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Celtic Radio Community > The Grove > Ostara

Posted by: stoirmeil 19-Mar-2007, 07:57 PM

I know the greater festivals of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain are perhaps the more important, but I love the solstices and equinoxes too. It's a reminder that there are two major modes when you divide the circle of the year by eight: fixity, and change, and both of them are necessary. The greater sabbats come in the middle of the fixed signs for each archaic element, firmly rooting the mind in the qualities of air, fire, water and earth in their seasons, but the esbats mark the turning over from mutable to cardinal at the solstices and equinoxes, reminding the observer that the circle of the year is moving, and there is always a new beginning in which to motivate and transform oneself, and move forward. I find a different reflection and quality of change and purpose in each of these points:

Spring equinox: mutable water to cardinal fire;
Summer solstice: mutable air to cardinal water;
Autumn equinox: mutable earth to cardinal air;
Winter solstice: mutable fire to cardinal earth.

Happy spring!

http://www.wooster.edu/desktop/images/800/spring/flowers.jpg

Posted by: sisterknight 20-Mar-2007, 06:49 AM

spring is such a good time to renew yourself and the rebirth of the earth we share it with, so i wish you blue skies and plenty of renewed energy stoirmeil. omelets all around??

Posted by: Senara 20-Mar-2007, 11:43 AM

I've always loved the equinoxes...gives me a chance to work on my egg balancing skills! This year though I'm celebrating by removing about a footlength of hair and donating it to Locks of Love. Been quite a while since anyone has seen me in short hair and it's to the point now where it's just annoying enough for me to get rid of it all!!! heheh.

Hope you all have a wonderful Ostara....

Posted by: Nightchild 25-Mar-2007, 06:11 AM

Somehow I feel Ostara getting closer and closer to me. Still I enjoy Samhain the most, but strangely enough I end up planning the Ostara rituals for our group the second year in a row now, which might not sound that much, but taking into account, that this only was my fourth Ostara, it is much.

So we sat together, talked, ate and than had a very powerful ritual including a 'farewell' and a 'thanks' for the winter and a 'hello' for spring and ended in eating painted eggs. The part I enjoyed most was the waking of nature which took place inside the house, due to the late hour, but felt absolutely necessary when thinking about Wednesday, when we had a late breakout of winter, including snow completely covering the ground.

Well, I don't seem to be able to keep my talking short.
I hope you all had a great Ostara nonetheless.