While during Imbolc we know that Spring is returning and that things have begun to happen, we don't see it, yet. Ostara is the celebration that Spring has begun to be seen by human eyes and that winter has been shaken off, as evidenced by the growing length of time the sun's light is seen. On this particular day, not only can signs of Spring be seen, but there is balance between the length of the day and the length of the night. From this day forward, the day light hours will be longer than the night time hours. And so we celebrate Spring, new things, beginnings, fertility, life, and balance. These things are symbolized by eggs and seeds: the progenitors of life in animals and plants. Also by rabbits/hares who are very fertile creatures. By baby chickens and ducklings, cute little fluffy creatures who come from eggs and will grow to create more eggs, directly or indirectly, and who are seen being born now or soon. Also by lambs other cute fluffy creatures commonly born and seen in the Spring in large numbers. Eggs, seeds, new plants, and baby animals would have been highly important to ancient man as an improvement to their meager winter diets as well as assurances that there would continue to be more food to cultivate in one way or another. Popular colors associated with the holiday are pale greens, yellow-green, yellow, white, purple, blue, and pink, think of the colors of new grass and leaves and the flowers that are blooming right now, such as daffodils, crocus, grape hyacinths, and even a few trees. I've recently seen a reference to not only decorating eggs, but decorating with ribbons as signs of freedom. I've generally associated ribbons with Beltane and the Maypole, but I could see it for Ostara, too.
Balance and moderation are things that we, as humans struggle with time and time again through out our lives. How often have you found yourself starting a project only to get overwhelmed because you've taken on too much at once? And it is certainly easy to do this to ourselves in the Spring. There's so much that we haven't been able to do and enjoy during the Winter months that many of us go a little crazy trying to do everything at once as soon as the weather turns warm. For myself, I'm struggling to find balance with a number of things that I not only want to do, but that I need to do. I'm launching a campaign to find work as an SEO article writer, which has required a lot of reading, research, and now mass emailing potentially clients for work. In my quest to overcome fears, I've decided to not only get myself out into the Pagan community by attending festivals, while I'm there I'm going to be vending some fabric and jewelry craftings or at least trying to do so. People have been telling me they'd like to see more of my work, specifically for sale, so I'm going to see how that actually works out in practice. Of course, that means I have to make a bulk supply of things to sell, which takes time. I need time for the gym to work out. I want time to be outside and time with my family. And I have to cook and clean and take care of two active little girls, 10 months and 2 years old, respectively, as well as my two older children a 9 year old girl and 10 year old boy, although they require less time since they are not only in school but live primarily with their father. And I'm in school part-time. So, my husband and I have been struggling to get ourselves organized and on task to help each other with all the things that need to be done to achieve our goals. While there have been some frustrating days, I'm pleased to say that I think we are getting better at it, which is very exciting. It's nice to see successes, even if they are small ones in the general scheme of things. But any growth, any movement forward, is better than none at all and therefore deserves to be celebrated.
A lot of what I see people suggesting for Ostara celebrations involves planning and what you'd like to see come about in this growing season. There's certainly a call for that as now is the time when gardening season is upon us and stores are just now putting out more than just standard seeds, but also tools and starter plants. But for my Trad, the first half of Winter is the time for reflecting on what has passed and the second half is for planning what we'd like to see come about in our lives. Imbolc is the time of planning for Spring. I see Ostara as being a celebration of not what's past or what is to come, but a celebration of what is right now. Being balanced means not yearning too strongly for things either in the past that can't be changed or the future that hasn't come about, yet. Accept the past, wait for the future, but live in the now. If you don't live in the now, it will soon become the past and will have passed you by, possibly causing regrets. Look out your window and you'll see that Life is good today. So, for today, forget yesterday, it can't be undone, unlived. For today, forget tomorrow, it's time will come. What is good about life today? What are you thankful for in your life, your world, be it big or small? What blessings do you already have in your life? What have you already accomplished? Feel free to share these answers. :)
I'd also like to share a YouTube video shared with me that is a wonderful expression of Ostara, The Witch's Sabbat: Ostara
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