Spirituality Page: Wheel of the Year: Ostara
Ostara: March 22
Ostara (pronounced Oh-star-ah), the Vernal Equinox, is when the season of Spring reaches its midpoint - night and day stand in perfect balance. Light overtakes dark and the days begin to grow longer. In the Northern Hemisphere this is the time when seeds are planted for the coming harvest. This is a good time to plant new ideas for the coming year as well.
The Easter Bunny and painting eggs have their beginnings in German mythology. Eostre is the German Goddess of the Spring and her symbols are the egg and the rabbit, symbols of innocence and fertility. Today Ostara is a celebration of birth and new life: the Goddess has returned after her winter slumber. The Greek myth of Persephone is also connected to the return of Spring.
For more detailed information about Ostara, please read Gordon Ireland's article Ostara.
Ostara Fun