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In planning my kindred’s Ostara ritual for this year, which we canceled, I ran across an interesting association with similarly named dawn goddesses. The goddess Ostara may be older than we think.
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Hail Dawn, goddess of many names!
Éostre (Old English, West Saxon dialect) AY-aw-streh (ay as in say, aw as in awe)
Éastre (Old English, Northumbrian dialect). AY-ah-streh (ay as in say)
Both forms are used by contemporary pagans. Occasionally—probably under the influence of Ostara—written Oestre. (Technically, this form is historically incorrect, if you care about such things.)
*Ôstarâ (Old High German) OH-sta-ra (but most English-speakers say oh-STAR-a; technically, this is historically incorrect, if you care about such things.)
Name reconstructed by the Brothers Grimm. Probably the most frequently-used name for the goddess, and her springtime festival, among contemporary pagans and heathens.
...it’s time for us to celebrate that particularly sacred time, the Spring Equinox, also known to many Pagans as Ostara! Representing the midpoint between the dark nights of winter and the long days of summer, the Equinox is the moment when the Earth’s equator lines up with the Sun. In some cultures it is regarded as the start of spring while others perceive it as the midpoint (with spring beginning around early February and ending in May).
For our annual megapost in celebration of the Equinox we’ve gathered all our relevant content from PaganSquare this year as well as some links from other sites we thought might be of interest. May the coming summer be filled with joy and exuberance for all of you and your loved ones!
-Aryós Héngwis
English
Easter is risen! Indeed she is risen!
Old English
Éastre arás! Sóþlice héo arás!
Greek
Kórê anéstê! Alêthós anéstê!
The spring equinox this year falls on the 20th of March. This is a time of youthful exuberance in nature, when all of the green world seems to be springing back into life. March wind and rain may still keep many of us indoors on some days, but if we venture out into the wild we will be surprised by what we encounter. Blossom will be erupted from every tree and hedgerow, and the forest floor begins to be carpeted with primroses and anemones, celandine and of course daffodils, which spring up everywhere along verges and gardens as well as the wild with equal ease and sunny glory.
Mad march hares can be seen sprinting across the brown fields, and boxing off unwanted lovers as the mating season gets underway in earnest. One of my favourite places to see the hares is at Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire, though they can be found all over the UK. Sighting the hares is a regular part of my spring pilgrimage to this exposed but beautiful ancient site.
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Down the years, it's become the leitmotif of our spring evenday (equinox) celebration.
Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain:
wheat that in the deep Earth many days hath lain.
Love lives again, that with the dead hath been:
love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
The tune is a 17th century French noel, with lyrics written by an early 20th century Anglican clergyman. Now the pagans sing it when, having descended into the underworld, we find Spring and bring her back. As a round we sing it, vining, intertwining, calling forth the green.
When we enter the temple, she is gone.
We light from the altar fire and go out to look for her. Up and down we look. Everywhere we see signs of her, and these we gather into baskets; but she herself is nowhere.
We regather. There is only one place she can be. With our fire, we descend.
We walk the winding ways of below. Even here we do not find her.
We enter darkness. In darkness, even fire dies.
While we wait, we sing. In darkness, it ends and begins.
