Magickal Moments & Wicca Course

Ostara / Spring Equinox Special

Family and Circle Rituals for children

This is the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring. It is a time of balance, when the light is equal
to the dark. From here the tide turns and the days will be getting longer. The theme for this
Sabbat is fertility and rebirth. Ostara celebrates the return of the Son/Sun. Pagan fertility
symbols - eggs and the bunny. Now is the time to recall the story of Persephone we tell at
Samhain. The grief of her loss caused Persephone's mother, Demeter, to bring Winter upon the
Earth. Now with her daughter's return Demeter's joy is unbounded, and heralds the return of
Spring, completing the cycle of life, death and rebirth. We usually told this story at dinner the
night before to give the children a sense of anticipation for the day to come. Just make sure
they understand it's a myth, so little ones won't be frightened by the thought of abduction or
something.

Mother Earth is awakening as the days become longer. Today, the length of night and day are
equal, thus the term Equi-Nox, or Equal Night.

New life is making itself known. The grass is growing again. Babies of many species are being
born. The World is coming awake again, and all Life celebrates Her joyous rebirth. Hence,
greenery, bright flowers, eggs, chicks, rabbits and lambs are common symbols of this time of
year.

Great activities for today include planting and/or tending your herb garden, taking a walk to
observe the arrival of Spring, gathering wildflowers, etc. Include your children in today's
activities, and explain why we celebrate the Spring Equinox as you do so. Only by teaching our
children our Wiccan faith can we pass our faith onto the next generation, that it may blossom
and continue to grow, like the Spring flowers you'll see today as you walk. This is an excellent
time to banish animosities that may have grown between yourself or your family and others, to
start fresh.

The Story of Persephone

Demeter was the Goddess of the Corn. She had given this most important crop to the mortals
and they loved her for it. She was the Golden Goddess of Summer and it was she who made
the Earth bloom and the crops grow. Demeter's gifts helped mankind to survive.

Demeter had one child, her beloved daughter Persephone, the maiden of Spring.

Persephone was very beautiful and very kind.

One day when Persephone was out gathering flowers she was seen by Hades, the God of the
Underworld. His home was the land of the dead, a cold, dark place. So when Hades saw
Persephone, as beautiful as a spring flower, he fell instantly and hopelessly in love with her. He
jumped onto his chariot and, rising up through a chasm in the Earth, grabbed Persephone.
Driving faster than the wind he carried her down, down into his kingdom in the Underworld.
Demeter heard Persephone's cries and rushed to rescue her daughter -- but alas, Persephone
had vanished! Poor Demeter was frantic, as any mother would be. She searched everywhere
but no one would tell her where the girl had gone. At last she asked the Sun, who rode high in
the sky and saw everything. He told her the awful story -- Persephone, the maiden of
Springtime, sunshine and beautiful flowers was down beneath the Earth in the shadowy
underworld of the dead.
At hearing this, Demeter's sadness was complete. She left Olympus, the home of the Gods, and
went to live on Earth in the temple men had built to honour her. She took with her the gifts of
Summertime and the corn. That year was most dreadful and cruel for mankind. Winter came
and with it bitter cold. Nothing grew. No seeds sprang up. It seemed the whole race of men
would die.

At last Zeus sent Hermes, the messenger god, to tell Hades he would have to let Persephone
go.

Hades couldn't bear to lose his love though, so he tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds.
This magical fruit would force Persephone to return to Hades whenever he called her.

So Hermes brought Persephone home to her mother. Her return brought back the Spring and
Demeter's joy brought back the Summer. The Goddess made the fields abundant with fruit and
corn. She made the whole world bright with flowers and green leaves.

But her joy was short-lived. Because Persephone had eaten the pomegranate seeds she was
under Hades power and would have to return to whenever he called her!

Demeter was heartsick and threatened to freeze the Earth forever if her daughter was taken
from her again.

No one wanted the mortals to have to suffer, but neither Demeter nor Hades would give in.
Finally Rhea, the mother of Zeus and a Goddess of great age and great wisdom, came up with
a compromise. For eight months out of the year Persephone would live in Olympus with her
mother. For the other four months she would return to the Underworld as Hades' wife.

So it is that for eight months the world experiences Demeter's joy when she has her beloved
daughter by her side. As the time for Persephone to leave draws closer, mother and daughter
become sadder and Fall comes upon the Earth. When Hades calls Persephone from the world
of the living Demeter's grief brings Winter with its icy cold and snow. The land of man remains
bound in Winter until Persephone comes back, bringing Spring time with her.

This story was told to explain the changing of the seasons. Our ancestors didn't know about the
movement of the Earth on its journey around the Sun, so they couldn't understand why Summer
was replaced by Winter. The story of Persephone and Hades was one of many told to try to
explain this great mystery. This particular version is based on a story by a man name Homer.
He wrote it in the early seventh century, 1300 years ago.
Ostara Breakfast Ritual
If you can manage it, it's wonderful to make this Sabbat celebration a breakfast ritual. Besides
being able to bask in the sunshine of a new day you can also enjoy all those eggs! Remember
to save the shells for the Beltane ritual in November! **

EXTRA SUPPLIES: Quarter candles, bell, lighter, Sun candle, a bowl of hard-boiled eggs. We
also like to serve strawberries for breakfast, as a way of marking the end of a long, hard winter
and the return of Spring.

Before the Circle is cast we play "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles. It's a terrifically upbeat
song that can set the mood for the rest of the day, and the words are just perfect for Ostara:

Little Darling its been a long, cold lonely winter

Little Darling it feels like years since its been here
Here comes the sun,
Here comes the sun and I say It's all right!
("Here Comes the Sun" Copyright 1969 EMI Records, Ltd)

Begin your ritual by ringing the bell to establish Sacred Space. The child chosen to be Bell
Ringer rings the bell three times and says:

I ring the bell

To cast the spell
Let sacred time begin
1-2-3
So mote it be
Let sacred time begin.

Then an Adult casts the Circle by saying:

Great Mother,
Weave around us
A circle of radiant light
Where we can honour
Our Lord and Lady.
Protect us, guide us and love us.

Tell the kids to imagine a silvery-blue light surrounding the table to create a Circle. Explain that
this "Circle of Light" means we want to make this a sacred place to honour the Goddess and
God. Explain that a Sacred Place doesn't have to be a church. It can be in your dining room, a
special spot in the forest, or even at school, as long as you show the respect and honour the
Goddess and God deserve by creating your Sacred Space first.

Next we "Summon the Quarters." Explain that this is asking the Ancient Ones to add their
powers to ours to make our Circle stronger. The child chosen to be Candle Lighter lights the
green candle and says:
 I call to you
Ancient Ones of the West
Guardian Spirits of Earth
To witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

The child chosen to be Candle Lighter lights the yellow candle and says:

I call to you
Ancient Ones of the South
Guardian Spirits of Air
To witness this ritual and guard this Circle

The child chosen to be Candle Lighter lights the blue candle and says:

I call to you
Ancient Ones of the East
Guardian Spirits of Water
To Witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

The child chosen to be Candle Lighter lights the red candle and says:

I call to you
Ancient Ones of the North
Guardian Sprits of Fire
To witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

Next the Adult says:

The Circle has been cast

The Ancient Ones have been called
Now it is time to welcome
The Goddess and the God.
Great Mother,
Whose symbol is the bright night moon,
Heavenly father,
Whose symbol is the fiery sun,
We ask you to join our family
For this Ostara Celebration.

The adult begins by explaining that Ostara is a Sun celebration. Say:

We've waited for a long time

To welcome back the Sun
The winter has been long and cold
But Winter's time is done.

Light the sun candle and then continue:

We light this fire to celebrate

The equinox and Spring
The days will soon get longer
And the birds will start to sing!
The adult raises his/her hands in greeting and says:

Welcome back, Sun!

Everyone repeats:

Welcome back, Sun!

The adult continues:

We celebrate Ostara
And this first day of Spring
And welcome back Persephone
And all that she will bring!

The adult raises his/her hands in greeting and says:

Welcome back, Maiden!

Everyone repeats:

Welcome back, Maiden!

The adult says:

Persephone brings Spring time

And a longer, warmer day
The Sun's power will shine now
And chase Winter away!

The adult picks up an egg and invites everyone else to do the same. S/he says:

Let us celebrate the first day of Spring

With a ritual in Persephone's honour!

The adult taps the shell of the egg to break it and says:

The ice cracks!

Now peel off all the shell and hold up the egg again.

The snow melts!

Now strip away the white of the egg carefully, revealing the yellow yolk in the middle. Hold up
the yolk and say:

The sun returns!

This is usually pretty impressive to younger children, so you might want to give them a minute
or two to ooh and ahh over their discovery. The adult finishes with:

Sunshine and bright flowers

Bird songs sweet and clear
Ostara has sprung around us
 Spring, at last, is here!
Happy Ostara!

Everyone repeats:

Happy Ostara!

Now you can serve breakfast. Some things you can talk about are the significance of the Vernal
Equinox in relationship to the days getting longer. Clocks will be turned ahead the first & last
Sunday in October depending on what state you live in, making a definite difference in the
amount of light in our day. You can also retell the story of Persephone and Demeter. This will
help your child understand the whole "fertility" aspect of Ostara - rebirth and new life. Some of
the common Ostara fertility symbols are eggs and rabbits. When breakfast is over the adult
says:

Now that Winter's over

The days will be warm and bright
We welcome back Persephone
The sunshine and the light.
We welcome back the Spring time
The flowers and the bees,
The robins and the green grass
And the leaves on all the trees!
Happy Ostara!

Then everyone repeats:

Happy Ostara!

Now you can open the Circle. Explain to the children that the ritual is over. Now it is time to
thank the Ancient Ones for their help and their guidance. The Candle Snuffer says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the North
Guardian Spirits of Fire
Go in Peace.
(Extinguish the red candle.)

The Candle Snuffer says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the East
Guardian Spirits of Water
Go in Peace.
(Extinguish the blue candle.)

The Candle Snuffer says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the South
Guardian Spirits of Air
Go in Peace.
( Extinguish the yellow candle.)
 The Candle Snuffer says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the West
Guardian Spirits of Earth
Go in Peace.
(Extinguish the green candle.)

Then the Adult says farewell to the Goddess and the God:

We thank you God and Goddess

For sharing this special time
With our family.
May we keep you in our hearts,
And follow your path of love
Every day.
Blessed be!

Now the Bell Ringer rings the bell three times to release the Sacred Space and says:

I ring the bell,

Release the spell
And Sacred Time will end.
1-2-3
So mote it be,
Until we meet again.

Explain that this is the signal that Sacred Time is over. The Circle has been released and the
Sacred Space is no more. That means the dining room goes back to being just a normal dining
room. Now the Adult says: The Circle is open And yet it remains a Circle. Around and through
us Always flow its magickal powers. This ritual is over.

A Spring Equinox meal idea:

Recipes for a Springtime Lamb Stew and Sprouted Wheat Bread and Half Moon Cookies
are included below.

Lamb Stew
Lamb, cut into 1 inch cubes (include the bone for flavour, if you wish)
2 cups water
2 cups red potatoes, cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 large onion
1 large beefsteak tomato, or one medium can diced tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large red bell pepper
2 TBS Italian Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot/slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Serve with Sprouted Wheat Bread (recipe below in F, you will need to convert it to C).

Sprouted Wheat Bread

A little gardening effort is called for to first produce a cup of whole wheat sprouts in a period of 3
to 4 days. When a sprout has grown the length of the seed, proceed with the bread baking. The
liquid called for in the recipe is the water drained from the sprouting wheat.

It is a delicious deep-crusted loaf that has the rich wheaty flavour to be found only in an all-
wheat loaf.

1/4 cup wheat seeds or berries

2 cups warm water
2 packages dry yeast
2 cups liquid from wheat soaking, warm
1/4 cup each brewer's yeast and honey
3 TBS oil
5 cups whole wheat flour, approximately
1 TBS salt

Two large loaf pans (9 x 5), greased or Teflon, glass or metal. If glass, reduce oven heat 25F.
Three or four days beforehand, place 1/4 cup of whole wheat seeds or berries in a quart jar.
Cover mouth with cheesecloth and fasten securely with a rubber band or string. Don't remove
during the growing period - about 3 or 4 days. Soak in water.

Turn the jar on its side. Keep the berries moist, warm and dark in a kitchen closet. Twice a day
rinse the berries in tepid water (80 to 85F) poured through the cheesecloth; drain and reserve
the water for a total of 2 cups needed in the recipe.

When the sprouts are as long as the seed, continue with the bread making.

On bake day, sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup of the reserved stock poured into a large mixing
bowl. Stir briskly with a fork or whisk. Put aside for 3 or 4 minutes until the yeast begins to work
and bubble.

Stir in the balance of the stock, brewer's yeast, honey and oil. Blend well. Measure in 3 cups of
whole wheat flour and the salt. Beat vigorously for 3 minutes until the batter is smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place (80 to 85F) to rise. (60 minutes)

Stir down. Add the sprouts and about 1 cup of whole wheat flour. Turn onto the work surface
and surround the dough with about 1 cup of whole wheat flour. As you work the dough, brush a
bit of the flour onto the ball of dough and over the hands to help control the stickiness. Use the
side of a spatula or a wide putty knife to scrape the film off the work surface as it accumulates.
Use the spatula or putty knife to turn over the dough as you knead, thus lessening the
opportunity it has to stick to the hands. Soon, however, it will become elastic and smooth, and
not stick.

Return the dough to the bowl, pat with greased fingers and cover the bowl tightly with plastic
wrap. Put in the warm place until the dough has doubled in size. (50 minutes)

Punch down the dough and knead for 30 seconds to press out the bubbles. Divide the dough
evenly into two pieces. Shape into balls and let rest on the counter top for 3 or 4 minutes. Form
the loaf by pressing each ball of dough into a flat oval, roughly the length of the baking pan.
Fold the oval in half, pinch the seam tightly to seal, tuck under the ends, and place in the pan,
seam down. Repeat with the second loaf.

Place the pans in the warm place, cover with wax paper and leave until the centre of the dough
has risen slightly above the level of the edge of the pan. (45 minutes)

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake in the moderately hot oven for 25 minutes, reduce heat to 300F
and continue baking for an additional 35 minutes. When the loaves are golden brown and
tapping the bottom crust yields a hard and hollow sound, the bread is done. If not, return to the
oven for an additional 10 minutes. Midway in the bake period and again near the end of it, shift
the pans so the loaves are exposed equally to temperature variations in the oven.

Remove bread from the oven, turn loaves from pans and place on a metal rack to cool before
serving. This bread makes delicious toast. The loaf freezes well, and will keep thus for several
months.

Half Moon Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp each salt, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour

Cream butter and sugars. Add the salt, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla. Add egg, well
beaten. Add flour. Mix with strong spoon until thoroughly combined. Add more flour if
necessary.

Roll into a long cylinder, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Remove wax paper, slice into circles and then cut the circles in half.

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes at 350F.

Remove from pan onto plate to cool. Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.