Today marks the Vernal Equinox in the northern hemisphere. For many pagans, it is the celebration of the beginning of Spring and of the Goddess Eostre, whose name was also the origin of "Easter", the name of the Christian holiday.
Eostre, who was also known to the Saxons as Ostara, is a goddess of Germanic origin. In parts of pre-Christian Europe she was worshipped and celebrated as the goddess of the dawn and the bringer of springtime and new growth. Community feasts were held in her honor in the weeks around Spring Equinox until the coming of Christianity, when her name was co-opted for the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, along with her traditional symbols of eggs, chicks, flowers, and hares or rabbits.
It's a little early yet here for flowers, but the wildlife is getting more active. Bunnies are chasing each other around the place and birds are building new nests in the nest boxes under the eaves of our house.
Many people do a thorough "spring cleaning" at this time of year. In addition to dusting and tidying my altar space I give my crystals and stones a good cleanse. (This is done quarterly, more often if needed.) I submerge them in natural rock salt and/or dried sage leaves and flowers. I generally leave them "soaking" for about 24 hours, longer if I feel like they need it.
I don't do what most people call smudging, which is a ceremony belonging to a culture not my own, and which I've had no proper instruction in. I do however burn incense like Palo Santo and dragon's blood. I also make new salt bowls to place in each room. The old salt is saved for use outside, to sprinkle across the doorways and the entrance of my driveway.
Salt bowls are an old-fashioned, low-tech way to purify the air, raise the vibrations, and promote a peaceful, calm atmosphere. Rather like the more modern Himalayan salt lamps purportedly do. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence for this, very little scientific evidence. All I know is, I sleep better when I place them near my bed. And if I'm doing serious housecleaning anyway, this at least is a fun thing to add to the mix. Energetic housekeeping, so to speak.
This is also when I start potting up herb starts; it still freezes here overnight at times, so I move them into the carport if there's a chance of frost that night.
Spring is well and truly underway; we can say goodbye to the cold and dark and embrace the growing light and warmth as the Wheel of the Year continues on it's path. Decorate your home and altar with spring flowers, colored eggs, sprigs of fresh herbs and maybe a chocolate bunny or two. At the time that I'm writing this (Friday 15 March) it's cold, windy and raining here. But trees are budding, it's greening everywhere I look, and I shall celebrate now. A Blessed Ostara to you and yours.
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