Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities

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Cerredwen	Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	Lead	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (02/24/06 07:17 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : pagan, paganism, witch, witchcraft, wicca, magick, ritual, spells, rite, druid, druidism, celtic, old ways, info, lore, sabbat, wheel of the year, crafts and activities, mike nichols, crafts, activities, spring, spring equinox, ostara, meditations, vernal equinox Ostara Egg Symbolism There are many fine books that describe the symbolism on Ukranian eggs (pysanky and krashanky), not to mention the rich symbolism within Wiccan and other Pagan traditions. Below are some traditional symbols used on Ukranian eggs, and you may notice that many of these symbols have universal meanings throughout the world. Circles: Protection, everlasting life, continuity, completeness. The Sun, and cycles of life. Triangles: The elements of air, fire and water. Or just fire. The Trinity. Sun, Moon, and Stars. Suns: The life-giving, all embracing nature of God, especially as the Sun is seen as the God. Fire and warmth, enchantment, prosperity, good fortune. It is the most ancient and significant symbol, appearing on almost every Ukranian egg, from a small circle or dot to an elaborate many rayed affair. Tripods: Man, Woman, and Child. Birth, Life and Death. Stars and Roses: Popular symbols for purity, life, giver of light, the eye of God, the God's love for humanity. Also success, knowledge, beauty, elegance, and perfection. Dots: Usually represent stars or the Tears of Mary. Also can be the Sun. Curls: Protection. Spirals: Mystery of life and death, divinity and immortality. Crosses: These are usually equal-armed crosses, though not always. Represents the four directions, the four ages of man, the four elements, rebirth and eternal life. Agricultural: Popular on traditional pysanky, these were important to a society that depended on the fruit of the fields. Also, krashanky had these symbols and were buried in the fields to ensure fertility. Below are some agricultural symbols. Sieves: Separating good from evil. Nets and baskets: Containing knowledge, motherhood, giving life and gifts. Ladders: Searching, rising above the petty, ascending to heaven. Combs: Putting things in order. Rakes: Successful harvest. Plants: Rebirth and nature. Very popular symbols. Trees: Strength, renewal, creation, organic unity, growth, eternal life. Leaves: Immortality, eternal or pure love, strength, persistence. Flowers: Beauty, children, female principles of wisdom and elegance. Fruit: Continuity, good fellowship, strong and loyal love, love of the Divine. Sunflowers: Motherhood, life, love of the Divine. Wheat: Bountiful harvest. Eternity Bands: Dividing elements on the eggs such as meanders for harmony, motion, infinity, immortality. Waves for wealth, rain. Lines and ribbons for the thread of life or eternity. Animal Stags: Leadership, victory, joy, masculinity. Horses: Wealth, prosperity, endurance, speed and the motion of the Sun. Rams: Leadership, strength, dignity, perseverance. Ram's horns symbolize strong leadership, dignity, and perseverance. Horns: Mobility, wisdom, triumph over problems, and implies manhood and leadership. Bear paws: A guardian spirit, bravery, wisdom, strength, endurance, the coming of spring. Birds: All kinds, are messengers of the Sun and heavens, pushing away evil, fertility, fulfillment of wishes, good harvest. Bird Parts: (eyes, feet, beaks, combs, feathers) carry the same meaning as entire birds. Roosters: Good fortune, masculinity, coming of the dawn. Hens: Fertility. Hen feet offer protection for the young, and guidance. Goose feet: Symbols of soul or spirit. Butterflies: Ascent of the soul, pleasure and frivolity of childhood. Spiders: Patience, artistry, industry, healing and good fortune. Fish: Abundance, sacrifice, regeneration. Color Symbolism in Ukranian Eggs White: Purity, birth, virginity, and ignorance. Historically, a young child would receive eggs with lots of white. Yellow: Youth, light, purity, happiness, and wisdom. Red: The most widely used color, for passion, love, enthusiasm. Orange: Endurance, strength, power. Green: Renewal, freshness, hope, victory of life over death. Brown: Earth. Blue: Sky, good health derived from air. Purple: Patience, trust, power. Black: Remembrance, eternity, constancy, death. A black and white combination indicates protection from evil and respect for the dead. Black with red connotes ignorance arising from passion. Yet More Symbology Of course, you can also use symbols from other traditions, or symbols that have meaning for you. You can use symbols that have meaning in the Wiccan tradition. Pentacles for the elements or earth, the divine, humanity. Cauldrons for rebirth and wisdom. Cups to represent Water: emotion, healing, adaptability. Swords for Air: clear thought, intellect, learning. The possibilities are endless. Candle Eggs Supplies: Eggs (not hard boiled) Sharp Nail Old Candles or Parafin Wax Wicks Hollow out several eggs by gently poking a small hole in one end of each egg. Rinse clean and set the eggshell in the egg carton. Melt some old candles or paraffin wax and wax coloring in a doublw boiler over low heat. Place a funnel over the opening of the egg and carefully pour wax into the hollow eggshell in the carton. When the eggshell is full, insert a wired wick into the egg, centering it with a piece of tape for support. Allow the wax to cool and harden, then break off the shell and buff the candle with a soft rag. Heat the bottom end of the candle to soften, then press on a flat surface to make it stand up. or use a candle holder. Variations: You can use several different colors of wax, layering them. Let them cool between colors. Add glitter or metallic confetti to make the egg sparkle. Colour the wax with old color crayons instead of buying wax coloring. BE SURE THE EGG SHELL IS DRY BEFORE FILLING IT! Growing Easter Baskets Supplies: Empty 1/2 gal. Milk Cartons Potting Soil Grass Seed (fast growing if you have it) Stuff to Decorate Carton Take empty milk cartons, cut down to 4-5" high. Can cover with contact paper or construction paper and decorate. Fill 2/3 full with potting soil, the generously cover with grass seed. Have children water daily; grass should grow in about 4-7 days. With remaining carton, cut a handle to staple to the basket. Fill with decorated eggs. May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee, O Mother, O Woman Eternal who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters between the hands upon Her Heart ~~~~~~~~~~~ We swear by Peace and Love to stand, Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this, our Sacred Vow. ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~ Last Edited By: Cerredwen 02/28/09 07:47 PM. Edited 1 time.
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#1	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (03/02/06 01:36 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Eggshell Pictures You can make "Stained Glass" pictures using small pieces of colored eggshell. Either use the shells from the eggs you colored for Ostara or follow the instructions below to color eggshells from either hard-boiled or raw eggs. Materials Eggshells Posterboard (or cardboard from cereal or detergent boxes) White glue Food coloring White vinegar Paper towels and/or newspaper In a cup or small glass bowl, mix a few drops of food coloring with about 1/2 c. white vinegar for each color you wish to use. Soak the egg shells in the food coloring until you have the color desired. The longer they soak the darker they will be. You may wish to crush the shells into small pieces before putting them into the coloring. Remove the colored shells and spread on paper towels or newspaper to dry. Draw a simple picture on the plain side of the cardboard. Coloring book pictures are good. Spread glue in each area of your drawing. Allow the glue to dry completely before moving your picture. Bunny Ears This has been one of the traditional favorites of nursery school teachers for years. Materials Construction paper (White, Brown, Grey or Black & Pink) Glue Scissors Stapler and Staples Cut the headband from construction paper. (If you use 12" x 18" paper, 1 headband strip 2" wide cut from the long edge of the paper + one 2" strip cut from the short edge should be enough...If you are using 9" x 12" paper, cut three 2" x 9" strips) Place the strips end to end and staple together to fit snuggly around the child's head. Using the shapes shown in the example, cut 2 outer ears from "bunny colored" construction paper. Cut 2 pink inner ears and glue them to the front of the outer ears. Allow the glue to dry before going on to next step. Fold the glued ear pieces in half lengthwise and then unfold them (The crease will help the ears stand up straight.) Staple the ears to the headband with the ears standing straight up. Puffy Paint Pictures Materials Flour Salt Water Food color or tempera paint Empty squeeze bottles Cardboard Method Mix equal parts of flour, salt, and water to make the puffy paint. (It should have the consistency of frosting) Stir in desired amount of food coloring (remember that paint will dry lighter than it is when wet.) Fill the squeeze bottles with the mixture (one color per squeeze bottle). Squeeze the paint onto the cardboard. Try zigzags, dots and other designs. Allow the cardboard to dry flat. When it is dry, the design will be raised and will sparkle! May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee, O Mother, O Woman Eternal who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters between the hands upon Her Heart ~~~~~~~~~~~ We swear by Peace and Love to stand, Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this, our Sacred Vow. ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#2	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (03/02/06 01:40 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Bunny May I? (Kid's Game) This is a good game for groups of kids up to about age 8 or second grade. It is played just like "Mother May I?". The "Bunny" stands at one side of the room or playground area. (To make it extra fun, make a set of ears from the Ostara crafts section and have the "Bunny" wear them.) The rest of the children line up at the opposite end of the room or playground. The "Bunny" calls on each of the other children in turn, who then must ask if they can move by saying, "Bunny, may I move____ jumps, giant steps, hops, baby steps etc." The "Bunny" gives the other players permission to move by saying, "Yes, you may" or "No, you may not." The object of the game is to cross the space to the "Bunny" and tap him/her on the shoulder. The first to touch him/her is the next "Bunny". Children can try to move up when the Bunny isn't looking at them, but if they are caught cheating, they must go back to the beginning. An alternative way to play is by having the "Bunny" tell the other players how many steps and what kind of steps to take e.g.: "Billy, you may take 3 hops" to which Billy replies, "Bunny, may I?" Source May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee, O Mother, O Woman Eternal who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters between the hands upon Her Heart ~~~~~~~~~~~ We swear by Peace and Love to stand, Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this, our Sacred Vow. ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#3	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (03/02/06 01:49 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Natural Ostara Egg Dyes This Easter, why not color your eggs using nature's very own dyes? It's possible to share paint colours and the rinse water cups around the table to encourage sharing and conversation. The kids had a ball painting the baskets any way they wanted. Orange: Yellow onion skins Light yellow: Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed or ground cumin Yellow: Ground turmeric Pale green: Spinach leaves Green-gold: Yellow Delicious apple peels Blue: Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves Beige to brown: Strong brewed coffee To dye the perfect Easter eggs the natural way, here's what to do: 1. Put eggs in a single layer in a pan. Pour water in pan until the eggs are covered. 2. Add about a teaspoon of vinegar. 3. Add the natural dye appropriate to the color you want your eggs to be. (The more eggs you are dying at a time, the more dye you will need to use.) 4. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 5. Remove the substance you used to color the eggs. Put eggs in a bowl. If you want your eggs to be a darker shade, cover them with the dye and let them stand overnight in the refrigerator. Ostara Egg Baskets Wooden strawberry baskets (1 quart size) Pastel poster paints in many different Easter Colours Paint brushes 1 for each child LOTS of rinse water!!!!!!! Small kitchen sized garbage bags Easter grass in many colours The garbage bags make great paint smocks when your in a pinch. Simply cut a slit in the top large enough for the child's head, measure where their arms would be and cut two slits for the arm holes and HEY! You have instant paint smocks!! We saved ours, but you can toss yours its up to you. Give each child a basket, and a paint brush. Scatter the paint colours and the rinse water cups around the table to encourage sharing and conversation. The kids had a ball painting the baskets any way they wanted. They were so expressive with their ideas!! It was a wonderful art experience for them. They were very proud of their work and were so excited when they saw how each basket was different from the rest. Give each child some Easter grass to line their baskets. If you wish you might give each child a few Easter Eggs for their baskets. Real Grass Baskets -by AmberSkyfire One of the most lovely crafts you can make before Ostara is baskets with real grass in them. This is easy for both children and adults to do. What you will need: Round basket plastic disposable plant water catching dish as close to the size of the basket as you can find dirt grass seed Place the dish inside of the basket. The closer the dish is to the size of the inside of the basket, the better. Fill the dish up to the top with potting soil. Sprinkle grass seed over the top of the soil and water. You will need to water the grass every now and then to keep the seeds moist. make sure to use lots of seed so that the grass grows thick and keep in a sunny location. When Ostara comes, you will have a wonderful grass-filled basket to put the eggs you find in. The basket can be kept with grass all year long as a window decoration, or the grass and soil can be tossed into the yard. Candied Violets for a Springtime Cake -by AmberSkyfire Violets are edible and very high in Vitamin A. A good way to serve violets is to make them into candy and serve them on white cake. What you will need: violets (about twenty per cake) a cake white icing egg whites paint brush fine granulated sugar Bake a cake and put white icing on the cake. Make sure that the violets have been rinsed and let sit to dry a few minutes on paper towels. Beat the egg whites until they are light and fluffy. Using the paintbrush, CAREFULLY paint egg white on each of the flowers. Sprinkle fine granulated sugar over the flowers until they are covered. Decorate the cake with the flowers, serve, and enjoy! May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee, O Mother, O Woman Eternal who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters between the hands upon Her Heart ~~~~~~~~~~~ We swear by Peace and Love to stand, Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this, our Sacred Vow. ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#4	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (03/02/06 02:00 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	11 Ways to Say "Happy Spring!" On your way home from work, pick up some flowers or small flowering plants for each child's bedroom. 1. Let tonight's meal be the first picnic of the season--even if you're dining on a blanket in the living room. 2. Write a spring poem and tuck it under your child's pillow to find at bedtime. 3. Create a list with your child of all the spring treats the earth delivers--robins' eggs, green grass, warmer air, blue skies, purple crocus... 4. Throw open the windows and imagine that the breeze, even a cold one, is blowing out stale energy and old habits that you would like to release. This can be the day to spring-clean your psyche. 5. Get out your favorite mail order catalogs and have each child select a new bathing suit, shorts, or an outrageous beach towel. 6. Create a spring parade around the neighborhood. Give the kids markers and a piece of poster board to make a sign that says, SPRING HAS SPRUNG! 7. Have breakfast for dinner tonight and scramble up some eggs, the universal symbol of rebirth. 8. Create a collage of your family's dream garden using pictures you and your child cut out of magazines and catalogs. 9. Write your own myth. What might Father Winter say to Sister Spring as she knocks upon his heavy wooden door? Does he want to leave yet? How does Sister Spring make her way in? 10. As the sun goes down, light lots of candles, turn up your favorite music, and dance together to celebrate the beginning of spring. 11. Head over to the nearest playground after dinner regardless of your children's ages. Swing into the spring air, even if there is snow on the ground May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee, O Mother, O Woman Eternal who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters between the hands upon Her Heart ~~~~~~~~~~~ We swear by Peace and Love to stand, Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this, our Sacred Vow. ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#5	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (03/08/06 02:36 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Osterraeder - Ostara Wheel Make a wheel of plaited straw and stuff it with the detrius of the past 12 months. If you don't have anything to use, why not write down on pieces of paper the things that happened, both good and bad? Then out an in****ion to Ostara, honouring her, and pin this to the wheel. Decorate it with whatever new-sprung flowers and shoots you can find. This is your Wheel of the Year. The eve of the equinox, feast and celebrate through with your family and friends. In the wee hours of the morning throw your wheels onto the fire and invoke Ostara. During this time you should verbally share the good and the bad of the year. This is the time to raise old enmities and "throw them into the fire". It is also the time to proclaim the wonderful things that have happened, and what you love about each other. As the morning approaches, have breakfast together, but spend the time in companionable silence as you think about what Ostara's Day means to you. As the day dawns, walk outside to greet Ostara as she rises in the east with the sun. May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee, O Mother, O Woman Eternal who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters between the hands upon Her Heart ~~~~~~~~~~*~ We swear by Peace and Love to stand, Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this, our Sacred Vow. ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#6	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (03/08/06 02:40 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Ostara Activities Clear a space for a garden, or start flowers, herbs or vegetables indoors. It's too early in this climate to plant fruits and vegetables; frosts can happen as late as April in the North. You can clear weeds, grass and rubbish from the spot where you plan a garden, or you can start seeds indoors. Pick up litter at your favorite park or beach. Help the earth rejuvenate by getting rid of the mess. Ritually color hard-boiled or blown eggs Perform oomancy (divination by eggs). Meditate on the imagery of the seed. Meditate on the season's flowers. Flowers are the sexual organs of plants, consider what this says to you. Perform magick to give back to the earth. Raise and send energy to return to the Earth, our mother, some of the bounteous energy and fertility She gives to us. Meditate on the Moon-Hare, rabbits provide an obvious symbol of animal fertility and see what comes to you about literal or creative fertility in your own life. Honor the spring or Earth goddess or god of your choice, or a goddess or god of balance. Light a bonfire at dawn on the Equinox to honor the light half of the year. Meditate or perform ritual at dawn or sunset. Meditate or perform ritual for balance in your life and in the earth's life. Do a ritual denoting the passing of the year's dark half. Use the energy of the time of year as you would the first quarter of the moon. You can use the energy of this time of year to fuel any new project or goal. Meditate on beginnings, on the East, on air, on dawn. In meditation, note how these symbols connect organically and how you relate personally to them. Taking a long walk in nature with no intent other than reflecting on the Magick of nature and our Great Mother and her bounty. If you don't do your spring cleaning at Imbolc it is an ideal time to clean your home to welcome the new season. Offerings of food and milk are left for the fairies and other spirits who live in and around rocks and are responsible for the fertility of the land. Leave a few fruits from the last harvest for the nature spirits. May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee, O Mother, O Woman Eternal who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters between the hands upon Her Heart ~~~~~~~~~~~ We swear by Peace and Love to stand, Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this, our Sacred Vow. ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#7	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (03/13/06 05:33 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Beyond Eggs Ways to Celebrate Ostara By Melanie Fire Salamander The wheel of the year turns; the days get longer, dawns earlier. The Spring Equinox, Ostara, approaches. You want to celebrate, but how? The same way you did last year? Nah, boring. Or maybe you've never planned an Ostara ritual before. Maybe it's a holiday you've always gotten stuck on: You understand Imbolc, you understand Beltane, but Spring Equinox -- what do you do then? Following are some ideas to get your imagination ticking. First, as with any Sabbat, consider whether you want only to celebrate the time of year and the goddesses and gods of spring or also to perform magick to accomplish a goal. If you want to perform magick, what goals do you and your co-ritualists have, and how do you work for those goals in magick appropriate to the time of year? Whether you perform magick or simply celebrate, your Ostara rites begin with understanding the time of year. If Litha, June 21 or thereabouts, is Midsummer, Ostara is Midspring. It's the second of the three spring holidays, Imbolc marking spring's first glimmer and Beltaine spring's height and power. If Imbolc is about inspiration, Beltaine about consummation, Ostara is about growth. At Ostara, the seed that stirred at Imbolc sprouts and pokes its head above ground. At Ostara, you can begin to feel spring: The crocuses and daffodils are out; the cherries blossom. The air smells of wet earth and flowers; earth and air begin to warm. You see the tall spring cumulus, feel the first spring wind, greet kite-flying weather. You can make your Ostara ritual part of this burgeoning spring, celebrating Earth's fertility and the fertility in your own life. You can also consider Ostara as a time of balance between light and dark. Night and day equally divide the 24 hours now; the dark half of the year gives way to the light. You can perform rituals to ask for balance in your life, and to honor both dark and light. You can also work with Ostara as the first quarter of the Sun-year, parallel to the first quarter of the Moon. It's a time to start new things or to consolidate beginnings. If the first inspiration began at Imbolc, now is the time to pour on nurturance and growth. You can also plant new seeds now. Symbolic associations for Ostara include the element air, the direction east and the time of dawn. In a related association, this time belongs to the Maiden and her parallel the Young God. Other gods and goddesses concerned with Spring Equinox include the Greek wine-god Dionysus and his Roman counterpart Bacchus; the Greeks held Dionysia at Spring Equinox, when the new wine made the previous harvest was first drunk. The Norse at equinox celebrated the feast of the goddess Iduna, bearer of the magick apples of life, symbol of the light half of the year. We get the name of the holiday from the Germanic goddess Eastre or Ostara, whose symbolism is similar to Aphrodite's, whose associations include Near-Eastern Astarte and Indian Mother Kali and whose consort is the lusty Moon-Hare. On the day before the equinox, the Greeks and Romans honored wisdom goddess Athena and her counterpart Minerva. Rhea, mother of Greek Sky-Father Zeus and an aspect of the Great Mother, has her feast day March 15. March as a whole is sacred to the Roman god Mars and his Norse equivalent Tyr, and to the Anglo-Saxon Earth-Mother Hertha. To celebrate Ostara, you can do any of the following, or use these ideas as a springboard. Get out in Nature. Take a walk around your neighborhood or favorite park. See which plants are sprouting, which budding, which blooming, which still are in the grips of winter. Feel the air; smell the scents of Ostara. Clear a space for a garden, or start flowers, herbs or vegetables indoors. It's too early in this climate to plant fruits and vegetables; frosts can happen as late as April in the Northwest. But you can clear weeds, grass and rubbish from the spot where you plan a garden, or you can start seeds indoors. Check with your favorite garden store what flowers and vegetables might best be started now. Pick up litter at your favorite park or beach. Help the earth rejuvenate by getting rid of the mess. Even an hour of cleanup can make a big difference. Ritually color hard-boiled or blown eggs. Eggs, a potent symbol of fertility, figured in pagan spring worship long before their appropriation by the Christian Easter. Ukrainian pysanky, blown eggs with patterns drawn in wax and dyed, are Pagan amulets for fertility, prosperity and protection. Pysanky have come to us basically unchanged in form from the hunter-gatherers of Eastern Europe. For your own rituals, you can draw in crayon or white wax on hard-boiled eggs symbols that represent things you want in the coming sun-year, or write on the eggs these things' names, or both. You can then use Easter-egg or natural dyes to color the eggs; your wax symbols and writing will stand out against the dye-color. Next, raise energy in ritual for your goals, charge the eggs with that energy, then peel and eat the eggs, taking in the things you want to manifest. Alternatively, you can mark and dye unboiled eggs, then crack tiny holes in both ends with a pin and blow out the matter inside, keeping the eggshell on your altar. Perform oomancy (divination by eggs). To perform the most common form of egg-divination, separate egg whites and yolks. You then drop the white into hot water and divine from the shapes it assumes. Perform love or other divination with apples. Apples are a Northern European Pagan symbol of spring and of love. You may recall from childhood two forms of love-divination by apple, using the seeds and the stem. To divine whether someone loves you by apple seeds, choose and eat an apple thinking of your loved one. Next, split the core and count the seeds chanting this rhyme: One I love, two I love, three I love I say, four I love with all my heart, five I cast away; six she loves, seven he loves, eight they both love; nine s/he comes, ten s/he tarries, eleven s/he courts, twelve s/he marries. To divine the first letter of your spouse-to-be's name, twist an apple's stem while chanting the letters of the alphabet. The letter at which the stem breaks is his or her initial. Both these love-divination techniques can be adapted to other uses. To adapt the former, alter the rhyme with words suiting your situation. To adapt the latter, you can simply chant yes and no while twisting till the apple stem breaks; you can also chant "yes, no, maybe" or use words more specific to your situation. Meditate on the imagery of the seed. Consider a seed and how it relates to the earth, how it falls from its mother plant into a rich loam made from the breakdown of other dead plants. Consider how the seed is influenced by sun and rain, by the energy from sky and earth. Or contemplate as a seed an idea or situation in your life, then imagine the seed breaking open and sending out roots and sprouts. Study what these roots and sprouts look like, where they find barriers and where they grow most strongly. Perform magick by planting a seed to grow with your spell. A traditional love-spell runs as follows. (Of course, you shouldn't perform this spell to draw a particular person, but rather to draw the right person toward you.) Just after the New Moon, plant the seed of some sturdy plant in a pot. Water thoroughly, and charge your spell by raising energy and saying over the plant: As this root grows, and this blossom blows, may my true love be inclined toward me. You can adapt this spell to any purpose naturally achieved over time, such as the success of a business. Meditate on the season's flowers. Around us now bloom crocuses, daffodils and early tulips. You can find or purchase cut or living flowers and meditate on them. Sitting before the flowers, consider what is growing in your life. Flowers are the sexual organs of plants; consider what this says to you. Perform magick to give back to the earth. Raise and send energy to return to the Earth, our mother, some of the bounteous energy and fertility She gives to us. Meditate on the Moon-Hare. Rabbits provide an obvious symbol of animal fecundity. Meditate on the Moon-Hare, the animal the early German tribes and the Aztecs saw on the face of the moon, and see what comes to you about literal or creative fertility in your own life. Honor the spring or Earth goddess or god of your choice, or a goddess or god of balance. To honor balance, venerate Roman Janus or his female counterpart Jana, or any pair of twin goddesses or gods. You can also honor goddesses and gods of spring or fertility now. Greet Ostara with rites like those of Aphrodite; drink new wine in honor of Dionysos; celebrate warlike Mars, deep and fertile Hertha or ever-young Iduna. Likewise, you can honor the Maiden, either sole and free or ripe for consummation. Light around your house pairs of white and black candles, symbolizing dark and light. Each time you pass a pair of candles, you can honor the balance of light and dark we find this time of year, and the balance of light and dark within yourself. Light a bonfire at dawn on the Equinox to honor the light half of the year. Not only did ancient Northern Europeans burn such fires, but also the Mayans. Meditate or perform ritual at dawn or sunset. These liminal times areparticularly significant now when we balance between dark and light. Meditate or perform ritual for balance in your life and in the earth's life. Meditate on that ancient Eastern emblem of balance, the Yin-Yang symbol. Consider what is dark and hidden, rightly or wrongly, in your life, and what is daylit. Consider how you best can create balance, honoring both sides of yourself. Likewise, contemplate what you see as dark and light in the world around you. Meditate upon what this year will bring, dark and light, and how best you can take right action in the world. You can also use these symbolsactively, raising energy and asking that balance come to your life. Do a ritual denoting the passing of the year's dark half. MedievalBohemians, after honoring the Christian savior on Easter Sunday, performed a ritual for his pagan rival on the following Monday, or Moon-day. Village girls sacrificed an effigy of the Lord of Death in the nearest running water, singing "Death swims in the water, spring comes to visit us, with eggs that are red, with yellow pancakes, we carried Death out of the village, we are carrying Summer into the village." As an updated variation, you can create an effigy of the dark half of the year and imbue it with the things of winter you'd like to leave behind. You can then either burn it in a bonfire or drop it in the nearest watercourse. (In the former case, you'll want to make the effigy's components flammable, in the latter biodegradable.) To return with the spring, bring back to your home greenery cut with respect or water from the stream. Use the energy of the time of year as you would the first quarter of the moon. You can use the energy of this time of year to fuel any new project or goal. Meditate on beginnings, on the East, on air, on dawn. This station of the year reflects these traditional associations. In meditation, note how these symbols connect organically and how you relate personally to them. <!--EZCODE CENTER START---<div style="text-align:center"><!--EZCODE HR START---<hr /><!--EZCODE HR END---<!--EZCODE FONT START---<span style="color:white;font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee,<br> O Mother, O Woman Eternal<br> who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters<br> between the hands upon Her Heart<br> <br> ~~~~~~~~~~~<br> <br> We swear by Peace and Love to stand,<br> Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand.<br> Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now,<br> confirming this, our Sacred Vow.<br> ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~</span><!--EZCODE FONT END---<!--EZCODE HR START---<hr /><!--EZCODE HR END---</div><!--EZCODE CENTER END---
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#8	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (03/13/06 05:38 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Ostara Besom Source Unknown About mid-March, go to a nearby department store to the drapery/curtain section and buy two drapery/curtain hooks that are big enough for your besom handle will rest easily upon them. Decide on a place on your wall and screw the two hooks in. Yes, this is a permanent thing, and you can display your besom all throughout the year too. Next go to a nearby craft supply store and buy Styrofoam eggs, ribbons, sequins and whatever strikes your fancy to use to decorate your eggs. Once you have decorated your eggs you can hang them from ribbons on the horizontal handle of the besom. Also, if you wish you can decorate your besom to resemble a bunny rabbit. The besom is a magickal tool that will cleanse your home with its magick. <!--EZCODE CENTER START---<div style="text-align:center"><!--EZCODE HR START---<hr /><!--EZCODE HR END---<!--EZCODE FONT START---<span style="color:white;font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee,<br> O Mother, O Woman Eternal<br> who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters<br> between the hands upon Her Heart<br> <br> ~~~~~~~~~~~<br> <br> We swear by Peace and Love to stand,<br> Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand.<br> Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now,<br> confirming this, our Sacred Vow.<br> ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~</span><!--EZCODE FONT END---<!--EZCODE HR START---<hr /><!--EZCODE HR END---</div><!--EZCODE CENTER END---
Cerredwen	Re: Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities	#9	[-]
Walks an Earthbased Path Posts: 11476 (02/14/07 08:49 PM) ~~Priestess of the Goddess~~ Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	A Children's Story for the Spring Equinox By D. J. Conway, copyright 1997 The little rabbit yawned wide as he looked out from his burrow at the morning Sun on the grass. His brothers and sisters crowded behind him, twitching their whiskers, impatient for him to go outside. "Oh, do get out of the way, Fluff," said one of his sisters, pushing against him. "You always just sit around and look at everything. We're hungry." As Fluff hopped out into the spring sunshine, his brothers and sisters rushed past him and began to scamper about, eating the tender new grass. Fluff nibbled a few leaves, but he was more interested in the strange bright colors he saw among the grass stems over by the edge of the meadow. No one saw him hop away to find out what grass grew in such wonderful colors near the trees. "What strange grass is this?" Fluff said as he smelled the brightly colored plants. "And why doesn't my family eat it?" "It isn't grass, little rabbit, but flowers." The soft, gentle voice startled Fluff, and he jumped back, then looked to see who was speaking. A beautiful young woman stood smiling at him. Around her head was a crown made of flowers. Her eyes were the deep blue of the sky just after the sun went down, her hair a rich brown like the leaves left on the oak trees. Fluff could see her bare toes under the edge of her long white gown. In one hand she carried a basket woven out of willow limbs. "Who are you?" he asked. "You aren't a rabbit." The lady laughed, and the laughter made Fluff feel safe and warm. "No Fluff, I am not a rabbit. I am the Spring Maiden. At this time of year I walk through the forests and meadows, calling to the flowers and plants and trees to drink in the rich sunshine and grow faster. The birds and animals hear me also and begin to plan their nests and soft burrows for the babies who will soon be born." The Lady smiled again. "Do you like my flowers?" She pointed at the bright plants peeping through the grass. "So these are flowers," Fluff said as he smelled them. "They are very beautiful, but not as beautiful as you are, Spring Maiden." The rabbit jumped back as a small boy timidly peeked out from behind the Spring Maiden. A bright light shone around the boy, so bright that Fluff blinked his eyes. The Spring Maiden put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "This is the little Sun King," she told Fluff. "I am teaching him about the plants and animals, and the turning seasons of the year, so he will be a wise ruler of the Earth and all its inhabitants." "Can we take Fluff with us, Lady?" the boy asked, looking up at the Spring Maiden. "Yes," she answered with a smile. "Fluff will help humans remember the importance of this season." "Why do we have to remind humans?" the Sun King asked as he knelt down to pet Fluff. "They should remember." "The grownups get too busy with other things," answered the Spring Maiden, "So we leave special gifts for the children. When the grownups see the gifts, they remember and celebrate this season of the year. They remember that the Goddess loves all Her creatures and creations and cares for them." Fluff left the meadow with the Spring Maiden and the Sun King, hopping along through the new grass and spring flowers. Everywhere they went in the forests and meadows and along the streams, they blessed all the animals and plants and the Earth herself. At last they came to the first houses Fluff had ever seen. There were children playing around the houses. The Spring Maiden reached into her willow basket and took out a bright red egg. "This egg is a symbol of hope and new life," she said as she placed it into the Sun King's hand. "Animals and plants always know that the Goddess cares for them, that She always makes spring follow winter and good times follow the bad times. Humans forget and need to be reminded." "I remember," the Sun King said softly. "No life ever really ends. It is always reborn, just as I was." The Spring Maiden took the Sun King's hand and, with Fluff hopping beside them, went out to greet the children. They gave each child a red egg and a spring flower from the Lady's basket. The children all petted Fluff and called him a messenger from the Goddess. As they walked away, Fluff heard the children calling to their parents. "Mother! Father! Look what the beautiful lady and a shining boy gave us! And we got to pet the Goddess' special rabbit messenger!" "Is it Spring Equinox already?" the father looked toward the forest where the Lady stood with Fluff at her feet. He took off his hat and bowed his head for a moment. "Thank you, Spring Maiden" he called. "Bless this house and all those who live here. We remember the ancient symbol of renewing life and hope." The Spring Maiden smiled, and all the colors of the plants and trees and even the little house seemed brighter to Fluff. The Sun King waved to the children, and the Sun shone warmer and everything seemed to grow a bit more. All day the Spring Maiden and the Sun King went about the world, leaving the red eggs and spring flowers. They blessed everything and everyone, and Fluff went with them. As the Sun began to set, and the sky darken with the coming night, Fluff realized he was very tired and sleepy. "Dear little rabbit, you have been so wonderful to help us," the Lady said, as she knelt to rub Fluff's ears. I will take you back to your meadow now, if you wish." "I would rather stay with you, Lady, and with the Sun King," Fluff answered. "But I am only a rabbit and really not important, I know. Even though the children all called me a messenger of the Goddess." "But you are special, Fluff," said the Sun King as he gathered the rabbit into his arms. "Don't you know that everything in this world is important to me and to my Mother? And you are very special because you have so much yet to do. I will keep you with me always, Fluff." Fluff snuggled down in the Sun King's arms and yawned. "Some people don't believe in the Goddess or in me anymore. But even though their minds say it is all superstition and nonsense, their hearts and souls will remember the truth. And every spring when they see you, they will remember to celebrate the joy of renewing life and the ancient truth that my Mother and I will always love and care for them." "Dear Fluff, come and live with us in the Sacred Grove." The Spring Maiden smiled when Fluff nodded that he would. The Goddess gave a special blessing to the rabbit, so that he could remain the friend and companion of Her son, the Sun King. Fluff and the Sun King are born together, grow up together, die at the same time, and are reborn together. Fluff still lives in the Sacred Grove, and each spring he goes through the world with the Spring Maiden and the Sun King, reminding the people and animals and plants that there is always hope and new life. They carry their gifts of the special colored eggs and spring flowers to all the children. The children still love Fluff and call him the messenger of the Goddess. May the fruit of our lives be bound and sealed to Thee, O Mother, O Woman Eternal who holdest the inmost life of each of Thy daughters between the hands upon Her Heart ~~~~~~~~~~~ We swear by Peace and Love to stand, Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this, our Sacred Vow. ~Druidic Prayer of Unity~

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Ostara/Vernal Equinox Crafts and Activities

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