Has Spring Sprung?

Although spring is still a good three weeks away, signs of it are beginning to appear everywhere.  For many it was a hard winter.  Old man winter came early and stayed a bit more than some may have wished him too. 

Now slowly mother earth is thawing out.  Even before the signs began to emerge and one was able to see the signs of the coming warmth, deep into the ground she was, already fast at work preparing for what was to come.  Seeds that had been planted earlier in the autumn months of last year began to open and prepare for their climb up and out towards the coming spring. 

The animals who often know well before man, begin to venture out a bit more, knowing that the winter is once again departing and the playful warmth of spring is soon to come forth.  The mad ritual dances have begun and soon the signs of young life will be seen.  The scout bees have left their colonies and started to seek a good area to feed when they are ready to travel more.  On the warmer days one can hear them buzzing about in an attempt to keep warm. 

Even the bull frogs who had dug themselves deep into the mud for the winter have started to emerge and sit on the bank when the sun is out and shinning. They bask in what little warmth they can find as it is still cool in the morning and evening time. 

Yes spring is still some time off yet the signs are gaining strength every day.  Soon once again the newnes that only spring can bring will be evident all around.



The naked earth is warm with spring.

With green grass and bursting trees

she leans to the sun's kiss glorying

and quivers in the sunny breeze.

~Julian Grenfell



Celebrating Ostara In A Tasty Way

This weekend many will celebrate the Spring Solstice. A time when the end of winter is celebrated as well as the birth of the warmth of Spring. It seems that wherever one looks there are signs of new life. Flowers along with seeds adorn the many trees and plants that are preparing for the time soon in the future when they will bring forth the fruits they provide.

A custom most identified with this time of year is the custom of egg painting and/or coloring. Some are simple while others are done in a more elaborate manner. Decorated with symbols and pictures of what they wish to manifest in the year to come. In some cases such decorations are buried into the nearly fertile earth in hopes that it will hear the wishes and dreams of the one whom buried it.

A more enjoyable version of the egg used to celebrate this time of year is Naniamo Eggs. A tasty dessert of Canadian origin.   These are a delicious edible version combining 3 layers of goodies.

The first layer consists of the following:

2 cups Oreo Cookies - crumbled to a crumb texture ½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup brown sugar ½ cup melted butter

Combine the ingredients, then mold into egg shaped balls. Place on a cookie sheet which has been covered with wax paper. Place in the refrigerator for approximately one hour.

The second layer consists of:
1 cups powdered sugar ½ cup softened butter

1 cup custard powder or a large package of instant vanilla pudding

Dribble milk into this mixture to make a thick icing. It will be a rather firm consistency. Mold this around the cooled eggs and place back into the refrigerator for approximately one hour.

The third and final layer consists of:

Melt 8 squared of semisweet chocolate in a double boiler. Using 2 spoons, quickly dip the cooled eggs into the chocolate, covering them completely. Gently drop onto the wax paper and refrigerate until firm. Once the chocolate has firmed you can enjoy.

These can be very rich yet also very tasty with a warm cup of tea. Variations can be made to the type of cookie used if you would like a lighter taste of chocolate as well as white chocolate squares instead of semisweet. If you like, wrap each egg up individually and give to friends and family in celebration of the birth of spring and in celebration of Ostara.

A Short Note

I must make a very short posting today - I'm babysitting a dear friend's baby today, so I'm rushing. However, I wanted to take the time to thank my sisters at eWitch for their beautiful blog postings. All of the things they write about call me to examine my own life for similar experiences, to see the things that happened to me in a new light, and to understand them better. And to answer Sparrow's question, that may be one of the things I've learned from Spring and Air. Air, which moves around us in the most delicate of breezes and the fiercest of gusts, changing our lives in both subtle and obvious ways. I think it's very fitting that we seem to have come into our stride, here at eWitch, in the Spring season. Seeds planted at the end of winter are growing into something firm and recognizable. Each one of us is having a little rebirth in this group I think, or a growth spurt of a spiritual kind. In my own little world, I feel like I am finding new meaning to every experience, a depth to the world and my own understanding of it that I was not aware of till this Spring.

This morning I watched the Sun rise over a beautiful garden. I am trying to live in that moment today, a few seconds of profound beauty, warmth and love, that is one of the gifts of Springtime.

Blossom by Blossom Spring Begins

The warmer temperatures… the longer days… the appearance of flowers budding out in all directions… All are signs of the coming of spring and the wonder of rebirth that it brings. Ostara is close at hand.

Flowers, and newly sprouted plants can be found everywhere as if  decorating for the coming celebration. Eggs which symbolize the new life or rebirth of spring also are present. They can be found brightly decorated in a multitude of colors or hollowed out and filled with lavender or sage. Legend has it that the importance of the egg came from a rabbit who wished to please Eostre – the German goddess of spring and the dawn. Gathering brightly colored eggs, he then gave them to her as a means of honoring her.  Although I have to admit I love the art of coloring eggs (and yes it can be an art), with my grandkids so far away I tend to enjoy the chocolate eggs a bit more these days.  Give me a chocolate covered marshmellow eggs anyday...

Often at this time honey cakes are prepared. Not only for the festivities but also as a gift left for the faeries. Faeries love sweets and none are better than those prepared with honey. Faeries are quite active at this time. They are known to come and collect a portion of the feast that has been prepared in celebration. If they are not allowed to partake or are not left their fair portion, it is said that they will cause trouble until the Summer Solstice when they will once more return and at this time expect double portions to make amends for what was not given to them before.

Other foods and herbs associated with the Spring Equinox are Crocus, Dogwood, Leafy green vegetables such as lettuce, rose, rose, olive and strawberries.

Birth of a Flower – A Guided Meditation for Ostara

The purpose of this guided meditation is to get you in tune with the creative beginning energy of Ostara.  It is a wonderful way to get in the proper frame of mind before a Sabbat ritual or as a pick-me-up if you are feeling stressed or burdened while waiting on Spring to begin.

Find a comfortable place to sit or lay where you will not be disturbed.  Turn off all electronic devices except for some soft “mood” music if you wish.  Ground and center your energy in the present moment.

Close your eyes.  Become aware of your breathing.  Exist in the moment, breathing steadily for a few moments before you begin.

The blackness begins to fade around you.  Dots of green, pink, yellow and red begin to appear all around you.  They grow, shift and move about.  Within seconds you find yourself standing in an endless open field.  There is grass and an assortment of colorful flowers all around you.  They sway back and forth in the breeze.  You watch as air meets earth in the beautiful dance before your eyes.

You feel a warm tingling sensation run through your body.  Looking down at your hands you realize that the ground is getting closer.  It takes a moment for you to realize, but you are shrinking.  Down, down, further and further you go.  You are about to panic when you hear a voice in the back of your mind.

“I am with you my child,” says the feminine voice.

Your fear dissipates as you begin to look around.  All around you is green – the blades of grass, the stems of towering plants.  Under your feet is the dark brown earth.  Above are the blooms of the flowers and the vast blue sky.  When you look back down you notice that there is a large seed by your feet.

“Plant this seed in the earth,” instructs a masculine voice.

You pick up the seed, which is not as heavy as it looks, and begin to walk forward.  A short distance ahead is a clearing, the perfect place for you to plant the seed.  When you have arrived at the spot you get down on your hands and knees, sinking your hands into the dirt.  You pull the dirt towards you, making a hole in the ground.  Once the hole is big enough you place the seed in it, covering it with the dirt.  You pack it down firmly.  Standing up, you feel a sense of accomplishment looking down at the planted seed.

You start to feel a familiar tingle in your body.  Your body shoots back up to your normal height.  Pushing away the dizziness from the sudden transformation, you get back down on your hands and knees to look at where you planted the seed.

“You will come back to check on it during the year,” whispered the female voice again.

“But it is so small.  How will it survive?” you ask.

“A great forest starts with the sowing of one seed,” replied the masculine voice.

You get back up on your feet and reflect on what you have heard, seen and done for a couple minutes.  When you are ready to return, turn around and walk back into the darkness.  

Become aware of your breathing once more and slowly open your eyes.  Take a moment to thank the Lord and Lady for their wisdom.  Ground and center your energy once more before getting up.  Eating and drinking may help if you feel dizzy.

Be sure to journal your experience or share it here on this blog in the comments.

A Simple Spring Ritual of Thanks

Spring comes early in Southern California. The first rains of Winter bring a greening of the grass and make flowers bloom as early as February. My own back patio is starting to look alive again: my hardy lavender is starting to bloom, the nasturtiums that died off in the heat of the summer are back in force, and oxalis is everywhere.

Seeing all this fresh growth inspires me to throw off my winter mood, and this is a simple ritual I do to bring Spring into my life and give thanks.

I start by picking some of that new growth. lavendar flowers, the big round leaves of the nasturtium, the shamrock shaped leaves and dainty yellow flowers of the oxalis. I add to that herbs from my kitchen garden - basil and it’s flowers, mint, lemon balm, etc. As I harvest these things, I give thanks to the plants for parts that I take.

I arrange the cuttings into little vases, each for a particular deity in my pantheon. For instance, Scathac, my patron, is known as both a healer and a warrior/martial artist. She gets healing herbs like mint and lemon balm as well as the shamrocks that I hope will remind her of her native Scotland and Ireland. Lord Ganesha is a Hindu deity that I respect as the “remover of obstacles.” He reminds us that life is sweet, so I make his arrangement as fun as possible, with sprays of lavender, sweet mint, and red flowers. In India, red flowers are a common offering to Ganesha.

Obviously, my garden is limited, and so might yours be at this time of year, so I go with what I have, and what feels right. I don’t fret that the Gods might be upset that I don’t have a particular flower or plant that they are associated with, or that my choices are humble, because I know that these offerings come from my heart.

As I make each arrangement, I offer sincere thanks for the hope, strength, and blessings the Lords and Ladies have given me through the winter. To Scathac, who owned her own Fortress on the Isle of Skye, I offer thanks for protecting me, seeing me through my own battles, and helping me to keep my own home, or ‘fortress.’ I give thanks to Lord Ganesha for smoothing my way as much as possible through certain problems, and for the sweet moments I have had over the winter, and so on. Once I have finished an arrangement, I place it with a little bow and a word of thanks on the altar of the corresponding deity.

Once I am done, my house has lots of little vases that bring Springtime joy, and my heart is full of thanks and hope for the new Spring.

Bright Blessings!