Ostara Goddesses and Gods by Louise Heyden

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

 

 

 

Ostara is celebrated at the Spring Equinox. Whilst mainly associated with the goddess Eostre, the festival also links to Persephone, Cybele and many other deities.

Ostara and Eostre

Easter derived its name from the ancient Teutonic goddess of spring and rebirth, Eostre. A goddess of new beginnings, Eostre’s sacred animal is the hare or rabbit, representing fertility. Hares are sacred to the Goddess, and closely associated with magic, mysteries, spring and the moon.

The Easter bunny links rabbits with eggs, another potent fertility symbol. One legend thought to explain the origins of this unusual pairing involves Eostre, who saved an injured baby bird from the ravages of winter by turning it into a hare. The creature retained the ability to lay eggs, and ever after it would decorate the eggs it laid and leave them as gifts for the goddess who saved its life.

Ostara and Persephone

Persephone is a Greek goddess. According to legend, Hades abducted her, taking her to the Underworld. Persephone's grieving mother Demeter was left behind; she caused winter and death to cover the earth. Eventually, Persephone was returned, but because she had eaten six pomegranate seeds during her time in the Underworld, she was forced to go back there for six months of the year.

During autumn and winter, the time Persephone is apart from her mother, cold and death cloak the land until her return, when spring bursts forth. At this time of balance, with day and night of equal length, the Goddess is both Mother and Daughter.

Ostara and Cybele

Cybele is a Roman goddess, celebrating her festival at the Spring Equinox to mark the death and resurrection of her lover Attis. Christianity replaced this pagan celebration with the resurrection of Jesus at Easter.

Cybele was a mother goddess of Rome, who was also at the center of a Phrygian cult, where eunuch priests performed rites in her honor. Her lover, Attis castrated and killed himself due to her jealousy, but assisted by Zeus, Cybele was able to resurrect him. It is said that his blood formed the first violets.

Ostara and Freya

Freya is associated with Ostara due to her re-emergence in the spring. Having abandoned the world to the grip of winter, she returns to restore nature’s beauty. Her magical necklace Brisingamen represents the fire of the sun.

Along with the moon goddesses of Norse mythology, Freya was attended by lantern-bearing hares.

Ostara and the Trickster Gods

The God of Spring is young and joyful, ever the trickster. Born at Winter Solstice, by spring he is wild and raw, representing creative, untamed energy. He dances through spring and marks his proper celebration on April Fool’s Day.

Many earth-based cultures recognise the trickster god:

• Native American tribes call him Coyote
• West African people recognize him as Elegba
• African-Americans tell of Brer Rabbit, tricking his way out of trouble
• Loki is the trickster god of Norse mythology
• European cultures have Robin Goodfellow, mischievous faerie sprite
• The Slavic god Veles is a god of trickery
• Other names include the Raven, creator of the world, and in the Tarot, he is represented by the Fool.

Other Gods and Goddesses of Ostara

There are numerous other goddesses associated with Ostara:

• The Babylonian goddess Ishtar, goddess of morning and evening stars
• The Jewish queen Esther, celebrated at the spring festival Purim
• Celtic goddess Brighid, who conceives the sky god’s child
• Asasa Ya, an earth mother goddess celebrated by the Ashanti people, brings forth new life at spring
• Flora, a Roman goddess of spring and flowers
• Saraswati, Hindu goddess of wisdom and art, celebrated each spring at her festival Saraswati Puja

Other gods connected to Ostara are:

• Osiris, Egyptian god and lover of Isis, is another deity with a death and resurrection story at this time
• Adonis and Mithras are also reborn at spring
• The steadily growing sun symbolizes the Sky God, whose child is conceived by Brighid
• The Ashanti people celebrate the sky god Nyame alongside Asasa Ya at the festival of Durbar

Old pagan tradition would see a young man play the part of the God of Spring. This god was champion of the Goddess, with twelve tasks to perform. Armed with the spear of the sun, he wooed the Goddess, and together they would conceive a child.

The serpent is also connected with the egg of new life, and associated deities are relevant, including Cernunnos, Bel, Helios, Apollo and Pythios. St Patrick is also known for his association with snakes, and his festival takes place just before Ostara on March 17.

References:

Cole, Jennifer. Ceremonies of the Seasons. Duncan Baird Publishers, 2007

Franklin, Anna and Harvey, Pamela. The Wellspring. Capall Bann, 1999

Johnson, Cait and Shaw, Maura D. Celebrating the Great Mother. Destiny Books, 1995

Simos, Miriam, Baker, Diane and Hill, Anne. Circle Round. Bantam Books, 1998