Ostara occurs on March 21, the Spring Equinox, and is a celebration of life emerging. During the season of Ostara, we can look forward to and prepare for green life springing forth from the frozen, barren earth. One year I saw a picture of plants sprouting beneath a clear layer of ice, as though it were a natural greenhouse, and I thought it to be a perfect representation of Ostara.
Right now in particular, that visualization is resonating for me. The last two months have been bitterly cold with record snow falls, so to the senses it is still the dead of winter. But the seeds of last year are biding their time, and as soon as warmth comes, they will burst forward with life.
Popular symbols of Ostara include kittens, rabbits, flowers, and eggs, but where I live there is often little evidence of these by the time March 21 arrives. This year, I am looking forward to the return of many species of birds to my yard and neighborhood. The fat and fluffy chickadees have stuck around all winter, and now they are becoming more restless, knowing that spring is approaching. Soon they will be joined by many more birds, competing for the springtime feast of buds and berries.
Ostara helps me acknowledge, however small or slow, the returning of life to the earth around me, and the returning of energies reflected inside me. Like the chickadees, I am anxious for the spring, my internal clock indicating that is it time to move and build and grow. In the ways that I can, I am preparing. We have started our first seedlings indoors. I am keeping up with the shoveling, and organizing the snow removal process so we can use our yard as soon as we can.
But this spring I am also doing a lot more waiting than I'd like. I'm practicing accepting and tolerating the moment, and disrupting eternity thinking by reminding myself of the cycle. The seasons change, the Sun's strength returns, and spring will come.
I invite you to share how you recognize or celebrate Ostara or any other Springtime events! Also feel free to share how you're doing during this season, how you're feeling and what you've been up to. <3 #Disability #Pagan #wiccan #Spiritual #sabbats #Spring
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
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