring truly is the season of new beginnings!

Embracing the Goddess . . .

When I started out on my journey almost a year ago, I was overwhelmed with the amount of information and the staggering numbers of deities from which to choose from. Slowly wading my way through, I decided to focus my devotions on Green Tara. And while she has been a devoted patroness to me, it was I who chose her. Along the way I'd hear of people who were definitely chosen BY the Goddess that they serve. I couldn't fully comprehend this idea - at least not until a few weeks ago.

It all started when I was deciding how to decorate my Ostara altar. Of course there is the color scheme of yellows, greens, purples and pinks. There are the eggs and the rabbits. There are the daffodils and seed packets. What I wasn't expecting to see on my Ostara altar was a statue of the Virgin Mary. "You need to put a statue of the Mother Goddess on your altar and she needs to be in the image of Mary", the voice said to me. Puzzled, I asked, "are you sure?" (with quizzical look on face). "Yes, dear one, I'm sure", the voice said. And so without questioning further, I ordered a statue of Mother Mary for my Ostara altar.

A few days later the song "Let It Be" started playing in my head . . .

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be.

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be

I took that as another sign that the Goddess was speaking to me, encouraging me to come to her. Remember my poem a few posts back? Mary is also named 'The Star of the Sea' and is believed to intercede as a guide and protector of those who travel or seek their livelihoods on the sea. How serendipitous is that?

And then I was led to a blog by 'City Wiccan' who had decided that she was going to incorporate the Rosary into her practice. She even went so far as to re-write the Rosary to celebrate the Goddess. And then they came, the blogs and websites with information of Mary as Goddess and prayers and devotions and hymns to her, written in a way that confirms my faith and my beliefs as a Wiccan.

Mary has many names; Anat, Aphrodite, Artemis, Asherah, Astarte, Athena, Brigit, Cybele, Demeter, Diana, Hecate, Ishtar, Inanna, Isis, Juno, Kuan Yin, Maat, Maeve, Mariamne, Sohpia, Tara, and Theotokos. I researched and read and honestly couldn't believe the information that was literally pouring into my hands. I was being led.

The similarities between Mary and Green Tara are striking. So much so that I've decided to keep both of these deities as my Patron Goddesses for as long as they'll have me . . . Green Tara because I chose her and she chose to accept my forcing myself upon her AND Mary because she's chosen me and has filled my heart to overflowing with her love, guidance and wisdom.

I purchased an amethyst (for it's spiritual nature) Rosary from Etsy. After removing the crucifix and attaching the Mary pendant I purchased from eBay I'm now ready to pray the Goddess Rosary. I've created a separate blog page for 'Praying the Goddess Mary Rosary' should you be interested.

In closing I just want to say to those of you who are searching for your 'Patron' Goddess - look for a deity who resonates with you, ask her permission to work with her and wait, patiently, for the Goddess of your heart to find you (she may even end up being the one you've chosen to work with!).

Sending you all Reiki Love and remember to Live in the Light!

Ostara Eggs

I know it's a little early to start thinking about Ostara, but when the mood strikes one must follow where inspiration leads. I was visiting 'Jeanne Winters Inspiring Blog' where she made eggs with letters on them. While her blog is from a Christian perspective, with a little tweaking her ideas can be transformed into something meaningful for the Pagan or Wiccan in you.

Rather than boil the eggs, I chose to have the insides blown out. Reinforcements were called in aka my husband (now, I'm not saying he's full of hot air, but . . .) and the insides blown out. Then I pressed on the appropriate letter (make sure you buy the really good sticky kind) and dunked the egg in the color. Jeanne used natural dyes such as boiling up blueberries and such, but I took the lazy woman's way out and used food coloring.

Here's the recipe:

2 teaspoons vinegar
2/3 cup boiling water
pink - use red food coloring making sure not to leave the egg in too long
purple - red and blue
yellow - yellow
olive green - green and yellow

Of course, you can make your eggs whichever colors you like! You could even draw a pentacle or a pentagram with a crayon and then dip the egg in the color. Once your eggs are dry, peel off the letters, place your eggs in a pretty basket and voila' Ostara eggs for your altar or decorating.

Now someone pass me the jelly beans please . . .

Making a Corn Dolly

Traditionally, the corn dolly was made at Lughnasadh from the last sheaf of wheat (called corn in Europe) that was harvested and then paraded through town for all to see. The sheaf, called the Old Woman, was then placed in the home to protect the spirit of the grain and to represent the Goddess in her Crone aspect. In this aspect she is thought to protect the home and family until winter is over. She was placed high in the rafters near the hearth.

Being a relatively new Wiccan, and just getting used to the idea of all the Sabbats and what each one entails, I didn't manage to get my corn dolly made at Lughnasadh. With Imbolc right around the corner, I decided better late than never, and went about making my dolly. At Imbolc the corn dolly is dressed as the Bride to await the God in his youth aspect. The dolly was then traditionally plowed back in the field at Ostara.

I started with two bundles of wheat I purchased from Michael's and soaked the bottom portions for about an hour.

I took some of the wheat (about 2 inches in diameter) and tied it with white ribbon just below the bushy parts. I cut the stalks to about 10 inches measuring from the bottom of the bushy parts. This makes the body and head.

I then took some of the stalks (about 1/2 inch in diameter), cut the bushy parts off and tied them together about 1/2 an inch from the ends to make the arms and hands.

I then took the remainder of the wheat and divided it into two bunches. With one bunch I bent it over the arm on one side, holding tightly to the whole thing. Then I took the other bunch and bent it over the other side. I then cut the stalks in the back to the same length. I then took my white ribbon and wrapped it around, tied it off and made a bow.

And there you have it! A corn dolly all ready to become the Goddess Bride at Imbolc.

Charging Your Corn Dolly
(from Llewellyn's Sabbats Almanac)

Lay the dolly on a table with a green candle and sandalwood incense. Create your sacred space. Light the incense and the candle saying:

"Green for Nature's abundance, and aroma of abundance, luck, and protection."

Pass the dolly through the incense smoke, saying:

"Made of the grain that there is always food in this house;
Tied with white ribbon for protection and peace;
She represents the spirit of abundance;
Kept through the winter to ward illness and want."

Set the dolly on the table and place both hands, palms down over her, saying:

"Through the Earth Mother and the Sun God, with the power of the Elementals, this dolly is charged to protect my home from adversity and illness! So mote it be!

Envision energy being released through your palms into the dolly. Snuff the candle, open the sacred space, and place the dolly in a secure place at home, such as on a kitchen wall or in the rafters.

What's up . . .

I've been busy in my studio the last few days getting some items ready for Valentine's Day and Ostara. I can't believe how time is flying by this new year and with Imbolc right around the corner, I feel like a dog chasing my tail! Add to that my first Reiki workshop this Saturday and well, you could say I'm getting a tad bit overwhelmed. It's all good though and despite the fact that I'm coming down with a sore throat, I'm looking forward to it all!

I just wanted to share a few things I've created. They're all available in my Etsy shop. Enjoy!

For Valentine's Day . . .

For Ostara . . .