Spring Blessing / Lente Zegeningen
The earth is cool and dark, and far below, new life begins.
May the soil be blessed with fertility and abundance,
with rains of life-giving water,
with the heat of the sun,
with the energy of the raw earth.
May the soil be blessed
as the womb of the land becomes full and fruitful
to bring forth the garden anew.
The colours associated with Eostara/Spring are lemon yellow, pale green and pale pink. Other appropriate colours include grass green, all pastels, Robin’s egg blue, violet and white
Personal altars should reflect the Spring sabbat. Decorate your altar in any of the above colours
Deities for Eostara; all Youthful and Virile Gods and Goddesses, Fertility, Sun and Moon Deities. Mother Goddesses, Love Goddesses.
Aphrodite, Athena, Blodeuwedd, Cybele, Eostre, Flora, Gaia, Hera, Isis, Ishtar, Minerva, Persephone, Venus,
Herne, Robin of the Woods, the Green Man, Cernunnos, Lord of the Greenwood, The Dagda, Attis, The Great Horned God, Mithras, Odin, Thoth, Osiris, and Pan.
As Ostara is a time of balance between light and dark. Symbols of polarity can be used. A god and goddess statue, a white candle a black one, a sun and moon, a yin/yang symbol.
Link appropriate food to ritual (hard-boiled) eggs, egg salad, (honey) cakes, first fruits of the season, fish, biscuits, cheeses, honey, ham. leafy, green vegetables, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, pine nuts, sprouts
Try making flower dishes like stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes (recipe suggestion in flower article) Eostara meat dishes should contain fish or ham
You could make incense to burn on your altar from a blend from any of the following scents or simply choose one… jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, dragon’s blood, cinnamon, nutmeg, aloes wood, benzoin, musk, African violet, sage, strawberry, lotus, violet flowers, orange peel, or rose petals. Suggestion: A pale green altar cloth with purple(s) and/or blue(s) draped across, add some yellow or pink (candles) to carry the colour up.
Spring symbols
Seeds and bulbs
Caterpillars, ladybirds, bumblebees
Gemstones and crystals: aquamarine, rose quartz, and moonstone
A basket of eggs
Figures of lambs, rabbits, calves, etc.,
A chalice of milk and/or honey. Milk represents new birth, honey is a symbol of abundance
Ritual fires in a cauldron or brazier
Animals associated with this time include the mythical specifically unicorns, merpeople and Pegasus. Worms, are also celebrated now they one of the first denizens of the animal kingdom, as they emerge, symbolizing the serpent and all it’s lore.
Many customs, like ringing bells, lighting new fires at dawn to heal, renew life and protect the crops hiding, finding and painting eggs, still survive in the Southern Americas, Europe and other continents.
Do spell work for; fertility, abundance, improving communication and group interaction are recommended. This is an excellent month for prosperity rituals or any rituals to do with growth.
“Spring cleaning” is much more than simple physical work. It can be seen as the concentrated efforts to rid your home of problems and negativity especially those of the past Winter months, an way to prepare for the coming spring and summer. Approach the task of cleaning with positive thoughts. This frees the home of all negative feelings brought about in winter.
A common rule of thumb for Spring cleaning is; all motions involving scrubbing (stains) or mopping the floors should be done “clockwise”. Pagans believe this custom aids in filling the home with good energy for growth
Fertility rituals:
place a rabbit skin under your bed to bring fertility and abundance to your sexual activities. If you’re opposed to the use of real fur, use some other symbol of the rabbit that you’re more comfortable with.
A rabbit’s foot is said to bring good luck to those who carry it.
For boundless energy, carry a talisman engraved or painted with a rabbit’s image.
In some magical traditions, the wild rabbit is associated with the deities of spring, make a wish and leave them an offering of lettuce, shredded carrots, cabbage, or other fresh greens..
Rabbits and hares go to ground very quickly if they sense danger. Add a few rabbit hairs to a witch bottle for protection magic.
In some legends, rabbits and hares are the messengers of the underworld coming and going into and out of the earth as they please. Do a meditation that involves an underworld journey, calling upon rabbit or hare to be your guide.
Link appropriate food to ritual (hard-boiled) eggs, egg salad, (honey) cakes, first fruits of the season, fish, biscuits, cheeses, honey, ham. leafy, green vegetables, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, pine nuts, sprouts
Try making flower dishes like stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes (recipe suggestion in flower article) Eostara meat dishes should contain fish or ham
Tel je Lente zegeningen….