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

The Hindu goddess Rati is the consort of Kama, the god of love. Rati herself is
the goddess of love, lust, passion, and sexual pleasure. Putting these two together
is a wonderful combination to celebrate love and passion at the beginning of
spring. (McCoy, 124)
Not to be outdone by the women, there are many gods associated with the
spring as well.
The Irish Aengus MacOg was a young god of love and romance. Being the son
of the Dagda, he is also a god of regeneration (McCoy, 92; Jordan, 5), an
important aspect of spring as this is when things are regenerated, or brought back
to life.
The Celtic god Cernunnos, also known as the Horned God, is one of the best
known. With his rack of deer antlers spouting from his head, it is clear to see he
is a god of the woodlands and nature. He also is the consort of the Earth Mother,
whom he mates with in order to give birth to all living things. He is basically the
Earth Father.
The Irish “Good God” Dagda is the ultimate god of regeneration. He owns a
cauldron that brings dead warriors back to life. He is able to resurrect that which
has died.
The Green Man is a great representation of spring. Imagine him coming alive
and growing as each tree bud grows a little larger and then bursts into a flower or
a leaf. Imagine him romping through the woods encouraging the flowers to
break through the ground and bloom. He encourages the vines to grab ahold of
trees and climb their way upward toward the sun’s light. He is alive in all plant
life, encouraging it to grow and thrive.
The Welsh god Mabon may already have a sabbat named after him, but he is
also a god who retreats to the underworld during the winter and then returns in
the spring. (McCoy, 94) While Mabon is a good time to celebrate the prowess of
this god, Ostara is an excellent time to celebrate his return to the world.
The Egyptian god Min, who is depicted with a giant phallus, is obviously a
god of fertility and creation. Spring is the perfect time to honor this god of
reproduction as the animals and the land itself begin producing and reproducing
themselves. (McCoy, 95; Jordan, 199)