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Subscribe to this list via RSS Blog posts tagged in Ostara

Posted by on in SageWoman Blogs

It's March, which here in the Northern Hemisphere marks the beginning of Spring. Back on the Dakota prairies where I grew up, March often blew in like a lion with brisk winds and rains, blowing away the last of the snow and ice. (Though sometimes it brought more snow...) Here in Texas, March comes in a little more gently most years, with warm balmy days and rain. Occassionally we end up with tornadoes and thunderstorms to mark the beginning of Spring, though those will often come closer to the end of the month.

However March manifests, it's one of my favorite months of the year. The Earth feels like she is taking a long, languid stretch after the cold Winter. Life begins to stir. It's time to till the soil, to plant seeds, to make ready for the growing season.

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As the Day Overtakes the Night...

...it’s time for us to celebrate that particularly sacred time, the Spring Equinox, also known to many Pagans as Ostara! Representing the midpoint between the dark nights of winter and the long days of summer, the Equinox is the moment when the Earth’s equator lines up with the Sun. In some cultures it is regarded as the start of spring while others perceive it as the midpoint (with spring beginning around early February and ending in May).

For our annual megapost in celebration of the Equinox we’ve gathered all our relevant content from PaganSquare this year as well as some links from other sites we thought might be of interest. May the coming summer be filled with joy and exuberance for all of you and your loved ones!

-Aryós Héngwis

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Easter is Risen!

English

Easter is risen! Indeed she is risen!

 

Old English

Éastre arás! Sóþlice héo arás!

 

Greek

Kórê anéstê! Alêthós anéstê!

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Posted by on in SageWoman Blogs
Welcome Spring! Ostara Blessings!

Ostara Blessings to those of you in the Northern Hemisphere. May the coming spring and summer bring you much joy, love, and abundance! 

My Ostara gift to you is a piece I wrote for MotherHouse of the Goddess, a wonderful portal for Goddess Spirituality. 

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Goddess Rising

One day the Goddess went away.

The Moon wanes away into darkness. The seed goes down into the soil. Summer descends into Winter.

Each Spring, we too descend. Into the Underworld we go. We seek Her, we find Her, and we bring Her back.

There was a time in history when it seemed that the Goddess had gone away.

So we descended into the Underworld. We sought Her, we found Her, and we brought Her back.

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Recent Comments - Show all comments
  • Chloe
    Chloe says #
    Very beautiful. As someone who reveres and adores Persephone, this speaks to my heart. Thank you!
  • tehomet
    tehomet says #
    Beautiful.

Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Crazy Slumber Birthday Party!

There are those who pooh-pooh the notion of nostalgia. You can't go back, you shouldn't go back, blah blah blah. But sometimes an urge to recapture one's youth hits, and it hits strong. This may very well be the throes of midlife crisis – but so what? Wouldn't it follow that those who seem to truly age gracefully, who are forever young at heart, indulge in a bit of good old-fashioned silliness now and again? Heck, yeah! That is why I am hosting a Spring Equinox Crazy Slumber Birthday Party this year. Let me show you how:

First, you need to load up on all of your favorite snacks. If this means Doritos and Skittles, so be it. I am going the somewhat healthy route and substituting the organic equivalent of Doritos and dark chocolate covered cranberries for the Skittles. Popcorn is always healthy if you have an air popper (my grandparents' still works from the 80s, for Pete's sake), and there is always no-cal Zevia soda, after-all. No slumber party would be complete without pizza, so I am bringing home an all natural Connie's za. The one thing that will be on hand that I did not have readily available when I was teen, is wine. But if one is going to imbibe, that is the healthier way to go, after all. I also plan on offering up some berry smoothies to sip while we whip up some homemade facials.

Since I don't expect anyone past the age of 20 to attempt sleeping on a the floor in a bag again, I will have spare bed, roll-out futon, or even an inflatable air mattress available, if need be. Also, don't feel bad if your slumber party is small – not everyone may be willing to go there with you. Quality, over quantity is always the better route.

Next up, entertainment. I am still a proud vinylphile, and to recapture the thrill of youth, it doesn't get much better than breaking out the vintage 45s and 33s and dancing with some abandon. If you start to feel amazingly carefree and childish, play a 33 on 78 rpm and let the giggles roll.

Another absolute must: movies! There should be one scary, one comedy, and one iconic coming-of-age flick. Go with what rocked your world back in the day. I myself am opting for the original "Hellraiser," "Ghostbusters," and the forever young, "Sixteen Candles." Sorry "Breakfast Club" fans, but I always thought "Candles" was edgier.

For good measure, and depending on who is game to go the whole distance with you, these activities can be thrown in for good measure: gossiping about boys (these can be celebrity crushes, significant others, or husbands), turning out all the lights and telling ghost stories, a 1 a.m. Jane Fonda workout session (yes, the original JF workout is actually available on DVD on Amazon, leg warmers and all), and perhaps some freshly baked chocolate cake for breakfast because, well, why not? In the age of Caller ID, I'd skip the crank calls, though. Here is the facial mask recipe I will be using, from organicwish.com

HOW TO MAKE AN OATMEAL AND ROSEMARY FACIAL SCRUB OR MASK
3 tablespoons ground oatmeal (To grind the oats just pulse in a blender until you have fine oatmeal)
1 teaspoon ground, fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
water or milk or cream (see below)
    Add oats to a jug or medium sized bowl.
    Add fresh, ground rosemary.
    For a delicious scent, add cinnamon powder.
    Choose which liquid you want to use depending on your skin type: cool boiled water for oily skin, milk for normal skin or cream for dry skin.
    Add enough wet ingredients to form a paste with the dry ingredients.
    Dampen face, and spread the paste all over. To use as a scrub wash off straightaway; to use as a mask, leave on for 20 minutes before washing off.

The beauty of making your own skin care products is that you know exactly what is in your product, and many recipes, like this one, are made from basic kitchen ingredients. The cost is minimal, but the results are fantastic. Creating your own beauty products as part of an organic lifestyle is fun, entertaining and effective. Enjoy!

At any rate, have a blast at your party. What made your teen sleep-overs that way? Get the wheels turning, and make a list. I promise this will be more enjoyable than the awkward high school reunion with extras you don't care to meet up with again. Totally awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t1vaF50Ks0

Photo by imagerymajestic from freedigitalphotos.net

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Posted by on in SageWoman Blogs

The spring equinox this year falls on the 20th of March. This is a time of youthful exuberance in nature, when all of the green world seems to be springing back into life. March wind and rain may still keep many of us indoors on some days, but if we venture out into the wild we will be surprised by what we encounter. Blossom will be erupted from every tree and hedgerow,  and the forest floor begins to be carpeted with primroses and anemones, celandine and of course daffodils, which spring up everywhere along verges and gardens as well as the wild with equal ease and sunny glory.

Mad march hares can be seen sprinting across the brown fields, and boxing off unwanted lovers as the mating season gets underway in earnest. One of my favourite places to see the hares is at Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire, though they can be found all over the UK.  Sighting the hares is a regular part of my spring pilgrimage to this exposed but beautiful ancient site.

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