Many
Holidays, Many Names
The word Ostara is just one of the names applied to the celebration
of the spring equinox on March 21. The Venerable Bede said the
origin of the word is actually from Eostre, a Germanic goddess
of spring. Of course, it's also the same time as the Christian
Easter celebration, and in the Jewish faith, Passover takes
place as well. For early Pagans in the Germanic countries, this
was a time to celebrate planting and the new crop season. Typically,
the Celtic peoples did not celebrate Ostara as a holiday, although
they were in tune with the changing of the seasons.
A New Day Begins
A dynasty of Persian kings known as the Achaemenians celebrated
the spring equinox with the festival of No Ruz -- which means
"new day." It is a celebration of hope and renewal
still observed today in many Persian countries, and has its
roots in Zoroastrianism. In Iran, a festival called Chahar-Shanbeh
Suri takes place right before No Ruz begins, and people purify
their homes and leap over fires to welcome the 13-day celebration
of No Ruz.
Mad as a March Hare
Spring equinox is a time for fertility and sowing seeds, and
so nature's fertility goes a little crazy. In medieval societies
in Europe, the March hare was viewed as a major fertility symbol
-- this is a species of rabbit that is nocturnal most of the
year, but in March when mating season begins, there are bunnies
everywhere all day long. The female of the species is super
fecund and can conceive a second litter while still pregnant
with a first. As if that wasn't enough, the males tend to get
frustrated when rebuffed by their mates, and bounce around erratically
when discouraged.
The Legends of Mithras
The story of the Roman god, Mithras, is similar to the tale
of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Born at the winter solstice
and resurrected in the spring, Mithras helped his followers
ascend to the realm of light after death. In one legend, Mithras,
who was popular amongst members of the Roman military, was ordered
by the Sun to sacrifice a white bull. He reluctantly obeyed,
but at the moment when his knife entered the creature's body,
a miracle took place. The bull turned into the moon, and Mithras'
cloak became the night sky. Where the bull's blood fell flowers
grew, and stalks of grain sprouted from its tail.
Spring Celebrations Around the
World
In ancient Rome, the followers of Cybele believed that their
goddess had a consort who was born via a virgin birth. His name
was Attis, and he died and was resurrected each year during
the time of the vernal equinox on the Julian Calendar (between
March 22 and March 25). Around the same time, the Germanic tribes
honored a lunar goddess known as Ostara, who mated with a fertility
god around this time of year, and then gave birth nine months
later – at Yule.
The indigenous Mayan people in Central American have celebrated
a spring equinox festival for ten centuries. As the sun sets
on the day of the equinox on the great ceremonial pyramid, El
Castillo, Mexico, its "western face...is bathed in the
late afternoon sunlight. The lengthening shadows appear to run
from the top of the pyramid's northern staircase to the bottom,
giving the illusion of a diamond-backed snake in descent."
This has been called "The Return of the Sun Serpent"
since ancient times.
According to the Venerable Bede, Eostre was the Saxon version
of the Germanic goddess Ostara. Her feast day was held on the
full moon following the vernal equinox -- almost the identical
calculation as for the Christian Easter in the west. There is
very little documented evidence to prove this, but one popular
legend is that Eostre found a bird, wounded, on the ground late
in winter.
To
save its life, she transformed it into a hare. But "the
transformation was not a complete one. The bird took the appearance
of a hare but retained the ability to lay eggs...the hare would
decorate these eggs and leave them as gifts to Eostre."
Modern Celebrations
This is a good time of year to start your
seedlings. If you grow an herb garden, start getting the soil
ready for late spring plantings. Celebrate the balance of light
and dark as the sun begins to tip the scales, and the return
of new growth is near.
Many
modern Wiccans and Pagans celebrate Ostara as a time of renewal
and rebirth. Take some time to celebrate the new life that surrounds
you in nature -- walk in park, lay in the grass, hike through
a forest. As you do so, observe all the new things beginning
around you -- plants, flowers, insects, birds. Meditate upon
the ever-moving Wheel of the Year, and celebrate the change
of seasons.
Source:
http://tinyurl.com/c9jjkb
BRING
BACK THE SNAKES DAY – CIRCA MARCH 17TH
by
OMS Patriarch Sybok Pendderwydd
This
day is the modern Pagan answer to St. Patrick's Day. Legend
has it that St. Patrick drove the snakes of Ireland off the
island, never to return. Science tells us that snakes were never
indigeonous to Ireland in the first place, so what then is the
truth (and all legends have at least a wee bit of truth behind
them) underlying this legend? Prior to St. Patrick, Ireland
had been a stronghold of the Pagan Celtic religion, and their
priesthood, the Druids. One of the symbols of the Druids was
the snake. So what the legend is really celebrating is Christianity
become the dominant religion in Ireland, once the snakes (Druids)
were driven out.
For
about the past thirty years, beginning with Pagans living in
California's San Francisco Bay area, raucous parties have been
held, celebrating the return of the snakes – snakes in
this case not just representing the Druids, but all the Pagan
religions of old. The most common format has the party taking
place at a local micro-brew pub, and hosted by an mc, who is
usually a local Priest or Priestess from the Pagan community
at large. Generally these have been bardic like affairs, with
a featured musician or band, and with members of the audience
participating in a kind of open-mic, offering songs, poetry,
stories or demonstrations of prowess. Sometimes prizes are awarded
for the best offering. Back when I was living in Santa Cruz,
the party was well advertised, and Pagans from miles around
would flock in. The practice was to collect a cover fee from
anyone not appropriately dressed in what is considered Celtic
costume (usually just Ren-Faire garb). A snake (real or toy)
would also grant you free admission.
Isaac
Bonewits has written a song celebrating the fest, appropriately
named “Bring Back The Snakes”:
(To
the tune of “My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean”)
'Twas
on a bright Midsummer's evening,
An old woman I chanced for to see.
She grabbed both my shoulders and shook 'em,
Saying, "Bring back the snakes to me!"
Bring back, bring back, bring back the snakes to me, to
me;
Bring back, bring back, O bring back the snakes to me!
"My land was a jewel most blessed,
My people both happy and free,
Till the preachers came in with their crosses,
And drove all the snakes out to sea."
Bring back, bring back, bring back the snakes to me, to
me;
Bring back, bring back, O bring back the snakes to me!
"Yes, 'snakes' was the word that they used then,
For the masters of all druidry,
Whom they murdered, converted or banished,
As threats to their new tyranny."
Bring back, bring back, bring back the snakes to me, to
me;
Bring back, bring back, O bring back the snakes to me!
"Now it's past fifteen centuries later,
The results now are clear for to see;
Ireland was better off Pagan,
So bring back the snakes to me!"
Bring back, bring back, bring back the snakes to me, to
me;
Bring back, bring back, O bring back the snakes to me!
Then the old woman's face started changing,
Every country and race I could see.
She said, "All lands are better off Pagan,
So bring back the snakes to me!"
Bring back, bring back, bring back the snakes to me, to
me;
Bring back, bring back, O bring back the snakes to me!
