Ostara ~ Eostre
(Oh-star-ah) ~ Lesser Sabbat, usually held during the vernal equinox
Other Names: Ostre, Oestre, Eostre, Rites of Spring, Eostra’s Day, Lady Day, First Day of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Alban Eiler, Bacchanalia, Mean Earraigh, Pasch, Caisg, Pess
Date: Spring Equinox (March 20-22 in Northern Hemisphere) or when the Sun is 1 degree Aries.
Symbolism: The beginning of spring, new life and rebirth, the God and Goddess in Their youth, balance, fertility, balance
Goddesses: all love, virgin, and fertility Goddesses; Anna Perenna (Roman), Aphrodite (Greek), Astarte (Canaanite, Persia, GrecoRoman), Athena (Greek), Cybele (Greco-Roman), Blodeuwedd, Eostre (Saxon Goddess of Fertility), Flidais (Irish), Gaia (Greek), Hera, Ishtar (Assyro-Babylonian), Isis (Egyptian), Libera (Roman), Minerva (Roman), The Muses (Greek), Persephone (Greek), Renpet (Egyptian), Venus (Roman), Ostara (the German Goddess of Fertility), Kore, Maiden, Isis, Youthful Goddesses. Faerie Queen, Lady of the Lake(Welsh-Cornish), the Green Goddess, abundantia (Roman)
Gods: all love, song & dance, and fertility Gods; Adonis (Greek), Attis (Greco-Roman), Cernunnos (Celtic), The Great Horned God (European), Liber (Roman), Mars (Roman), Mithras (Persian), Odin (Norse), Osiris (Egyptian), Thoth, Pan (Greek), the Green Man, Hare, Youthful Gods, Warrior Gods, Taliesin, Lord of the Greenwood (English), Dagda(Irish),Adonis (Greek)
Symbols: Eggs, rabbits, new moon, pastel colors, flowers, similar to easter symbols.
Purpose: Plant and animal fertility, sowing
Meaning: The God comes of age, sexual union of the Lord & Lady, sprouting, greening, balance of light and dark
Essence: Strength, birthing, completion, power, love, sexuality, embodiment of spirit, fertility, opening, beginning, balancing
Customs: Wearing green, new clothes, herb workings, celtic bird festival, egg baskets coloring eggs, collecting birds eggs, bird watching, egg hunts, starting new projects, spring planting, making love,
Foods: Hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, fresh seasonal fruits, milk punch, leafy green vegetables, dairy foods, apples, nuts, flower dishes, sprouts, fish, maple sugar candies, hot cross buns, sweet breads, milk, punch, egg drinks
Plants & Herbs: Acorn, celandine, cinquefoil, crocus, daffodil, dogwood, Easter lily, Irish Moss, ginger, hyssop, linden, strawberry, gorse, honeysuckle, iris, jasmine, jonquils, narcissus, olive, peony, rose, tansy, violets, woodruff, pine tree, Violet, Olive, Narcissus, Daffodils, Jonquils, Primrose, Forsythia, Crocus, all spring flowers,
Incense and oils: African violet, jasmine, rose, strawberry, lotus, magnolia, ginger, sage lavender, narcissus, broom, all sweet/flowery incense
Colors: Light green, lemon yellow, pale pink, pastels, gold, grass green, light blue, lemon yellow.
Stones: Amethyst, aquamarine, rose quartz, moonstone, bloodstone, red jasper
Animals and Mythical Beasts: Rabbits/Easter bunny, snakes, pegasus, unicorns, chicks, swallows, merpeople
Decorations: Daffodils, tulips, violet, iris, narcissus, any spring flowers, eggs, butterflies, cocoons
Spell/Ritual Work: Garden/plant blessings, seed blessing, spell crafting, balance, growth, communication, invention, new growth, new projects, new loves, prosperity, financing, happiness
Planetary Ruler: Mars
Element: Air
Gender: Male
Threshold: Dawn
Beltaine ~ May Day ~ May 1st
Date(s): celebrated: starts on the evening of April 30th, concluding at sunset of May 1st, actual: the date on which the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus.
Activities and Rituals: fertilize, nurture and boost existing goals, games, activities of pleasure, leaping bonfires, making garlands, May Pole dance, planting seeds, walking one’s property, feasting, pleasure/sexuality, youthful exuberance, creativity
Colors: Red, White, Brown, Pink, Green
Tools: Broom, May Pole, cauldron
Stones/Gems: Emerald, malachite, amber, orange carnelian, sapphire, rose quartz
Symbols & Decorations: May Pole, fires, fertility, flowers, growing things, ploughs, cauldrons of flowers
Foods: Dairy, bread, cereals
Flowers, Herbs: Lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom, Hawthorne, Dittany of Crete, elder, mint, mugwort, thyme, yarrow, almond tree/shrub, clover, ivy, marigold, meadowsweet, rowan, sorrel, woodruff
Associated Goddesses: All fertility, flower, song & dance, hunting, and virgin-mother Goddesses; Aphrodite (Greek), Artemis (Greek), Belili (Sumerian), Bloddeuwedd (Welsh), Cybele (Greek), Damara (English), Danu (Irish), Diana (Greek), Fand (Manx-Irish), Flidais (Irish), Flora (Roman), Frigg/Freya (Norse), Ishtar (Assyro-Babylonian), Rhea (Greek), Rhiannon (Welsh), Venus (Roman)
Associated Gods: All fertility, love, hunting, and young father Gods; Baal (Phoenician), Bel (Sumerian), Cernunnos (Celtic), Cupid (Roman), Eros (Greek), Faunus (Roman), Frey (Norse), The Great Horned God (European), Herne (English), Orion (Greek), Pan (Greek)
Mythical beings: Faeries, satyrs, giants, pegasus,
Animals: Swallow, dove, swan, Cats, lynx, leopard
Other Names: Cetsamhain (opposite Samhain),May Day, Fairy Day,Sacred Thorn Day, Rood Day, Roodmas (the Christian term for Rood Day, Old Beltane, Beltaine, Beltain, Baltane, Walpurgis Night, Floriala (Roman feast of flowers from April 29 to May 1), Walpurgisnacht (Germanic-feast of St. Walpurga), Thrimilce (Anglo-saxon), Bloumaand (Old Dutch)
