Roots of Ostara

The sabbat name Ostara comes from the Germanic goddess Eostre, a goddess of prosperity and growth. Long forgotten for centuries and no longer celebrated nor honored with her earlier joyous feast days even as far back as the eighth century, she is, however, the namesake for the Christian festival of Easter which was named for the Anglo-Saxon month which had itself been named in honor of Eostre. This was Eostur-Monath, which is roughly our present-day April. And the name Ostara itself comes from the old High German adverb "ostar" which means "expresses movement towards the rising sun."

In early pagan worship of Eostre, hare was the typical dish served, especially in Saxon and British worship of her, as well as in Northern Europe. While little is known about Eostre, it is believed that her golden lights, as goddess of the dawn and the coming of the sun, were carried by hares. She represented sexuality and fecundity, which is not only what spring itself represents, but also what we also think of when we think of hares. And in ancient times, the sabbat of Ostara was a holy day, a day of light, a day that brought joy, blessings and new life to the world. Bonfires were lit and the fresh water drawn on Ostara morning was considered holy and healing. This day, as well as the majority of its meanings and beliefs were adopted by the Christian church as the festival celebrating the resurrection of Christ.

Whether or not you choose to specifically honor the goddess Eostre, Ostara is the sabbat that heralds that wonderful time of year when we all feel new and reborn, when life is fresh and the coming season of abundance offers so much hope and promise. How can that not feel fantastic?

"Ostara" by Johannes Gehrts, 1884, published 1901.

Fresh Dried Herbs

With spring just around the corner, it's once again that time of year when I toss out my older, weakened herbs and lay in a fresh supply of them for spells, incenses and rituals. I've spent the last few days washing jars, making new labels for those herbs that I've never worked with but have decided that this is the year when I'm going to come up with a use for them so I better have some jars available, and casting the old no-longer-potent herbs upon the ground around my birch trees. I'm starting with just 13 this year (which is a surprising number, given my penchant for order and keeping everything even), but that number will most likely grow as more ideas start to sprout in my always-working brain.

Like everything else I do, I try to bring a bit of art into my herbal apothecary by making my jars as lovely on the outside as what rests within them. I've been using hand painted labels for a few years now. At first I thought it might be nice to do a small original painting on each, but then I decided that even I'm not that insane (yet) and so I settled for a lovely large-scale rubber stamp which allows for a uniform sized label, but which I then hand color with watercolors. I originally chose two blues and two greens, as they looked lovely with my old 19th century hand-blown blue canning jars, but then I realized that the blue and green were also sort of symbolic of the earth and sky and all that lies in between, which I rather like. And I can see the mood I was in on those days when I painted each label: some are delicate and light, while others are boldly blue and dark. The jars are crooked and old, full of little flaws in the form of bubbles in the glass and tiny chips near their rims. The metal bales are rusty, and they more than look their age. But that's okay because it reminds me of all the people who have handled them over many, many years: the men who made the jars, the women who used them to store food to feed their families during the long winter months, and then me who uses them in my quest for the spiritual and the magickal which are often one and the same. It's really all rather poetic.

Spring cleaning really does suck, but even in the midst of all the drudgery, I can still find a little beauty both in the tedium of cleaning endless jars with pretty labels and in the excitement of all the magick I'm going to create from the simple leaves, twigs and berries those jars now hold.

Candied Violets

Candied violets are one of the prettiest and most delicate garnishes for all your Ostara celebration custards and cakes. Very feminine, infinitely spring-like and impossibly sweet, they'll make even more beautiful all those inevitable egg dishes this sabbat calls for.

Violets offer protection, luck, promote love (and lust!), heal, and make wishes come true. Wear a chaplet of violets and you'll cure your headache, wear them in a sachet and you'll not only heal wounds but prevent evil spirits from making them worse. Mix them with lavender and violets become a powerful love stimulant. Pick the first violet that has bloomed in the spring and all your wishes will be sure to come true. Then pick some more and you'll have enough for some lovely edible Ostara decorations.

For this recipe you will need:

20 violet flowers (at least), in excellent condition with stems intact, not treated with chemicals

1/2 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

caster or fine sugar for sprinkling

Wash the flowers carefully by using a gentle spray of cool water. It's helpful to have them in a sieve while doing this, and having the stems will make handling them much easier. Lay them out on paper towels on a cooling rack. Dry completely.

Heat the sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved. Add extract and mix well. Dip each flower in the sugar syrup with a pair of tweezers. Dust each blossom with the fine sugar (be sure each flower is fully coated) and remove the stems with a pair of fine scissors. Set the violets on the cooling rack once again, only this time use wax paper to prevent sticking, and be sure they are laying flat.

Move the flowers to a cool, dry place to set completely. This will take at least 24 hours, possibly more. Do not dry them in the sunlight to speed up the process as you will only end up with a batch of soggy, wilted violets. Store in an airtight glass container. If you need to layer your flowers, use a piece of baking parchment between each layer to prevent sticking. Keep out of direct sunlight and use within one month of creating.

Photo courtesy of wendy flanigan on flickr.

Ostara Incenses

This is a sweet little incense you can burn for an Ostara ritual or anytime during the coming weeks to welcome Spring and honor all the life that is now being reborn.

2 parts Frankincense (Rosemary can be substituted)

1 part Benzoin

1 part Dragon's Blood

1/2 part Nutmeg

1/2 part Violet Petals (or a few drops essential Violet Oil)

1/2 part Rose Petals

1/2 part Orange Peel

1/4 part Cinnamon

Grind all ingredients fairly fine and burn on a charcoal in a censer.

To honor Mother Earth at this time, especially in any Earth-reverencing rituals, burn this simple incense:

1 part Pine Needles

1 part Thyme

a few drops of Patchouli Oil

Earth incense recipe courtesy of Scott Cunningham.

Oil pastel drawing, "Mother Earth, Father Sky" courtesy of plasticpumpkin on flickr. Lovely!

Full Snow Moon

Today's full moon is known as the Full Snow Moon or the Full Hunger Moon, both for rather obvious reasons given that it falls in the month of February! This moon is in Virgo, and that will enable us to make order out of the chaos inevitable in our lives, thus allowing us to simplify our daily routines. Organization is key, as is the feeling of wanting to heal and to find a higher purpose for our existence. With this moon our sense of compassion for the well-being of others and for the desire to deepen our sense of spirituality will be paramount.

As do all the full moons, this one has many different names. The Micmac tribe of Eastern Canada called this the Snow-blinding moon, while the Kutenai tribe of the Northwest referred to it as the Black Bear Moon. In Colonial America it was known as the Trapper's Moon. The Native American Tribes of the United States called it, variously, the Full Bony Moon, the Moon of the Raccoon, the Moon When Trees Pop, and once again referring to the difficulty in finding food at this time of year, the Full Famine Moon. Old English and Celtic peoples named this moon the Storm Moon and the Moon of Ice respectively.

This is a time to not only think of others and to nurture the inner you, but to embrace your creativity and freedom of expression. Go with it all, and feel your heart and soul expand exponentially! This is a truly beautiful moon that begs for all to embrace and utilize the incredible power she has to offer.

Hestia

As a general rule, I don't work with nor do I worship any specific gods or goddesses during ritual or while working spells. I tend instead to merely call on a generalized idea of the god and goddess in my invitation to join me in my sacred circle, the male and female embodiment of all that is divine and spiritual. I've given some thought as to why I don't think in more specific terms and I think it's because I just like the simplicity of keeping it generic. There are so many pantheons to choose from and none of them thus far has felt quite right to me. I admire those who adhere to the lineage of the Greeks, or the Egyptians, or the Celts. And while there are some truly interesting gods and goddesses to choose from, I stick with what feels right to me, boring as that may be.

I do on occasion call on one or two goddesses, every now and again. I like to work with Diana at the new moon and have called on her to help me work a spell or two, and Brigid when I am feeling at my most creative. There is, however, one goddess that quite appeals to me and if I were to ever choose a patron goddess to really get to know, to work with, to rely on, I would choose Hestia.

Hestia, in Greek mythology, is the goddess of the hearth, domesticity and family. She was rather unpretentious in her temple, sitting on a plain wooden throne with a rough wool cushion. The fire in a Greek home was never to allowed to go out, save for during ritual when it was intended to be extinguished and then relit, and as the goddess of all the households, the first offering of every sacrifice went to Hestia. Just like the ritual flames lit and extinguished in a sacred circle, as well as the eternal flames lit for various personal spiritual purposes, Hestia embodies all that is sacred in a very feminine and nurturing way.

As the goddess of the hearth, and basically stuck within a dwelling, Hestia figures in no wild tales of adventures as do most other gods and goddesses. She defers to others and lives a quiet existence providing what is essential to daily survival. She's sort of the no frills-no fluff, always dependable girl who tends to the essentials at home while everyone else is out living large, and I rather like that.

Keeping it simple, keeping it gentle and in the process taking care of all those who are deeply loved with just a small 'thanks' given in return each day...now that sounds good to me.

Nearly Spring

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

Percy Bysshe Shelley, from "The Sensitive Plant"

Photo courtesy of Emblita on flickr.

Is This the 21st Century or the 12th?

This disturbing article comes from the Huffington Post. I don't usually write about modern day witch hunts here, even though they can and do still occur in a great many countries where taboo, superstition and folk beliefs reign supreme over rational thinking. Having just recently discussed the pros and cons of staying in the broom closet here in the (supposedly progressive) western world, reading about violent witch hunts, led by the pastors of fundamentalist Christian churches, and aimed at helpless, innocent children is unspeakable. I know that the vast majority of non-pagan, non-craft practicing folk simply don't understand what being a "witch" means, but for any Christian church to perpetuate the mindset of the Dark Ages under the guise that the bible "says so" is reprehensible. Please be forewarned that this is a rather unsettling article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/18/african-children-denounce-_n_324943.html

Why can't we all just be kind to one another and respect one another, children and adults both, and let everyone live their lives peacefully and with love? Why must there always be such pain, misery and violence? Only the man-made god is a god of hatred.

A Valentine's Day Love Spell

This is a sweet and easy little spell to bring love to you. To work it you will need:

A sheet of white paper
A red ink pen
A small red envelope
Three small pink candles
A small handful of red or pink (or both) rose petals
A dash of cinnamon

Your cauldron or a small, safe heat-proof dish
Incense of your choice that evokes feelings of warmth and love (optional, but nice)
A short, personal spell chant you compose (again, optional)

With your red pen, write your love wishes on the sheet of paper and seal them within the envelope (give it a kiss if you think it will boost your energy). While envisioning with perfect clarity your love wish, place the three candles around the cauldron and light them. Sprinkle the rose petals within the cauldron and add the pinch of cinnamon. Gently mix. While still concentrating on your wish, light a corner of the small red envelope and place it within the cauldron. As it burns to ash, envision your love wish rising up on the curls of smoke and off to be heard and answered by the Universe. Feel the energy of your love wish rising powerfully. You may chant your written spell here if desired. If you wish, you can leave the candles lit until they have fully burned down, in a sink or bathtub (keep an eye on them!), but if you choose to blow them out, once cooled throw them out as it will destroy your love energy to reuse them for another spell.

Discard the cauldron ash into the earth once all has burned.

(As always, use common sense and the utmost care when working with fire. Use caution with your dish or cauldron of choice, your hair or your sleeves. Never leave a burning item unattended and when discarding anything burned back into the earth, be sure it is fully burned out and cool. Never discard a burning or smoldering object where it can cause damage.)

Photo courtesy of ms.lume on flickr.

Indoor Herb Garden

Once again it's that time of year when it's impossible to go anywhere and not see an enormous display of this year's seeds: colorful packets upon packets of flowers, veggies and herbs. While I grow a few herbs out in my gardens with my flowers, it's been a few years since I've had an indoor windowsill herb garden of my very own. This is because I have a cat who is incapable of leaving well enough alone and while I love my cat, I miss having within my kitchen the scent of fresh herbs and clean soil.

Here is a list (and it's by no means comprehensive) of some of the more commonly used herbs. I've chosen only those herbs that grow well in small pots, are safe for children or pets who are curious, hungry or destructive just for the sake of being destructive, are used for magickal purposes and also can double for cooking (or brewed as teas) as well. While there are others that top most folks' lists, they're roots, flowers, or poisonous if ingested. Some are simply far too large for a little indoor garden.

Rosemary. If you grow nothing else, grow rosemary for it's the Queen Mother of magickal herbs and is very powerful. It cleanses and purifies, works well in healing and love spells, increases mental and psychic powers and tastes delicious in dishes. Dried, crushed rosemary is the perfect simple incense for burning in ritual and is a perfect substitute for frankincense, an ingredient used in a lot of spells.

Basil. Basil is great for love divinations, wealth spells, exorcising evils spirits and negative energies, purification spells and luck.

Catnip. Catnip is a powerful component in love and beauty spells and when hung in your home attracts good luck as well as positive energy and gentle spirits. Grow as an offering to your familiar or family pet and maybe kitty will stay away from all your other herbs! It's believed that when you give your cat catnip you will forge a psychic bond between the two of you that can't be broken.

Dill. A protective herb that is also powerful in money spells, as well as love and lust divination.

Fennel. Fennel confers protection, purification and works well in healing spells.

Lavender. Lavender is an incredibly versatile herb used in protection and purification spells, longevity work, healing spells, and brings peace, calm and happiness to the home it's grown in and all the inhabitants within. If you wish, lavender will help you to see ghosts. It can be used in more mundane ways as well, such as in sachets, pillows and poppets.

Mints. Mint is used in protection spells, for travel safety, to exorcise evil spirits, in money spells and to heal. Peppermint heals headaches and encourages sleep. Spearmint is best for upper respiratory ailments and to sharpen mental powers. Wintergreen removes hexes and curses and when placed on your altar will aid your magick.

Thyme. Burn thyme as a simple ground incense to attract good health. Use it for healing spells, sound sleep, to increase psychic powers, and to give you courage and energy. The ancient Greeks burned thyme in their temples to purify both the building and its occupants prior to ritual and you can do the same. Thyme is a wonderful cleansing herb.

You might have noticed that sage is not on this list. That's because it is unlucky to plant your own sage. If you can't get someone else to plant and tend it for you, leave it be and buy what you need as you need it or else you risk very bad luck befalling you and your loved ones. If you do choose to grow sage yourself, be sure to grow another plant in the pot or plot with it as a full bed of sage also brings ill luck. When handled properly, sage can be used in spells to make your wishes come true, for wisdom, longevity and immortality.

Photo courtesy of dogeared on flickr.