Oestara, Ostara symbolic associations, food, flowers etc

Oestara is a wonderful time of year, the spring equinox when we celebrate the fertility of our Mother Earth and new beginnings. As our earth springs to life, so may our lives reflect that new growth and anticipation.

Below are associations with Oestara for your information. You may like to use this information to think about ways to decorate your home or your altar, food to prepare for this feast or ways to celebrate with family and friends. Enjoy.

Oestara Symbolic associations: rabbit and the egg , the element air, the direction east, the morning star and the time of dawn, new moon butterflies and cocoons

Oestara Colours: Green, white and silver. Lemon yellow, pale green and pale pink, all pastels. These are wonderful colours to decorate your home and your Oestara altar with at this time of year, welcome in the Spring!

Ostara Foods: Eggs, honey cakes, first fruits of the season. Dairy foods like cheese and ice-cream, if you are Vegan substitute these for soya varieties. Also include foods made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds. Sprouts are wonderful as they symbolize the new growth of Oestara and spring. Leafy salad greens are great, include some dandelion leaves for variety and de-toxification.

This is from Scott Cunningham:

 “Foods in tune with this day (linking your meals with the seasons is a fine method of attuning with nature) include those made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts. Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables. Flower dishes such as stuffed naturtiums or carnation cupcakes also find their place here.” Scott Cunningham

Oestre Flowers:
 Daffodil, Violet, Iris, Narcissus, Crocus, Anemone.

The flowers of the anemone were said to bloom either from the blood of Adonis or the tears shed by Aphrodite, his beloved. The Romans picked the first anemone of the year as a health protectant, saying "I gather this against all diseases". They wore the flowers around the neck in garlands. You could do the same, wearing flowers in your hair or as a necklace.

~Magickal Graphics~

Crocus is a flower often grown in the home to attract love. Giving a Crocus plant to someone as a house blessing would be a wonderful Oestara activity.

Any spring flowers that grow in your local area would be appropriate for Oestara. Bring the spring into your home with some locally grown cut flowers. Do remember to ask the flower’s permission for any blooms that you cut down to bring indoors.

Oestara, Ostara Gemstones: Aquamarine, agate, amazonite, amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone rose quartz, jasper and moonstone.

Ostara Gods and goddesses: Goddesses: Persephone, Blodeuwedd, Eostre, Aphrodite, Athena, Cybele, Gaia, Hera, Isis, Ishtar, Minerva and Venus. Gods: Green Man, Cernunnos, the Dagda, Attis, Mithras, Odin, Thoth, Osiris and Pan.

Persephone is particularly appropriate as she represents spring, being the time that she comes back to her mother Demeter after spending winter in the underworld with Hades.

The full story of Persephone may be found here:

http://www.astartemoonblog.com/search?q=persephone

Any maiden Goddesses and youthful Gods are appropriate for this spring festival of Eostre or Ostara, welcome the  Gods and Goddesses of Spring into your life.

Symbolism of Ostara: Oestara is seen as the Pagan celebration of fertility, re-birth and new life.

The Union of the Goddess and the God, and dispensing of the old and making way for the new are common themes.

Oestre Herbs: lavender, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, lovage, vervain. A blend of lovely Oestara herbs is detailed at the bottom of this post. Planting a herb garden is a wonderful way to celebrate Oestara and then you will have fabulous spring herbs to hand whenever you need them.


Oestara Ostara Incense: jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, dragon's blood, cinnamon, nutmeg, aloes wood, benzoin, musk, African violet, sage, strawberry, lotus, violet flowers, orange peel, or rose petals. Any floral incense is lovely at this time of year to remind you of Springtime and the returning of the light.

Animals and Mythical Beasts to represent Oestara: rabbits, snakes, unicorns, merpeople, and pegasus

Eostre Candle Colors: White, Yellow and Green. Beautiful aromatherapy candles may be purchased here: http://www.astarte-moon.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=candle

Oestara Trees: The Alder, a tree sacred to the God Bran, who is said to protect the British Isles. The buds of the alder are set in a spiral, which symbolizes reincarnation, and new growth that we see at springtime. According to the poet Robert Graves, alder is called Fearn, and represents the letter F in the Beth-Luis-Nion tree calendar. The Greek deity Cronos was also represented by an alder tree.  Also young oak trees are significant at Oestara.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and found it useful. Please feel free to share/comment.

Further Eostre information:

You can buy a wonderful blend of Ostara herbs from this lovely site. http://www.whitemagickalchemy.com/ostara-spring-casting-herbs-16oz-spring-equinox-flowers-herbs-gemstones-fertility-abundance-rebirth-and-new-beginnings/

This is their description “Ostara Spring Blossoms Casting Herbs are a proprietary blessed mix of beautifully freshly dried flowers, herbs and woods including organic Hibiscus, Heather, Hemp, Linden Flowers, Dandelion Flowers and Root, Jasmine, Rose, Lavender, Garden Sage, Willow, Oak, Marigold, Vervain and Hops Flowers and more, topped with magickal Crystal Quartz gemstones. This blend is so naturally aromatic and pretty, what a wonderful way to celebrate the season and the coming of spring!~ 



Created to empower your Ostara Bonfire, simply cast a handful of this blessed blend right into your bonfire!~ There is plenty at hand! You can also use as an Ostara potpourri and place in a bowl upon the altar as an offering or to simply add an all natural essence within your sacred space. Sprinkle around the base of candles or cast a bit into the garden or forest as a sacred offering to the earth in celebration and honor of the coming of spring. 

Burn as a loose incense in your sacred burning vessel. This magickal blend will intoxicate and fill the air, inside or out of doors, with a pure organic and fragrant all natural fragrance. This authentic aroma is so powerful that just about a half a teaspoon full burned on a disk will fill up your sacred space with a mood transforming all natural wintery scent. 
”

Sources: Glennie Kindred, Sacred Celebrations, http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/ostarathespringequinox/Ostara_the_Spring_Equinox.htm; http://gemsong.hubpages.com/hub/Solitary-Witchcraft-Ostara

various webpages.

Graphics from http://www.magickalgraphics.com/ostara4.htm

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