Today at noon, Amy and I took five of our youngest children to an Ostara ritual at the South Valley Universal Unitarian Church in Cottonwood Heights. The festival and ritual of Ostara is a neoPagan ritual of Spring; it is a time of rebirth and rededication.
The name 'Ostara' comes from the high German, and is a cognate of the English word Eostre, which is the old and middle English origin of the word Easter. Ostara is anthroproporphized as a goddess. She is the goddes of dawn, the east, air, and of course Spring. In the early Anglo-Saxon calendars, the month we now call April was called Eostre-monath. It is from Ostara that the Christian Spring holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus derives its name. And it is Ostara that gives us Easter eggs and the Easter bunny... All ancient Pagan traditions related to the rebirth of Spring.
The ritual of Ostara that we observed consisted of a ceremony of planting. All of the participants joined in a large circle. Outside of the circle, at each compass point was a table, and each table represented a basic element. To the east, or course, was Ostara. Representing air, the table held a large ceramic cup filled with air. Also on this table were enough small peat pots for each participant to have one.
To the north, that table representing the earth, and Winter, there were four buckets of rich loamy potting soil. On the south, representing fire and the sun, there were four bowls containing sunflower seeds. Finally, on the west, representing Autumn and water, there were four pitchers of water.
The ritual itself consisted of taking the pot (air, east, Spring) first to the earth (north, Winter) and filling the pot with the soil, then the pot crossed to the seed table (south, sun, fire, summer) where sunflower seeds were planted in the soil. Finally, the pot traveled to the table with the water (Autumn, water, west). With each stop, and at the end of the process, words were said to dedicate the planting to further the intentions of the "community." Then each member of the community that wished could step into the circle and give voice to the intentions of their hearts.
Afterwards, a pair of drummers beat a snappy rhythm. Some danced within the circle (including my daughter Mara), so just moved to the beat a bit. My sone Ephraim and I sorta danced together with him holding my fingers.
Then a hymn was sung. Amy and I were both a bit surprised to be singing the familiar "For the Beauty of the Earth," an often sung hymn at LDS Church Sacrament meetings. But the lyrics of the song certainly fit the nature of the ritual.
Finally, everyone was allowed to plant their own" intentions" for the coming year by using the small peat pots. (Side note: In the original Celtic calendar, Eostre-monath was the first full month of the year and conforms roughly with April in the current calendar.)
After the ceremony, the children colored Easter eggs, participated in an Easter egg hung, and all enjoyed a wonderful pot luck supper.
Some observations:
The name 'Ostara' comes from the high German, and is a cognate of the English word Eostre, which is the old and middle English origin of the word Easter. Ostara is anthroproporphized as a goddess. She is the goddes of dawn, the east, air, and of course Spring. In the early Anglo-Saxon calendars, the month we now call April was called Eostre-monath. It is from Ostara that the Christian Spring holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus derives its name. And it is Ostara that gives us Easter eggs and the Easter bunny... All ancient Pagan traditions related to the rebirth of Spring.
The ritual of Ostara that we observed consisted of a ceremony of planting. All of the participants joined in a large circle. Outside of the circle, at each compass point was a table, and each table represented a basic element. To the east, or course, was Ostara. Representing air, the table held a large ceramic cup filled with air. Also on this table were enough small peat pots for each participant to have one.
To the north, that table representing the earth, and Winter, there were four buckets of rich loamy potting soil. On the south, representing fire and the sun, there were four bowls containing sunflower seeds. Finally, on the west, representing Autumn and water, there were four pitchers of water.
The ritual itself consisted of taking the pot (air, east, Spring) first to the earth (north, Winter) and filling the pot with the soil, then the pot crossed to the seed table (south, sun, fire, summer) where sunflower seeds were planted in the soil. Finally, the pot traveled to the table with the water (Autumn, water, west). With each stop, and at the end of the process, words were said to dedicate the planting to further the intentions of the "community." Then each member of the community that wished could step into the circle and give voice to the intentions of their hearts.
Afterwards, a pair of drummers beat a snappy rhythm. Some danced within the circle (including my daughter Mara), so just moved to the beat a bit. My sone Ephraim and I sorta danced together with him holding my fingers.
Then a hymn was sung. Amy and I were both a bit surprised to be singing the familiar "For the Beauty of the Earth," an often sung hymn at LDS Church Sacrament meetings. But the lyrics of the song certainly fit the nature of the ritual.
Finally, everyone was allowed to plant their own" intentions" for the coming year by using the small peat pots. (Side note: In the original Celtic calendar, Eostre-monath was the first full month of the year and conforms roughly with April in the current calendar.)
After the ceremony, the children colored Easter eggs, participated in an Easter egg hung, and all enjoyed a wonderful pot luck supper.
Some observations:
- This was a simple ritual welcoming Spring and celebrating the Vernal Equinox. It was interesting to celebrate such an event without all of the commercial trappings of the Christian Easter.
- The celebration of Ostara/Eostre is compelling as just a celebration of the season, without any need for a deity, Ostara the goddess or Jesus. But the celebration would not have excluded either. The spirit of elemental nature was sufficient. The purpose of dedicaton and planting of intentions powerful; much more so than the silliness of New Year's Resolutions.
- It was interesting to have an Easter egg coloring and hunting event that was true to its roots, and divorced entirely from Christian influence. Amy and I have always felt uncomfortable trying to combine the obviously Pagan Easter activities with the Paschal activites of LDS Christianity.
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