Ostara
March 21
Ostara is a celebration of birth and new life, a day when death has no power over the living. This was the time of the official return of the young Goddess after her winter hibernation. It is believed that it is when the Goddess and the God consummated their love for one another. From this the Goddess became pregnant with the God to be reborn at Yule. The days and nights are now equal in length as the Young God continues to grow and mature. We begin to see shoots of new growth and swelling buds on the trees. Energy is builds as the days become warmer with promise.
Recipe
Ostara Egg Cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Granulated sugar
Mix powdered sugar, margarine, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough into halves. Roll each half 1/8 inch thick. Cut with egg-shaped cutter made by bending and shaping round cookie cutter. Bake as directed and decorate with icing.
Candles: Green, yellow, robin egg blue, or white.
Incense: Jasmine, rose, sage, strawberry, violet, orange peel, lotus, magnolia or ginger.
Plants & herbs: Tansy, lavendar, daffodil, Easter lilies, honeysuckle, Irises, jasmine, rose strawberry, violets, broom, meadowsweet, and trefoil (purple clover).
Stones: Clear quartz, rose quartz, agate, lapis lazuli, garnet, amethyst, amazonite, or moonstone.
Animals: Hares, snakes, unicorns, merpeople, or pegasus.
Altar decorations: Potted spring flowers, bowls of soil, seeds, painted eggs, the green man.
Goddesses: Isis, Sitala, Flora, Aphrodite, Cybele, Flidais, Ova, Vesta.
Gods: Cernunnos, Pan, Adonis, Lord of Greenwood, Dylan, Odin, and Osiris.
Element: Fire.
Direction: East.
Zodiac Sign: Aires.