Rites & Rituals

The Promise of Spring is Ours to Keep

Ostara and the Quickening Moon

The light has changed and all but the most stubborn shadows have yielded their hold. Darkness gives way to green. All that was forgotten by the Sun and left to Fall’s descent, now lies transformed, ready to fulfill the promise of Spring. Ostara, the Vernal Equinox, brings us to the moment where the dreams of Imbolc begin to physically manifest. It is the point upon the Wheel where color begins to return in earnest to the world around you. The solemn quiet of Winter gives way to Nature’s chorus, as more and more of Her creatures follow the Goddess’ and God’s lead into the throes of the great dance. You can feel the energy blowing across fields and through the forests, refreshing your senses. You can feel it dancing over your skin; cool yet warm, flickering back and forth like a candle, as the seduction of Spring reawakens the desire to want more. Under the Spring rains and within the growing incandescence of the heightening Sun, you can feel wet and warm touch. The sky above fills your eyes with blue and the ground below vibrates with new life reaching outward. In all of this I can hear and feel the Earth, through Nature, speaking to me and showing me, that it is time to move ahead. It is time for me to take action on those dreams born at Yule and then nurtured at Imbolc. To act upon those discoveries I made, venturing into the darkness while embracing the wolf moon and those ideas I thought over as I sat in the stillness and quiet of the snow moon.  The Wheel has turned, the energies are converging and it is our moment, as well to apply our energy to a time and place. I recognize that traditionally the union of the Goddess and the God, (the aspect energies of each within Nature), is celebrated on May 1^st at Beltaine. From my perspective, where I live, I feel their energies unite much closer to Ostara. And by the 1^st of May, feminine and masculine energies have not only embraced but have been set to their destinies. I guess what I am trying to say is that I feel Ostara marks the union of the Goddess and the God, while Beltaine is the celebration of that prior union. The mystery and wonder of Nature move with her whim and such things are difficult at best to capture with even the most enlightened of calendars. I give this explanation, not so any who read this will follow my interpretation word for word, but instead, hoping that they will seek to feel what is present in their own world and interact accordingly. Before I address the ritual components I use for Ostara, I would like to talk a little about the Quickening Moon. This month’s full moon falls just after Ostara and as such, it directly corresponds to the same energies. To me it is the Quickening Moon but many know it by other names. The Full Worm Moon, the Crow Moon and the Sap Moon are some of the most common names. They all speak to the same concept though, a recognition and acknowledgement of the convergence of energies present at this point upon the Wheel. Each name serves as a reminder for us to constantly tune our awareness, a reminder for us to try to see the small, subtle actions taking place around us that ultimately shift the seasons. There are many ways to see and experience this world. Through both the mundane and the poetic we can find ways to make sense of all we encounter, thereby furthering our own understanding. No two beings find their way in exactly the same manner, because each of us interfaces with a different way or rate, to the Universe. What I see, what I feel, when I walk through the forest will be completely different and quite possibly somewhat irrelevant to another. For I think it is true, that each of us, can only experience, some lesser part of that which we imagine possible. That being said, there are still some things, like the turning to Spring, that can move and make us smile. It is not realistic to hold every ritual outside or travel to some natural location you deem to be sacred. Ostara however is one that I highly recommend you try to take outdoors. Whether you hold your ritual on the Vernal Equinox or need to wait a week to find the time, do what it takes in order to have it in Nature. I prefer to keep my ritual simple, heading down to where the forest touches the river, with just a few items. A candle each for the Goddess and the God, a chalice and my blade, a bottle of water, (not plastic), a piece of cake, (usually something slightly cinnamon), some incense and a magnifying glass, is about all I will bring. I like to use water for this ritual, as I see the coming together of fire and water as the catalyst of Spring. I tend to use the same cake recipe throughout my rituals, increasing or decreasing the cinnamon levels according to the season, in relation to the aspect present of the God’s energy. The magnifying glass is for lighting the incense, but it’s a good idea to bring along a few matches just in case the Sun does not cooperate. After doing everything involved with casting circle, I will light some incense and just sit or stand quietly. I will close my eyes at times to rely more heavily upon my other senses and allow myself to drift in between. The most important aspect of this ritual though is to breathe and feel the Spring. To pull the energy of the great dance within yourself, melt away the last of Winter’s hold and re-ignite your flame. Then as you stand in the Sun’s light, feeling the Earth tremble with energy, hold your vision brought forth from Imbolc and wrap it with the magick of Ostara. I will then tap three times on large rocks, trees and upon the Earth while saying,” Mother Earth, through soil and stone I call to thee,

For Father Sun has returned the light to see.

Awaken anew from your Winter’s sleep,

the promise of Spring is yours to keep.”