Eostre/Ostara Goddess of Spring “Ostara is known as the harbinger of the Sun. It is She, who announces the rebirth of life in the Spring and holds the promise of new beginnings and summer growth. Ostara is a Goddess of fertility, rebirth, agriculture, purification, and health and healing http://www.moonbeamgarden.com/witchscottage/february_2005.htm Goddess of Spring

AKA Eostre Anglo-Saxons Ostara Germainc peoples Eostra, Eostrae, Eostar, Easter, Estre, Eastre, and Austra Other Europeans Estrus, Estrogen Modern English Debate has surrounded this goddess on wither she was just a name for a holiday or a true Goddess. She has many names Eostre by the Anglo-Saxons and Ostara by the Germanic peoples. Other Europeans call her Eostra, Eostrae, Eostar, Eastre, Easter, Estre, Eástre, and Austra. Translated her name means "movement towards the rising sun" and the Indo-European word Aus which means "to shine" has derived from her name. Modern English has taken her name and derived the words estrus and estrogen from it. (Jesus) http://www.sgbrooks.com/portfolio_18.html

Honorable Mention Venerable Bede- De Temporum Rationale (672-735)CE Jakob Grimm in Teutonic Mythology 1835 CE http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/venerable_bede.html The first mention of Eostre can be found in the work written in 672-735 CE of a Benedictine monk, Venerable Bede called De Temporum Rationale or De Temporum (translated “The Reckoning of time”.) He tells of the Goddess Ostara and how the celebration of her holiday was the beginning of what we now celebrate as Easter. "The first month, which the Latins call January, is Giuli; February is called Solmonath; March Hrethmonath; April, Eosturmonath [...etc.] Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated "Paschal month", and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance. (“Eoatra.” Wikipedia ) The next to mention Eostre was one of the well know writers of German fairy tales, Jakob Grimm. ‘The Grimm, famous student of Nordic mythology in its "Teutonic Mythology" describes Eostre as a pagan divinity carrier of fertility and the colleague in the light of the East and in particular to the equinox of Spring that came called from the people Celtic "Eostur-Monath" and subsequently of "Ostara".’ (Romanazzi) http://www.arthistoryclub.com/art_history/Brothers_Grimm

Her Celebration Ostara, Feast of Eostre, Lady Day, Albin Eiler, and the Festival of the Trees. April on the Vernal Equinox of Full Moon The equinox is the point where one season turns to the other. The word is Latin for 'equal night' and refers to the fact that, on the equinox, day and night are of equal length. It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance yet the light is growing stronger by the day Attachment at end of sample ritual Ostara had been pictured in white. According to Grimm’s Teutonic Mythology we see women dressed in white appearing in the cliffs of the mountains at the dawn of Easter. “One of these is the white maiden of Osterrode, who appears with a large bunch of keys at her girdle (the sign of a married woman in our forebears' times), who goes down to the brook to wash every Easter Sunday before sunrise. Similar tales are told throughout Germany. (Ostara) http://www.tostepharmd.net/photo/sunsetsvernal.html

Symbols- Hare , The hare or what we call today the Easter Bunny has been associated with Ostara. They were great companions. Because of her love of the hare, she gave it the ability to lay eggs once a year. The Hare then made Ostara angry so, she banished it to the heavens. It can be seen at the feet or Orian in the constellation Lepus. Another version is that Ostara gains the hare that can lay eggs as a companion after she saves a bird into a rabbit after its wings become frozen in winter storm. (Hogarth) According to legend, Eostre became angry with the rabbit and cast it into the heavens. Today we can see the constellation Lepus the Hare, at the feet of Orion The hares image in the moon According to legend, Eostre became angry with the rabbit and cast it into the heavens. Today we can see the constellation Lepus the Hare, at the feet of Orion. ( Go into the nave at Selby Abbey and look at the carvings of the ceiling bosses.  This roof replaces the roof lost in the disastrous fire of 1906 and while some carvings were saved, the majority of the bosses are modern.  Look for the boss with the four leaping hares symbolising spring, rebirth and resurrection.

Symbols -Egg Symbol of rebirth Colored scarlet by Druids Anglo-Saxons- offered for crops German children hang them on trees and create nests for them The egg (the symbol or rebirth) has been long associated with Ostara. They have been colored scarlet by the Druids to pay homage to the sun. “The Anglo-Saxons, also, colored eggs as offerings to Ostara and placed them in tombs and on top of fresh graves, to ensure the rebirth of their loved ones.” Germany hang eggs on tree-place them in nests

Symbols-Fire/Flowers Lit at dawn Flowers- crocus, daffodils, ginger, jasmine, and snowdrops Colors- white and pastels in hews of green, yellow, blue, and pink Bonfires are set in some countries to honor Ostara and to ask her for healing, renewing of life, and protection of their crops. Plants and flowers of crocus, daffodils, ginger, jasmine, and snowdrops have also been pictured with Ostara. The colors include white and pastels in hews of green, yellow, blue, and pink. (Hogarth) http://www.thaliatook.com/eostre.html

Symbols- Cakes Made from Fine Flour Possible form of phallus X placed on bun Queen Elizabeth I changed form into bun One of the things offered to the Goddess during her celebrations were cakes. Some of the current practice of the celebration indicates that the cakes may have been in the form of a phallus. (Phallic Festivals 87-88) When the Christians adopted this practice they changed the form into buns and placed a cross on them. Some still believed that to protect you form evil one must be eaten during Easter. (Phallic Festivals 87) the cross originally representing the pagan sun wheel. Queen Elizabeth I converted the buns to christianity and declared that the buns may only be eaten at funerals, Easter and Christmas.

Eostara vs Easter Vernal Equinox Full Moon (March 21) Hare Eggs Fire Flowers/Pastel colors Cakes Her ascension into underworld for 3 days First Sunday after Vernal Equinox Easter Bunny Eggs Candlelight Service Flowers/Pastel colors Hot Cross Buns Jesus' ascension into underworld for 3 days The festival was celebrated by the pagans in April on the Vernial Equnoix of Full Moon, when its tradition was adopted by the church the holiday or feast they decided that it would be after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox. The church was so concerned about not celebrating the Full Moon Goddess, that they made a stipulation that if Easter Sunday did fall on the same day as the Full moon that Easter would be on the next Sunday. This explains why Easter is on a different Sunday each year. (Nichols) Michael Nichols discusses in his article Lady Day: The Vernal Equinox another similarity associated with Eostre and the Goddess and the symbolism of the Christian religion. Both talk about a decent into the underworld for 3 days. “…as the moon waxes and walks three nights in darkness, so the Goddess once spent there night in the kingdom of Death”

Goddess or Celebration? Currently mentioned in American Gods By Neil Gaiman No matter your opinion weather she is a real Goddess or just a reason for a celebration, this little written about Goddess had left an impression on Pagan and Christians alike. She has even become a part of a 20th century novel by Neil Gaiman called American Gods, “Shadow meets Eostre, the goddess of the dawn, who is unhappy because although the Easter day celebration continues, most people have forgotten that the ceremony was an old pagan rite in her honor that predates Christianity.” (Horgan)