Wiccan Easter is termed Ostara, an ancient pagan holiday celebrated during the spring equinox. It is a time of rebirth and renewal, symbolizing the return of light and the awakening of nature after the long winter months. The main idea of Wiccan Easter is to honor the changing seasons and the cycles of nature. It is a time of balance and harmony, where the forces of light and dark are equal. The celebration involves rituals and ceremonies to honor the goddess and god, representing the masculine and feminine energies of creation. During Ostara, Wiccans focus on fertility, growth, and new beginnings.
I may not attend Easter services anymore, but Easter is not lost on me. Each year, I paint Easter eggs in the Ukrainian style, as my Nana taught me. It's a wonderful way to connect with my Ancestors. I think about the sacrifice Jesus made--giving his life in an attempt to attain peace and equality in his society. I like to think of myself as a social justice warrior, but I have to ask myself during this Holy Week: would I really give my life to any of my causes? I can't say that I would. I can't even say that I think it's a good idea that anyone does that. But it does lead me to think about the limits we impose on ourselves. Ostara and Easter both teach us that there are no limits. A seedling bursts from its acorn and becomes the largest and strongest tree in the forest. Sometimes, a tree grows out of a rock. How does that happen. How can a tree grow out of a rock. A person undergoes torture and loses his life, but his work and message grows stronger and louder. How does anyone do that. How could anyone find that strength.
My move from Christianity to Wicca wasn t one in anger or defiance, but one more akin to a young person traveling from the town in which they grew up to a brand new city, looking around and saying, I m not sure why, but this is my real home. It is a time when the goddess is in her maiden stage, crossing from childhood innocence to adult passion, with the potential of fertility and growth, as well as a readiness to be reborn.
During Ostara, Wiccans focus on fertility, growth, and new beginnings. The main symbols of this holiday are eggs, rabbits, and flowers, which all represent fertility and new life. Wiccan Easter is a time of joy and celebration, as it marks the end of darkness and the beginning of a new cycle.
What are the origins of Easter?
The origins of Easter are obscure. It is often assumed that the name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. According to the theory, Eastre was the “goddess of the east (from where the sun rises),” her symbol was the hare (a symbol of fertility), and a festival called Eastre was held during the spring equinox by the Saxons to honor her. This theory on the origin of Easter is highly problematic, however.
The major problem with associating the origin of Easter with the pagan goddess Eastre/Eostre is that we have no hard evidence that such a goddess was ever worshiped by anyone, anywhere. The only mention of Eastre comes from a passing reference in the writings of the Venerable Bede, an eighth-century monk and historian. Bede wrote, “Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated as ‘Paschal month,’ and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honor feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate the Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance” (De Temporum Ratione). And that’s it. Eostre is not mentioned in any other ancient writing; we have found no shrines, no altars, nothing to document the worship of Eastre. It is possible that Bede simply extrapolated the name of the goddess from the name of the month.
In the nineteenth century, the German folklorist Jakob Grimm researched the origins of the German name for Easter, Ostern, which in Old High German was Ostarâ. Both words are related to the German word for “east,” ost. Grimm, while admitting that he could find no solid link between Easter and pagan celebrations, made the assumption that Ostara was probably the name of a German goddess. Like Eastre, the goddess Ostara was based entirely on supposition and conjecture; before Grimm’s Deustche Mythologie (1835), there was no mention of the goddess in any writings.
So, while the word Easter most likely comes from an old word for “east” or the name of a springtime month, we don’t have much evidence that suggests anything more. Assertions that Easter is pagan or that Christians have appropriated a goddess-holiday are untenable. Today, however, it seems that Easter might as well have pagan origins, since it has been almost completely commercialized—the world’s focus is on Easter eggs, Easter candy, and the Easter bunny.
Christians celebrate Easter as the resurrection of Christ on the third day after His crucifixion. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year because of the significance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the events upon which Christianity is based (1 Corinthians 15:14). In some Christian traditions, Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance culminating in Holy Week and followed by a 50-day Easter season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.
Because of the commercialization and possible pagan origins of Easter, many churches prefer to call it “Resurrection Sunday.” The rationale is that, the more we focus on Christ and His work on our behalf, the better. Paul says that without the resurrection of Christ our faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:17). What more wonderful reason could we have to celebrate! Whether we call it “Easter” or “Resurrection Sunday,” what is important is the reason for our celebration, which is that Christ is alive, making it possible for us to have eternal life (Romans 6:4)!
Should we celebrate Easter or allow our children to go on Easter egg hunts? This is a question both parents and church leaders struggle with. Ultimately, it comes down to a matter of conscience (Romans 14:5). There is nothing essentially evil about painting and hiding eggs and having children search for them. What is important is our focus. If our focus is on Christ, our children can be taught to understand that the eggs are just a fun game. Children should know the true meaning of the day, and parents and the church have a responsibility to teach the true meaning. In the end, participation in Easter egg hunts and other secular traditions must be left up to the discretion of parents.
"A Witch guest during Holy Week? Getting worried about this show. " tweeted a regular listener. It was a British radio show and I, a Wiccan Priestess, was the special guest this past Tuesday.
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Reviews for "The Wiccan Wheel of the Year: Understanding the Easter Sabbat"
- John Smith - 1/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Wiccan Easter is termed". The storyline was confusing and hard to follow, and the characters were poorly developed. The book also seemed to lack a clear direction or purpose. Overall, I found it to be a boring and frustrating read.
- Emily Johnson - 2/5 stars - "Wiccan Easter is termed" just wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic. The plot was thin and predictable, and the ending left me unsatisfied. I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.
- David Thompson - 2/5 stars - I couldn't get into "Wiccan Easter is termed". The writing style was hard for me to follow, and I found myself re-reading passages to understand what was happening. The pacing was slow, and the story lacked a sense of urgency or excitement. It just wasn't a book that captured my interest.