Ostara
Submitted By MoonRaven

OSTARA (pronounced O-STAR-ah) is one of the Lesser Wiccan Sabbats, and is usually celebrated on the Vernal or Spring Equinox right around March 21 (although because of its origins, may instead be celebrated on the fixed date of March 25). Other names by which this Sabbat may be known are Oestara, Eostre's Day, Rite of Eostre, Alban Eilir, Festival of the Trees, and Lady Day. The Christian holiday of Easter is very near this same time, (notice the similarity in name?), and is determined as the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox.

The name for this Sabbat actually comes from that of the Teutonic lunar Goddess, Eostre. Her chief symbols were the bunny (for fertility and because the Ancient Ones who worshipped her often saw the image of a rabbit in the full moon), and the egg (representing the cosmic egg of creation). This is where the customs of "Easter Eggs" and the "Easter Bunny" originated.

Ostara is a time to celebrate the arrival of Spring, the renewal and rebirth of Nature herself, and the coming lushness of Summer. It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance, yet the light is growing stronger by the day. The forces of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, are also in balance at this time.

At this time we think of renewing ourselves. We renew our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations. We think of renewing our relationships. This is an excellent time of year to begin anything new or to completely revitalize something. This is also an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth.

In the Pagan Wheel of the Year, this is the time when the great Mother Goddess, again a virgin at Candlemas, welcomes the young Sun God unto her and conceives a child of this divine union. The child will be born nine months later, at Yule, the Winter Solstice.

For Wiccans and Witches, Ostara is a fertility festival celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the Earth. The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of Winter to the exuberant expansion of Spring. Eostre, the Saxon Goddess of fertility, and Ostara, the German Goddess of fertility are the aspects invoked at this Sabbat. Some Wiccan traditions worship the Green Goddess and the Lord of the Greenwood. The Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God stretches and grows to maturity. He walks the greening fields and delights in the abundance of nature.

Pagan customs such as the lighting of new fires at dawn for cure, renewed life, and protection of the crops still survive in the Southern Americas as well as in Europe. Witches celebrate Ostara in many ways on this sacred day, including lighting fires at sunrise, ringing bells, and decorating hard-boiled eggs which is an ancient Pagan custom associated with the Goddess of Fertility. In those ancient days, eggs were gathered and used for the creation of talismans and also ritually eaten. The gathering of different colored eggs from the nests of a variety of birds has given rise to two traditions still observed today - the Easter egg hunt, and coloring eggs in imitation of the various pastel colors of wild birds. It is also believed that humankind first got the idea of weaving baskets from watching birds weave nests. This is perhaps the origin of the association between colored Easter eggs and Easter baskets.

There is much symbolism in eggs themselves. The golden orb of its yolk represents the Sun God, its white shell is seen as the White Goddess, and the whole is a symbol of rebirth. The Goddess Eostre's patron animal was the hare. And although the references are not recalled, the symbolism of the hare and rabbit's associations with fertility are not forgotten. The Spring Equinox is a time of new beginnings, of action, of planting seeds for future grains, and of tending gardens. Spring is a time of the Earth's renewal, a rousing of nature after the cold sleep of winter. As such, it is an ideal time to clean your home to welcome the new season. "Spring cleaning" is much more than simply physical work. It may be seen as a concentrated effort to rid your home of the problems and negativity of the past months, and to prepare for the coming spring and summer. To do this, many Pagans approach the task of cleaning their homes with positive thoughts. This frees the home of any negative feelings brought about by a harsh winter. A common rule of thumb for Spring cleaning is that all motions involving scrubbing of stains or hand rubbing the floors should be done "clockwise". Pagans believe this custom aids in filling the home with good energy for growth.

Appropriate Deities for Ostara include all Youthful and Virile Gods and Goddesses, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, Love Goddesses, Moon Gods and Goddesses, and all Fertility Deities. Some Ostara Deities to mention by name here include Persephone, Blodeuwedd, Eostre, Aphrodite, Athena, Cybele, Gaia, Hera, Isis, Ishtar, Minerva, Venus, Robin of the Woods, the Green Man, Cernunnos, Lord of the Greenwood, The Dagda, Attis, The Great Horned God, Mithras, Odin, Thoth, Osiris, and Pan.

Key actions to keep in mind during this time in the Wheel of the Year include openings and new beginnings. Spellwork for improving communication and group interaction are recommended, as well as fertility and abundance. Ostara is a good time to start putting those plans and preparations you made at Imbolc into action. Start working towards physically manifesting your plans now. The most common colors associated with Ostara are lemon yellow, pale green and pale pink. Other appropriate colors include grass green, all pastels, Robin's egg blue, violet, and white.

Stones to use during the Ostara celebration include aquamarine, rose quartz, and moonstone. Animals associated with Ostara are rabbits and snakes. Mythical beasts associated with Ostara include unicorns, merpeople, and pegasus. Plants and herbs associated with Ostara are crocus flowers, daffodils, jasmine, Irish moss, snowdrops, and ginger.

For Ostara incense, you could make a blend from any of the following scents or simply choose one... jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, dragon's blood, cinnamon, nutmeg, aloes wood, benzoin, musk, African violet, sage, strawberry, lotus, violet flowers, orange peel, or rose petals.

Foods in tune with this day (linking your meals with the seasons is a fine way of attuning with Nature) include eggs, egg salad, hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, first fruits of the season, fish, cakes, biscuits, cheeses, honey and ham. You may also include foods made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts. Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables.

From Scott Cunningham: flower dishes such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes also find their place here. (Find a book of flower cooking or simply make spice cupcakes. Ice with pink frosting and place a fresh carnation petal on each cupcake. Stuff nasturtium blossoms with a mixture made of cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress.) Appropriate Ostara meat dishes should contain fish or ham.

May the Lord and Lady bless you all with fertility, abundance, success, and all things new!

MoonRaven

Jasmine(Jasminum officinale)

Folk Names: Jessamin, Moonlight on the Grove.
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Powers: Love, Prosperity, Prophetic Dreams

Magical Uses:
Dried Jasmine flowers are added to sachets and other love mixtures. They will attract a spiritual (as opposed to a 'physical') love. The flowers will also draw wealth and money if carried, burned or worn. Jasmine will also cause prophetic dreams if burned in the bedroom, and the flowers are smelled to induce sleep.


May the Goddess bless you on your path.

The Goddess Epona of horses, fertility, independence, and nurturing
Submitted by Alana

Epona, known as Rhiannon in Wales, and Macha in Ireland, is one of the most well known of all the Celtic gods and goddesses. Horses played an important role in Celtic society. Naturally the protector of horses would play an equally important role. Shrines to her were most often found in stables and many other places also. She is also the guardian of agriculture and transportation. In addition, Epona has been associated with birds; her birds were said to have the ability to put the living to sleep and to rouse the dead. She has also been pictured with cornucopias and baskets filled with fruits especially apples and thus been linked to fertility.

Epona is a strong symbol of independence, nurturing, intuitive understanding, instinct and vitality. More inscriptions, statues, and shrines dedicated to Epona have been found than for any other Celtic god or goddess.

When the Romans overtook the Celtic regions, they adopted Epona without changing her nature. She is the only Goddess that the Romans so easily accepted. She became a favored Deity by the men in the cavalry. Even after Christianity had spread its way across Rome, remnants of Epona's worship could still be seen in the simple rituals of the country folk, specifically the 'hobby horse' dances. Epona's statues can be found along side other Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans saw her as the Triple Goddess Eponae. They may have held the lore of Epona in a pure form, before the coming Christians began to bend the old stories, for Epona is likely the 'mother face' of the Triple Goddess, Elphame the maiden or bride symbol, with Cailleach completing the cycle of the pagan drama of life, death, and rebirth.
The wide spread reverence of the horse as a sacred symbol of Epona is often thought as a possible reason for the British reluctance to eat horseflesh, a revulsion which has passed on to the colonies of England.

Ostara
By Demna Gwynvydd

Everyday Magick is more than a spell or charm a day to get what you want. Magick requires discipline, discipline in three areas in particular commonly known as “The Disciplines.” These three areas consist of meditation, concentration and visualization. Meditation is simply the ability to quiet your mind to the exclusion of all thoughts, completely quiet, no internal dialogue. This sounds quite difficult, but fear not, anyone can train to do this with a little effort. Controlling your breathing patterns is one of the easiest methods, in my opinion, but you may find many other techniques which you enjoy more in a good book on meditation. Controlled breathing is quite simple, all you have to do is breathe in for three seconds, hold your breath for one second, then exhale for three seconds. The easiest method for me is to just count “one kangaroo, two kangaroo, three kangaroo” in my head until my body is used to that breathing pattern which usually only takes a few minutes. You should practice meditating for at least five minutes a day. In order to continue training in the disciplines the next step is concentration, after you are relaxed from meditating, choose a small object to focus on such as a coin or a candle flame and focus on this object to the point where there is no thought in your mind but the object. This should also be practiced for at least five minutes a day.

The final step in training with the disciplines is visualization. To do this, after concentrating on your object, close your eyes and see your object in your mind’s eye. Make the image as clear as possible, when you can see it clearly, you can move on to the more advanced step of visualization which is to spin the object, move it around, enlarge it, shrink it, and even altering it’s color. This last step should also be practiced for at least five minutes a day as well. Remember this is only one set of techniques for training in the disciplines, research, talk to your elders, and above all use your own judgment for what works best for you.

In love and light,
May the Goddess
Walk with you.

-Demna Gwynvidd

The Pentacle
By MoonRaven

The Pentacle, the most famous symbol of Witchcraft is a bold and fascinating statement about our place in the Universe. When the pentacle is drawn or written, the image created is called a pentagram. The pentagram represents an ancient concept that can be found in philosophical thought in both East and West. Although over 8,000 years old, the image of the pentagram is applicable in our modern world. The pentagram tells us that we have the ability to bring Spirit to Earth; this applies to every area of practical day-to-day living, as well as spiritual thought. The ability of bringing Spirit to Earth is what makes us whole.

In Craft rituals, the pentacle is a round disk inscribed with a pentagram and placed upon on the altar. The disk can be made of many different materials.

In more dangerous times, when practices had to be kept secret the pentacle was crafted from disposable materials such as clay or dough.

Nowadays, pentacles are crafted in metals such as copper, brass, silver or gold. Many Witches make their own from stained glass or by etching stones or wood. The pentacle can also be personalized by adding appropriate astrological symbols, runes and other sigils (magical symbols) that have special meaning to the practitioner.

On the pentacle, each point of the star represents one element, being Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The top point of the star stands for the fifth element, that of the Spirit. It means centering, transformation, and that its limits are beyond time and space as we understand them. The circle around the star represents the endless circle of life we know as Birth, Growth, Death, and Re-birth.

Air- Compass point: East. Represents intellect, communication, knowledge, concentration; the ability to "know" and to understand; to unlock secrets of the dead; to contact the angels; telepathy, memory and wisdom; the hawk, the raven and eagle; prophecy; movement, Karma and speed

Fire- Compass point: South. Stands for energy, purification, courage, the will to dare, creativity; higher self; success and refinement; the arts and transformation; the lion, the phoenix and the dragon; loyalty and force.

Water- Compass point: West. Associated with intuition, emotions, the inner self, flowing movement, the power to dare and cleanse all things; sympathy and love; reflection; currents and tides of life; the dolphin, the swan and the crab; dreams and dreamtime.

Earth- Compass point: North. Mystery and growth, fertility, material abundance, the combined forces of nature and its bounty; birth and healing; business, industry and possessions; the bear, the stag and the wolf; conservation and nature.

During magical workings, the pentagram can be drawn in the air by the athame or sword. When drawn a certain way, it is used to either invoke or banish energies. Used on the altar, it becomes a focal point to draw in and send out the intentions of the spell or working.

MoonRaven

Ostara Eggs
Submitted By Starlight

Ostara is the time to wake up the earth, It also co-insides with easter. So what better way to wake up the earth than with noise makers.

Materials:
Plastic Eggs
Beans or Small pebbles
Duck Tape (colored if you prefer)
Paints.

Take one plastic egg, open it and fill one end up with the beans or pebbles. Put the other end on top and tape it together, make sure you secure so it does not open.

Paint it and decorate as you want. When you are finished shake it and it makes noise. Enjoy waking up the earth.

Honey Cakes
Submitted by MoonRaven

Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. each: ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, & ground ginger
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
8 large eggs
1 cup honey
1-1/2 cups warm water
4 cups rye flour
1/2 cup jam or preserve of your choice

Grease and flour two 8 inch round baking pans. Combine all the ingredients except for the jam in a mixing bowl and mix with an electric beater set at its slowest speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed of the beater to medium and beat the batter for 15 minutes. The batter should have large air bubbles; if no bubbles are present, beat for an additional 5 minutes. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes, then pour into the prepared baking pans. Bake in a preheated 275° F. for 1 hour, until deep golden in color. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes. Turn out on a cake rack and allow to cool. Place one cake on a serving plate and spread the jam or preserves on top. Top with the remaining cake.
Serves 8 to 12.

Natural Ostara Eggs
By Unknown author

Natural egg-dying is like recycling. Cover your plant material (see list below) with about 3 inches of water, bring to a boil, and simmer until the color looks good. You'll probably have to let the eggs sit in the dye overnight, so if you're planning more than one color per egg, start this a few days before Ostara. Experimenting is half the fun, but here are some hints to get you started:

Yellows - daffodil petals, saffron, turmeric, onion skins
Blues - blueberries, red cabbage leaves & vinegar
Greens - broccoli, coltsfoot
Pinks - cochineal, madder root
Browns - walnut shells, tea, coffee

Wanna get fancy? Gather some small leaves, ferns, flowers and grasses. Dip them in water (to help them stick) and press them onto your eggs. Wrap each egg in a piece of cut up pantyhose and secure it with a twist tie before dyeing. When you remove the flower or leaf, it's design will appear (either in white or in your first dye-color). Rub your finished eggs with a tiny bit of vegetable oil on a soft cloth to shine them.

Too hard?? No hosiery??? Okay, try using crayons to draw spirals and pentagrams on the eggs before dying them. Now, plan a fertility ritual for your garden. Bury an Ostara egg in the east corner of your garden, or one egg for each direction, or dig an entire circle for them (depends on how much you hate egg-salad).

By SDCW

Question: Isn’t magick limited by the Wiccan Rede "an harm none, do thou what thou wilt"?

Answer: This has been a running discussion between Wiccans and pagan for years. First, the Rede is not ancient script and cannot be traced back any further than Gerald Gardner, and there have been different variations of it since its inception.

Second, it is not a law or rule, It is a Rede. The word “Rede” means advice or counsel.

In my opinion the Rede is a statement of personal ethics. Much like what we all were taught in this society as children. You do not start trouble but you do not run from it either

One version of the Rede is an harm none, do thou what thou wilt, lest it be in self defense of thy life. Now to me, life includes not only my physical life but also my mental emotion and spiritual lives as well.

There is nothing in our Religion that says we have to turn the other cheek. We do not have to stand there and take it. We can defend ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and magically. As long as we take responsibility for our actions.

So no, The Rede does not limit our magick, providing we are willing to accept the "Law of Three" and understand the difference between right and wrong actions.