Ostara: Spring has Sprung

The wheel continues to turn, and now we've come to the Vernal Equinox. Ostara, that time when the daylight hours finally catch up to the night and darkness. We can feel winter's release from the land as it slowly retreats. I took my son outside the other day and we touched the plants just beginning to bud. The green life is just waiting to spring forth--it's so close!

Robins have come back and are grabbing worms out of the earth in the morning. The skinny squirrels, after a long and harsh winter season are hurriedly rushing around restocking and eating to gain weight. The groundhog that lives in my back yard and warned me of how harsh our winter would be looks like he has lost fifteen pounds. I can smell the earth finally thawing.

The sun on my skin feels new--not quite the intensity of summer, but just a kiss right now. The grocery stores are stocked with bitter greens; kale, asparagus, collard, arugula, bok choy...all these things to flush out the heaviness of winter foods that we've stored for so long. Our bodies yearn for movement, craving the fresh air.

The Vernal Equinox relates to balance, rebirth, renewal, and resurrection. The symbolism of the Easter egg is tied to fertility and the rebirth of the cosmos. The rabbit is also a symbol of fertility, in addition to its dual nature of dwelling in two worlds--underground and above ground thus its association with the earth and underworld. The Goddess is Maiden in all her glory, youthful and new. The God is coming into his maturity and the dance of their love is innocent.

This spring comes with new promise. New life, and new beginnings are in the air. Go outside, enjoy the sunshine, and celebrate that spring has sprung!