Ôstara Blót

March 20, 2012 at 11:09 am (Holidays)
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This is a simple little ritual I pieced together. The words for the fire lighting is classic Ceisiwr Serith used in ADF liturgy. I use fire to ward and hallow instead of the Hammer Rite. A lot of the wording I’ve gotten for my Norse rites is from The Hammerstead Kindred Blot Book.
On the altar have a goddess figure, to represent Ôstarâ, that has little holes or perforations all in it for placing flowers; it could be just a basic form made of chicken wire or a papier-mâché figure with little holes punched in it with an ice pick. Decorate the altar with colored eggs and an Osterhase (Ôstarâ Hare). Everyone brings flowers and greenery to place on the goddess figure, and any other offerings they want to bring.

Warding: Hallowing Charm

(A musical signal marks the beginning of ritual.)

Introduction & Fire Lighting
“We gather now as our ancestors did, to worship the Old Ones and commemorate the turning seasons of the year at the time of Ôstara. As our ancestors did before us, let us pray with a good fire. I kindle the sacred fire in wisdom, love, and power.” (light fire)
“Sacred fire, burn within us.”

The Call: “Hail Sunna! Herald of Spring: She who brings the warmth & the light.
Hail Nerthus! Mother of Spring: She whose body is crops’ delight.
Hail Frey! Lord of Spring: He who blesses the land; its king.
Hail Freya! Lady of Spring: She who permeates all living things.
Hail Ôstarâ! Flower Maiden: The embodiment of Spring.
Hail Thor!  Bringer of Rain: He who is the friend of farmers, & makes grow the grain.
Make fruitful our labors, & also our crops, that we may live & prosper!”

The Hallowing & Blessing: the mead is passed over the fire. The participants and the altar are sprinkled with the hallowed drink. leader/gothi says: “May the blessings of the Holy Ones be upon us.”

The Sharing: the drink is shared and hails made. When the last of the drink is poured into the blótbolli (blessing bowl), leader/gothi says: “Holy Ones, accept our gifts! Hail the gods and goddesses of life! Hail to the holy, all-giving earth!”

Symbolism: Everyone walks in procession around the circle to the altar to place flowers or other tokens of Spring into the perforations of the goddess figure, while singing “O’ She Will Bring“.

Offering & Closing: the mead in the blótbolli is poured onto the ground at the base of a tree (or over a hörgr).
“From the Gods to the earth, to us. From us, to the earth, to the Gods.
The cycle continues. The rite is ended”

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A children’s song for Ôstarâ / Ēostre

March 19, 2012 at 3:44 pm (Chants & Songs, Holidays, Pagan Parenting)
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“Here Comes Ôstarâ”  (tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
Ôstarâ has brought the Spring again, Spring again, Spring again.
Ôstarâ has brought the Spring again, and Winter’s gone away.
Here she comes on the rainbow bridge, rainbow bridge, rainbow bridge.
Here she comes on the rainbow bridge, and flowers spring up behind her.

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A MID-SPRING RITE

March 11, 2011 at 8:50 am (Holidays, spirituality)
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(A part of my “little ritual” series.  Materials from, and adapted from ADF, the Carmia Gadelica, and other sources.)  Ritual takes place in the eastern part of your garden, or if you have no garden, perhaps in a place close to where you forage for wild greens.  In addition to usual “little ritual” supplies, have ready a boiled egg dyed red and marked with fertility symbols and a tool for digging.

Purpose
“I am here to keep the old ways
and honor the Kindred at the time of Mid-Spring.”

Three Realms Blessing
“As it was, as it is, as it evermore shall be –
I stand at the Center of Earth, Sky and Sea.”

Fire Lighting
“I kindle the sacred fire in wisdom, love, and power.” 
(light small fire in a metal container)
“Sacred fire, burn within me.”

Hail to the Spirits
“Hail, Earth Mother, whole and holy, honor unto thee!” 
(touch the earth, give offering)
“I offer now as the ancients did to the Kindreds Three!”
“To the Fair Folk, I give offering and welcome.” 
(place offering in bowl or fire)
“To the Ancestors, I give offering and welcome.” 
(place offering in bowl or fire)
“To my Deities, I give offering and welcome.” 
(place offering in bowl or fire)

Greeting to the Spring Equinox
(adapted from an invocation by Caitlin Matthews)
“Glad Bringer of Brightness, hail! 
Maiden of Grace, Lad of Laughter.
Gifts of vigor are returning,
Spring’s surprise, rainbow’s embrace.
Quickened be the heart within us,
opened be our souls to grace,
May the blessing be abiding,
welcome renewal in every place.”

Egg Blessing
Dig a hole for the egg.  Blow into the hole and say: 
“I breathe life into the soil as Bríde does,
Gentle Bríde brings life unto all things
as She spreads Her green mantle over the land.”
Hold up the egg and say: 
“Red egg of the Spring season,
symbol of life and fertility,
may you be blest by the Sun and Shining Ones.”
Bury the egg, saying: 
“Mother of the Roots and Moist Earth,
I give this egg to you in offering. 
Enfold it in your rich arms,
and may me and mine be blest in loving exchange,
O Sweet and Holy Mother.”
Sing praise song(s) and/or
sit in silent reverence and communion with the Spirits.

Parting Blessing
“I offer my thanks to the Mother of All. 
I offer my thanks to the Deities, Ancestors and Fair-Folk.
May the Three Sacred Kins bring joy to all beings,
and renew the ancient wisdom.
As it was, as it is, as it evermore shall be.”

~~~
—Seed Blessing 
(optional- may use in place of egg blessing)
“Now is the dark half of the year passing. 
Now the days grow light and the Earth grows warm. 
The spirit of these seeds is summoned by the sunlight
after they have long slept in darkness. 
May the Shining Ones bless these seeds that are here.” 
(Hold seeds up.)
“Behold, they will awaken, stir and swell. 
Soon they will be planted in the earth,
to grow and bring forth new fruit.” 
(Place seeds in starter containers or sprouting jar
-or if using “seed bombs”,
toss them to where you want them to grow.)

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Ostara Ambrosia Cake

March 6, 2011 at 6:48 am (Food, Holidays, spirituality)
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One of the momentos I cherish of my dearly departed mom is a recipe she wrote down on yellow notepaper in her large cursive writing.  I scrapbooked the recipe into my huge recipe notebook, along with notations for directions and what she meant by “orange bits” (she meant mandarin oranges). My mom sure was a character.  The recipe is for Ambrosia cake, a recipe that she discovered in her later years and was crazy about- bringing it to family parties and the like.  When I was growing up, my dad actually did most of the day-to-day cooking and my mom cooked for weekend dinners and special occasions.  There are only a few recipes I inhereted from her, and this is the only one I have in her own writing.  I wanted to find a special occasion to make this cake, in rememberance of my mom.  Of course, my first thoughts were “Samhain- special rememberance dishes are for Samhain!” but this recipe doesn’t seem right for that time of year.  It has more of a spring feel.  So I decided to make it a special Spring Equinox dish.  My mom was born in the month of March, so that reinforces the significance.  When she died in Feb. ’09, I saw a rabbit outside my door for several days- she seemed to be watching over me! 

My Mom’s Recipe for Ambrosia Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1  can mandarin oranges
1 cup oil
3 eggs
Combine and bake as directed on box.
For the topping, combine:
whipped topping
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can shredded coconut
Spread topping over cooled cake.

To make this an “Ostara Bunny (or Hare)” cake; bake the cake in two round pans, cool & turn cake out of the pans, cut one of the cakes in half and position the halves around the round cake to form rabbit ears.  Frost with topping and use fruit, frosting, or  candies to make eyes, nose, and whiskers.

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My Spring Equinox /Ostara Playlist

February 25, 2011 at 6:31 am (Chants & Songs, Holidays)
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1. O’ She Will Bring - Alice Di Micele (Circle of Women)
2. Pussy Willows Cattails - Kenny Rankin (Silver Moring)
3. Down by the Sally Gardens - Maura O’Connell with Karen Matheson (Transatlantic Sessions)
4. Persephone Song – Anne Hill (Circle Round & Sing)
5. Golden Flower - Ani Williams & Lisa Thiel (Sisters of the Dream)
6. Kore Chant - Reclaiming & Friends (Chants: Ritual Music)
7. Spring Fertility Chant – Jennifer Reif  (Mysteries of Earth)
8. Ostara – Lisa Thiel (Circle of the Seasons)
9. First Spring Day - Sub-Urban Tribe (Panorama)
10. De Colores – Sara Pirtle (Two Hands Hold the Earth)
11. Spring Dance for the Bachantes – Jennifer Reif  (Mysteries of Earth)
12. May the Sun Shine Bright on You - Primal Scream (Sonic Flower Groove)
13. Mother Nature’s Son - The Beatles (White Album)
14. One Light, One Sun - Raffi (Evergreen Everblue)
15. Flower Duet -  Lakmé Act I – Viens, Mallika

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Celebrating the Spring Equinox with Kids

March 2, 2010 at 6:57 pm (Arts & Crafts, Pagan Parenting)
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Some spring craft ideas for kids:
~Assemble a terrarium.
~Start seeds indoors in egg carton cups, to plant outside after the last predicted frost.
~After eating your Ostara eggs, make mosaics from the shells.
~Make paper flowers using the glossy advertisements found in junk mail.

More Ostara crafts (including natural egg dyes), activities and some great coloring pages can be found at Acorn Hollow.
Resources for teaching kids about the spring equinox:
The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson, and although its not particularly a Celtic holiday, theres some good information on the equinoxes in
The Ancient Celtic Festivals: and How We Celebrate Them Today by Clare Walker Leslie and Frank E. Gerace

More children’s picture books:
Spring’s Sprung by Lynn Plourde
The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow

Here is an idea for including children in an Ostara ritual:
The World Egg
During the telling of the following world egg creation story, two
participants hold up a large paper egg.  (This can be decorated ahead of time by the kids.)
At the end of the story, kids burst through the egg from the other side, bringing fresh or paper flowers to the people in the circle.

“In the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, there is a myth of the world being created from the fragments
of an egg laid by a diving duck on the knee of Ilmatar, goddess of the air:
One egg’s lower half transformed
And became the earth below,
And its upper half transmuted and became the sky above;
From the yolk the sun was made,
Light of day to shine upon us;
From the white the moon was formed,
Light of night to gleam above us;
All the colored brighter bits rose to be the stars of heaven
And the darker crumbs changed into clouds and
cloudlets in the sky.”

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