Ostara

Here we are at Ostara again, a spring celebration that focuses on fertility and other types of new beginnings. It is a time for "growth" of many different kinds. One of the key symbols of the season is the egg. This is not limited to pagan Ostara, but can also be seen in Jewish Passover feasting and in Christian Easter. Not to mention the secularized holiday, which is all about new spring clothes, egg hunts, candy, and ham dinners. Sigh. But we can counter these exploitative practices in vegan paganism. The Shannons suggest in "Betty" that an avocado can be used instead of an egg in ritual feasts because it has the same shape and the same "germination" energy, since it has a giant seed in the middle. I really like this idea.

I made a maple glazed holiday roast from "Betty Goes Vegan" for our Ostara night feast. This has a vegan flavor profile that is about as close to honey-roasted ham as we would want it to be. And for our ritual we honored the Goddess Eostre, as well as the animals who are so often exploited this time of year, like rabbits, chickens, pigs and ducks.

I took the opportunity to get some egg-shaped candles from a local craft store, and we also got little wooden egg cutouts for divination sets. We thought that colored "eggs" made into divination tools would satisfy the urge to have colored eggs around. It was fun to make the "eggs" and I made mine in the seven chakra colors. I figured I could pull one once in a while and use it to inspire a meditation on that chakra. As a reiki practitioner and musical healing enthusiast, I always want to work with the chakras and their correspondences.

Here are some pictures. Enjoy and here's hoping you have a great Spring!

Shadow is sulking a little because I wouldn't let him eat the egg candles. :^)

Eostre in the center, with a vegan sugar-bunny. The wooden eggs we turned into divination sets are behind her.

maple roast from betty goes vegan

yum!