Happy Ostara 2009!

This year, the Christian celebration of Easter falls quite late—April 12, while the Pagan celebration of Ostara, as it is connected to the occurrence of the vernal equinox, is more than 3 weeks earlier.  Had I stepped into Paganism a year earlier, I might have felt quite conflicted about how to make sure my observance of Ostara didn’t get lost in the shuffle of my largely-Christian family’s Easter celebration, which was on March 23 last year.  As there is such a gap between the two celebrations this year, though, I’m feeling quite relaxed about it, including drawing out my observance over a matter of a week or more, as I gather both some physical symbols and my thoughts on the key aspects of Ostara.

 

To me, this observance seems to have been particularly long in coming.  I’ve been through one of the snowiest winters I can remember in decades (right up through last weekend!), I’ve been dealing with some thorny family issues, and I’m trying to address my own growing dissatisfaction with my current employment situation without causing household financial wreckage beyond that done by the national/global situation.   Despite the worries of my daily life, though, I feel joyful as the wheel of the year advances to the celebration of Ostara—a time to celebrate balance and potentiality.  As I continue to study the seasons and cycles in the physical world and my spiritual life, I find it helpful to have something specific to focus on during times of reflection, so I’m using the photos of seeds and nest eggs you see here as symbols of the season. 

 

Blessings to all who read this!  May this season be a time of renewal for all who desire it.

 

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