The first article focused on Imbolc, the second sabbat on the Wheel. This article will focus on Ostara, or the Spring Equinox, celebrated in mid-March. This year (2004) the Equinox will occur on March 20th. Astronomically speaking, the Equinoxes (there are two) are points where day and night are of equal length. Symbolically, Equinoxes are a celebration of balance because of this.
Ostara is considered the true beginning of spring. Winter has passed on, and while the mornings may still be crisp with traces of frost on the grass, we've turned the corner towards warmer days. What began to waken at Imbolc is now fully aware and ready to go, as we start the build-up towards Beltane and it's frenzy of fire and passion. Ostara could also be considered a fertility holiday; as nature begins to flower and birds begin to hatch. In the span of weeks between mid-March and early May, leaves will emerge, the spring flowers will bloom, and little goslings will be hatching in the grassy spaces around my office building.
Think about all the secular customs of Easter: rabbits, dyed eggs, and egg hunts. All of these things are ancient fertility symbols, folk traditions carried in to our modern era. They remind us that with spring, the earth begins life anew. They also bring mirth into our ritual celebrations. After all, how serious can you be poking around in someone's backyard looking for eggs, or chewing the ears off a chocolate rabbit? Ostara is a time to be merry, throwing off winter's worries and cares to meet the coming warmth.
At Imbolc, I talked of making plans to break a bad habit or to start a project you've always been meaning to start. I talked of my own plans to de-clutter my living space. Ostara is the time to put those plans into action... to plant those seeds and nurse them into life, so you can reap the harvests of your labors later in the year. I've taken many small steps towards my goals between Imbolc and today. I've even joined a gym, to work on my weight-loss problems.
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