The Easter, Moon, or the Pascal moon as we might be calling it had not the ancient Germanic, Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian ancestors not decided to use the name of Eostra or as she is know in modern time Ostara instead of names which were derived from the Jewish Passover used by other Europeans , and are still used to this day. According to the Venerable Bede {673?-735) the fourth month of the year was Esturmonath, named after Eostur, who was associate among other things with the the morning , dawn and the easterly direction. April is the month that Easter usually falls in and this year even though it will be celebrated by most Christian in March, those of us who are Orthodox will be celebrating , or celebrating again on April 6th.
Sadly there is not nearly enough solid information about Ostara. Widely believed to be the goddess of Spring who presided over celebration of the Vernal Equinox. Ostara was also the maiden goddess, a symbol of fertility, goddess of the dawn, and of grain. The tradition holds that water collected from springs at dawn, has healing powers may date back to the commemorations in honor of Ostara held at sunrise on the morning of the Vernal Equinox.
Ostara was also the goddess of grain, and perhaps by extension all seeds, both she and seeds are emblematic of the rebirth and fertility of the earth after the dead and barren landscape of winter
Ostera, as the tale tells was out walking one bitterly cold day, and found a bird nearly frozen to death, she transformed it into a rabbit. Rabbits being creatures able to withstand the cold. She herself was said to transform herself into a rabbit and scurry about, she was especially fond of white rabbits. I find it interesting that German children are told that the Easter Hare lays all of the Easter eggs, could this be that the Easter Hare is a female in disguise?
Though I don't know how long people have been have been balancing eggs at the time of the Vernal Equinox. Eggs have been a part of the celebration of springs arrival long before our brightly colored versions, the Anglo Saxons offered colored eggs at the Vernal Equinox. Possibly placed on the graves as a revival charm. The Greeks and Egyptians also placed eggs at grave sites.
While taking the boiled eggs out of an old enameled pot, I paused and mused at how the last lone egg looked like some of my images of the full moon, floating in a dark sky surrounded by dots of star, or snow. A dim memory flickered in my head of learning how to candling eggs with my aunt, when the egg seemed to glow from within. A mixture of amazement and disbelief that little bit floating in it was really a chicken under construction.
So dear reader I will treat you to a picture of the waxing gibbous moon through snowflakes. The late March full moon, might be well named if I were to call it the Egg Moon.
Bud Moon, Cold’s End Moon, Crow Moon, Daffodil Moon, Greening Moon, Moon of the Snowblind, Moon of the Whispering Wind, Moon of Winds Seed Moon, Sleepy Moon, , Storm Moon, Violet Moon, Windy Moon and Worm Moon.
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| snowflakes and the waxing giibous in the upper right |
