Goddess Ostara

The Goddess Ostara is the German maiden Goddess who is celebrated at spring equinox and also the Anglo Saxon Goddess of the dawn named Eostra pronounced East-ra.    The word oestrus (referring to an animal in heat) is also derived from Eostra. Eostra also means East and shining, related to the Greek Goddess Eos who is the Goddess of the dawn in their pantheon.

 There isn’t much lore about Her.  We know that she was a fertility Goddess of the Northern European people whos springtime rites were taken and changed by the newly Christianised Roman invaders into Easter and the legend of Christ’s resurrection. The timing of the Christian Easter is still determined by the Moon.  Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox. I find this very amusing. :)

Ostara is the maiden Goddess of the growing light of spring; her consort is a white hare.  Once, when spring was late in coming, a little girl found a bird close to death from the cold.  The child prayed to Ostara for help for the bird. A rainbow bridge appeared and Ostara came, clothed in her red robe of warm, vibrant sunlight which melted the snows. Spring arrived. The little bird was wounded beyond repair, so Ostara changed it into a snow hare that brought rainbow coloured eggs.  As a sign of spring, Ostara instructed the child to watch for the snow hare.

Sacred to Ostara

Animals – Rabbits, butterflies
Symbols –Spring, Eggs, Dawn, East, Rainbows, Keys, Moon
Colours – White
Month –April
Consort – Hare