Ostara _ rituals, recipes, & lore for the spring equinox ( PDFDrive )

you make it so. It is a great way to teach children about the element of air, which
is also associated with new beginnings, and also about grounding. Kite flying is
a really good metaphor for how we can send our energy and intentions out into
the universe while staying firmly grounded. It also teaches us that while we may
sometimes dream with our head in the clouds, we need to ensure our feet are
planted on the earth. When we lose connection with the ground and don’t keep
track of what our feet are doing, we can end up tripping, heading the wrong
direction, or even falling, and then our kite comes crashing out of the sky. This
translates to our spiritual life in the same manner. When we don’t keep ourselves
grounded and balanced, things can come crashing down around us.
In many modern celebrations at Ostara there is a blessing of the seeds; these
can be either literal or figurative seeds. If you are a gardener of any sort, bless
the seeds at Ostara, especially ones that need to be started early indoors.
Depending on where you live, the actual field or garden plot can be blessed at
Beltane. If you are in a climate where you can plant before Beltane however, you
can go ahead and bless the land now, too. You can also bless any figurative
seeds you want to plant and sow this year. This may be done by writing a list of
the goals you want to accomplish or your hopes and dreams and then using the
list in your ritual. You can also just add some quiet reflection time during your
ritual for everyone to think about what seeds he or she want to plant and
germinate in their own lives. In a more symbolic way of planting your goals, you
can write them out on a piece of paper and actually bury them in a garden plot or
even a planter filled with dirt that will eventually contain seeds or a garden plant.
This way as the plant grows, your goals do as well.
With the feeling of “newness” in the air, it’s fun to be able to do kidlike things
again. In the spring we can feel young again. We can act young again. The
Goddess is in her maiden form, and the God is a young virile man filled with
energy and strength. A perfect way to honor them is to emulate them and take on
similar forms and attitudes no matter what our physical age is. You are only as
old as you let yourself feel. There are a variety of activities that both adults and
kids will be able to enjoy together and it all falls under the heading of PLAY.
From finger painting to playing old-fashioned outdoor games, play should
always be an important part of our lives, but it’s often one we totally forget