Spring Equinox
March 21
The Spring Equinox
Earth Cycles of the Equinox
Welcoming the Spring Equinox
The spring equinox is a time to take first steps towards the new plans you laid in the winter, giving them the intention, balance, and space to come into fruition.
Earth Cycle and Workings
March 21st (19-22nd) is the spring equinox, the point when light and darkness are equal. It is the midpoint between the two solstices. The halves of the earth receive equal light, warmth, and darkness. The promises of Imbolc in the belly of winter are coming into fruition. We see the sun returning. Bunnies, chicks, and lambs bringing in new life again. The ground has softened and we’re ready to plant our seeds with the hope of growth to come.
The common name among many pagans for this time is Ostara, which comes from Germanic traditions.
First Signs of Spring
At this point, the days are getting longer, buds are starting to appear on trees and spring flowers and plants are popping up. Migrating birds have started returning and baby animals begin to venture out.
I have always loved stepping outside in spring and being taken in by the smell of wet earth. It always reminds me of this quote from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett when Dicken says:
“There's naught as nice as the smell o’ good clean earth, ‘cept the smell of fresh growin' things when the rain falls on them.”
-The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
Spring, Alphonse Mucha, 1896, Czech
The Entanglement of Ostara and Easter
The origins of both Ostara and Easter are complicated and intertwined. We have no written record of Ostara, the goddess or the holiday, before the writings of Christians in the 7th c. But according to their writings, her influence appears to be widespread.
Ostara
Ostara or Eostre, is believed to be an ancient goddess brought to England by the Anglo-Saxons from northern Germany, giving her Germanic origins.
The first recordings we have of her are from Bede, a Christian monk living in modern day England. In 725 CE he wrote in the religious calendar, “De Temporum Ratione” (The Reckoning of Time), that the name for Easter (the Christian holiday) comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess, Eostre. The church adopted this name because the people in that area already have a month dedicated to her with feasts in her honor.
“Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated “Paschal month,” and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance.” - Bede, 725
Ostara also comes up again later in the writings of Charlemagne (mid-late 700s ce) when he lists Ostaramonth in the calendar (in place of April).
Reinventing Ostara as Easter
Reclaiming pagan holidays and religious structures for Christian purposes wasn’t new, it was a practice started a century earlier by Pope Gregory the Great, in 601 CE when he told Augustine, a missionary to England, to change the pagan temples to Christian saints and martyrs.
“the temples of the idols in those nations ought not to be destroyed; but let the idols that are in them be destroyed; let holy water be made and sprinkled in the said temples, let altars be erected, and relics placed. For if those temples are well built, it is requisite that they be converted from the worship of devils to the service of the true God; that the nation, seeing that their temples are not destroyed …may the more familiarly resort to the places to which they are accustomed.” - Pope Gregory, 601
The church saw this as a way to use the familiarity of festivals and places of worship to influence conversion and acceptance of new Christian political and religious ideologies.
Ostara and the Brothers Grimm
In 1835, Jacob Grimm (of the folktale writers, the Brothers Grimm) wrote a book called Deutsche Mythology where he mentioned the German goddess, Ostern, believing her name was likely derived from the goddess Eostre, and attributing ancient traditions with the name of the Christian holiday.
“This Ostarâ, like the [Anglo-Saxon] Eástre, must in heathen religion have denoted a higher being, whose worship was so firmly rooted, that the Christian teachers tolerated the name, and applied it to one of their own grandest anniversaries.” - Jacob Grimm, 1835
Ostara’s Ancient Connections
There is some evidence that Ostara may have been connected to a Roman mother-goddess cult because references to her were found on Roman alter stones in a province of northwest Germany. In southern parts of Germany they found Germanic names for the goddesses, but in that area the stones said “Austri” and there is linguistic evidence that would translate to “Eostre” and may have connections to the Phoenician fertility goddess Ishtar and Egyptian goddess, Isis.
The Pagan Origins of Easter Traditions
Ostara and the origins of the Easter Bunny
The Germanic goddess Ostara brings the dawn of spring, new beginnings, and fertility. This story tells of her warmth and compassion to the springtime animals.
Legend says she was traveling in winter she came upon bird who was freezing. She stopped to warm the bird but its wings were frozen and it couldn’t fly. To save the bird, Ostara transformed it into a hare giving it the ability to hop off to safety, instead of fly. She also left the hare with the ability to still lay eggs, a remainder from its life as a bird.
Easter Traditions with Pagan Origins
The Easter Bunny - the tradition of a bunny or hare laying eggs come from the story of Ostara and the hare
Hot Cross Buns - Hot Cross Buns began as a Saxon tradition for the goddess Eostre, marking it with a solar cross
Colored Eggs - dying of eggs was a custom in Egyptian and Persian traditions for their spring festivals
Easter Ham - eating ham at this time was traditional for pagan celebrations as other meat was often hard to find
Easter Baskets - baskets came to Germanic children filled with eggs and sweets from the Osterhase hare
How the World Celebrates
the Spring Equinox
The Persephone Myth and the Equinoxes
Many ancient peoples saw the equinoxes as markers of the spring and fall changing, the continuation of the cycle of seasons. They used myths and legends to explain the physical phenomenon they saw happening before their eyes. One persistent story used to explain this cycle is that of Persephone – a story told with many names in many cultures.
Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and harvest, had a daughter, Persephone, the goddess of spring. One day, Hades, ruler of the Underworld, kidnapped Persephone to make her his wife. Demeter searched all over for her daughter, and the earth began to grow cold and died because of her grief. Once realizing where she was Demeter demanded Persephone be returned, but before leaving, Persephone chose to eat 6 pomegranate seeds which meant she must leave her mother and return to the Underworld for six months out of each year.
Persephone’s Return - The Spring Equinox
This understanding of Persephone and Demeter affecting the seasons and growing cycles influenced peoples understanding of the harvest year. These holidays were time markers that helped people structure and celebrate their lives and place them within the context of the year.
The spring equinox marks Persephone’s return to earth. Right now, we see Demeter’s hope at her daughter’s return all around us, new life popping up in anticipation of her arrival.
Other Journeys into the Underworld
Roman mythology has a nearly identical myth with Proserpina, her mother, Ceres and Pluto, the ruler of the Underworld. In both the Greek and Roman versions she supposedly comes and goes from the Underworld through Mount Etna, a large volcano in Sicily
The Descent of Inanna (an ancient Sumerian myth) tells the story of Inanna (sometimes called Ishtar) being tricked into staying in the Underworld and to get out she seeks a replacement. When she realizes her lover, Dumuzi is not mourning her death she condemns him and his sister, Geshtinanna, to each spend half the year there in her place, explaining the change over of the seasons.
There are others as well, like Liberia the Italic goddess, or Freya in Norse mythology. Some even see Jesus’ three-days of death and then rising again to be connected to these ancient stories
How We Celebrate the Equinox
I find it beautiful to look at all the ways people celebrate this time of year. It’s incredible to see the truths and traditions that were important to us long ago still appearing, even if the lens we see them through has shifted over time. We hear the echoes when we look back at how different people groups have celebrated the Spring Equinox.
The Drowning of Marzanna – Slavic peoples
Since pre-christian times in Poland and other Slavic countries the spring equinox is marked by making a large straw doll of Marzanna, the goddess of winter, cold, and death, and decorating her with ribbons or cloth. Then, on the equinox she is set on fire and drowned in the river, a ritual to encourage spring and chase away the rest of winter.
Akitu Festival – Mesopotamia, and modern-day Iraq
Akitu is a 4,000 year old Babylonian festival starting on the first new moon after the spring equinox. The people would spend a period of time purifying the city and then would parade gods through the city, believing it cleansed and prepared them for the new year.
Each year the king was stripped, slapped, and dragged by the ears until he cried. Completing this humiliation ritual was a sign that the god, Marduk, approved of the king’s reign for another year.
Assyrians and Chaldeans still celebrate Akitu with parades, and parties.
Hilaria – Roman
Hilaria was a multi-day festival celebrating the spring equinox and honoring Cybele, goddess of mothers, nature, and fertility. It would start with restricted eating for a time of purification, and then a solemn procession through the city. They would also bring a pine tree into the temple of Cybele and decorate it with fleece and violets
Nowruz (New Day) - Persian/Iranian New Year
Nowruz is 3,000 year old holiday occurring over the spring equinox that marks the Iranian and Persian New Year and celebrates the start of spring. People celebrate by spring cleaning, buying new clothes, and visiting friends and family. They also prepare a Haft-sin table with seven items that start with the letter “s” and represent the good hopes and wishes for the new year.
Holi – Hindu Diaspora
Holi is a Hindu holiday marking the start of spring. It is typically on the last full moon of the Hindu year and often happens over the spring equinox and is a festival of colors, love, and spring. Holi celebrates the love of deities Radha and Krishna/Vishnu. People celebrate their love by throwing colored dye at each other.
Mother’s Day - North Africa & West Asia
In ancient Egypt, the spring equinox was celebrated with the Festival of Isis, a celebration to the goddess of motherhood, spring, and rebirth.
Today in Egypt as well as other countries in north Africa and west Asia, the spring equinox is observed as Mother’s Day, a celebration of mothering and nurturing. It’s believed this celebration stems all the way back to those first spring equinox festivals for Isis.
Passover – Jewish Diaspora
Passover is a week-long Jewish feast that celebrates when the Israelites escaped slavery in Egypt, and their children were spared. It usually falls on the first full moon after the spring equinox and is celebrated with a large family meal called a Seder.
Because the people had to leave Egypt quickly, they were unable to allow their bread to rise, because of this, it is customary to eat unleavened bread (matzah).
Sacred Fire Ceremony – Métis & First Nations peoples
Some First Nations groups in modern-day Canada, including the Métis peoples, celebrate the equinoxes with a Sacred Fire ceremony. During this time the firekeepers keep the sacred fire going for the multi-day festival while people give thanks, offerings, prayer, and reconnect with their ancestors.
Equinox Architecture
Looking through history we see the solstices and equinoxes celebrated in our architecture, creating calendars and measuring the seasons. The care and purpose that it took for these to be built in incredible and it’s clear this tracking of time and seasons is something fundamentally important to us as humans. Here are a few of the structures around the world that were constructed specifically with the summer solstices in mind.
Mnajdra Temples in Malta
The Mnajdra Temples are remnants of an ancient complex dating back to 3600 bce. The lowest temple (of the three) is aligned so that on the equinoxes the sunrise lines up with the entrance of the temple shining light into it.
Photo: Times Malta article
Loughcrew Cairns in Ireland
The Loughcrew Cairns (or Hills of the Witch) are neolithic passage tombs from 3000 bce. It is aligned so that on the equinoxes light shines through Cairn T, one of the largest tombs to reveal carvings on the stone wall inside.
Photo: The Loughcrew Megalithic Centre
El Castillo in Chichen Itza (modern day Mexico)
El Castillo is an ancient Mayan step-pyramid built around 1000 CE. On the equinoxes, the light aligns to create an effect that makes it look like a giant snake is descending the pyramid steps.
This is called the descent of K’uk’ulkan when the great feathered serpent god descends from the sky to slither down the enormous pyramid and energize the earth.
San Petronio Basilica in Italy
The Basilica San Petronio is a large gothic church built during the 13th-15th c. It was constructed with windows making a meridian line through the building, and an intricate sundial that allowed them to predict the date of the spring equinox and other astrological timings.
Angkor Wat in Cambodia
Angkor Wat is one of the largest religious structures in the world and was built during the 12th c. It was designed so the main tower aligns with the morning sun of the spring and autumn equinox.
Deities
Associated with the Spring Equinox
Deities are an important lens to understand culture through. They are physical representations of the forces and energies we see interacting in our world. They give human, relatable images for spiritual ideas and are often imbued with stories and traditions that tell the history and culture of a people. Deities give us something to interact with and enact energy upon. Depending on your background and culture, deity worship could include more solemn expressions like closed rites or could be as casual as putting up a picture of your hero to invoke their energy in your life.
African Deities
Isis –Egyptian goddess of fertility, motherhood, healing, and the moon. Her following spread throughout the Roman Empire and she was worshiped as far as England. Like Persephone she also was married to Osiris, the god of the Underworld. Spring rites to Isis involve fertility rituals.
Asase Yaa (Ashanti) – goddess of agriculture, dawn of spring, and rebirth in Ghana and Nigeria. Each year people would seek her blessing on the crops they were planting.
Nyame – partner of Asase Yaa (also from Ghana and Nigeria). He is a sky god who brings in the rains for the crops that his wife has blessed.
Greek & Roman Deities
Persephone/Proserpina – Greek/Roman goddess of spring, cycle of seasons, and queen of the Underworld
Demeter/Ceres – Greek/Roman goddess of agriculture and harvest, mother of Persephone/Proserpina. It is her sadness at losing her daughter that is said to cause the death cycle of plants through the winter
Liberia – an Italic goddess of fertility and freedom believed to be an early version of Persephone
Cybele – the great mother goddess of the gods, agriculture, fertility, and motherhood. Her origins are in Phrygia (Turkey) but spread to the Greek and Roman empires where she was enshrined in their pantheons.
Aphrodite/Venus – Greek/Roman goddess of agricultural fertility, vegetation, and springtime. She sent her lover, Adonis, to live in the Underworld four months of the year. On the spring equinox, women in Sicily would go to the Garden of Adonis and plant seeds there, symbolic of rebirth and renewal.
Middle-Eastern & Asian Deities
Ishtar/Inanna – Mesopotamian goddess of spring, love, war, and fertility. She is often associated with both eggs and bunnies. She also descended to the Underworld creating a change of seasons myth.
Marduk – the chief god of Babylon (the capital of Mesopotamia) and was associated with thunderstorms. He was honored each year at the Akitu festival each year where the king was humiliated as a petition for Marduk to bless the crops.
Rafu-Sen – a Shinto goddess from Japan, is associated with cycles, rebirth of the earth, and plum trees. She is celebrated for her bravery in bringing the coming spring while snow is still present
European Deities
Ostara (Eostre) – an Anglo-Saxon goddess with Germanic origins. She is goddess of the dawn of spring, rebirth, and the return of sun. She is credited with giving the hare the ability to lay colored eggs.
Marzanna (Morana) – a Slavic goddess associated with winter, rebirth, nature, and death. She is the ruler of the Underworld and it is believed she helps in times of transition.
Jarylo (Yarilo) – a Slavic god of spring, fertility, and war who is charged with bringing spring. He was the lover of Marzanna, but after she found him cheating she murdered him and now they take turns spending time in the Underworld.
Freya – Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, sex, and war who brings warmth back across the cold land. She is married to Odin, ruler of the Underworld and spends part of the year there.
Idunn – Norse goddess of spring and youth who uses magic apples that grant immortality and is celebrated during the spring equinox.
Deities from the Americas
K’uk’ulkan – a Mayan great-feathered serpent god of rejuvenation and planting cycles. Each year on the spring equinox K’uk’ulkan descends down the El Castillo pyramid (via a stream of light) to energize the earth and bless the crops.
Coarlicue – an Aztec mother-goddess of earth, fertility, childbirth, life and death, who was partly a skirt of snakes. She was worshipped during Tozozontli, a spring ritual to bring in the rainy season
Estsanatlehi (Changing Woman)– a Diné (Navajo) goddess associated with the change in seasons. Each year she grows old through the winter and rejuvenates in the spring. They celebrate her with songs in her honor and a coming-of-age ceremony.
Deities from Christianity
Jesus – the son of God, believed to have saved the Christian world by sacrificing himself to death and the Underworld for three days and then coming again bringing new life to people.
St. Patrick – associated with snakes, and the sun. He is credited with driving the pagan religions out of Ireland and creating the Celtic cross from the old solar cross. Some believe St. Patrick’s Day replaced a spring equinox festival.
St. Joseph – the human father of Jesus is associated with fathers, family, expectant mothers and travelers. He is said to have been born on the spring equinox and is celebrated that day, especially in Sicily where it is believed to have replaced earlier fire festivals. He is the patron saint of Sicily and is credited with ending a very drought that created a fava bean famine in the 1400s
Associations
for the Spring Equinox
Through the passing of time and traditions we begin to associate different colors, foods, and other symbols with particular holidays. The meaning of different colors, animals, or plants come from what we observe about each thing and how we have interacted with it over generations. These associations have been built through time in our food, customs & the stories we tell our children, they give us physical methods to carry on tradition.
Colors
Blue (pastel or robin’s egg) – creativity, healing, clarity, insight, & trust
Green (pastel or bright) – new growth, fertility, and the abundance of new life
Lavender – intuition, peace, spiritual growth, & happiness
Pinks – love, empathy, & nurturing (also - the first full moon after the spring equinox is known as the Pink Moon)
White – new beginnings, innocence, & purity
Yellows – return of the sun, happiness, abundance, & self-confidence
Flowers
Chamomile – joy, happiness, peace, and renewal
Iris – wisdom, hope, courage, and royalty
Lilac – spring, renewal, spirituality, and purity
Lilies – innocence, rebirth, fertility, and motherhood
Lavender – serenity, devotion, and faithfulness
Peony – happiness, prosperity, and hopefulness
Tulips – renewal, rebirth, perfect and deep love
Violet – innocence, humility, faith, and inspiration
Animals
Butterflies – represent transformation and growth, the show us the dramatic change of death and rebirth
Ducklings and Chicks – new life, coming from eggs, bring happiness, community, and hope
Rabbits – are a symbol of spring and fertility and are connected to the lunar cycle. They are associated with Ostara, Ishtar, Freya, Idunn, and Aphrodite.
Robins (and other migrating birds) – return after the cold winter, they bring luck, happiness, and rebirth
Snakes – bring the energy of fertility, rebirth, & renewal of life. They are associated with Ostara, Ku’kul’kan, Coarlicue, and St. Patrick
Stones
Amazonite – truth, fertility, energy, & harmony
Amethyst – growth, balance, abundance, and inner connection
Aquamarine – emotional clarity, happiness, and tranquility
Citrine – sunshine, abundance, & creativity
Fluorite – clarity, purification, stability, & motivation
Moonstone – cyclical change, inner healing, fertility & femininity
Moss agate – emotional balance, new beginnings, self-expression
Rose quartz – love, peace, inner healing, & nurturing
Experiencing the Season through Food
for the Spring Equinox
Food nourishes our soul and carries meaning and history. I love that the significance and message of different foods often comes from what it does, how it makes us feel, and the ways it was used in our history. Every culture and home has their own food traditions for holidays and seasons. These are usually based on what is local and fresh around us, and what we grew up with. Food is an important way we bring meaning and history into our celebrations.
Herbs
Clover – faith, hope, love, & luck (for each of the four leaves)
Lavender – serenity, devotion, & faithfulness
Lemon Balm – balance, intuition, feminine energy, & emotional healing
Lemongrass – purification, clarity, cleanser of energy
Nettles – protection, boundaries, clarity dark times
Thyme – courage, strength, and direction
Plants
Asparagus – renewal, growth, & optimism
Carrot - fertility & abundance
Lemon – purification, love, light & clarity
Peas – love, friendship, & wisdom
Pomegranate – resurrection, new life, and fertility. (also, sacred to Persephone, Proserpina, Ishtar, & Aphrodite)
Spring Greens (spinach, dandelion, nettle) – reliance, strength, & protection
Traditional Foods for Ostara & Easter
Hot-Cross Buns – are a favorite of Christians now but have ancient roots. They are believed to contain the sign of the solar cross and symbolize the return of the sun and the four elements.
Lamb – is traditional to eat because of its availability in the spring. It is used in Passover and Easter meals in remembrance of the Jewish people escaping Egypt
Ham – eating a spring ham for Easter became a tradition in America because the hams finished curing at this time
The Egg
Eggs represent fertility and new birth in many cultures and were often given as springtime gifts
Eggs are associated with Ostara/Eostre, Ishtar, Isis, Venus, and Aphrodite
Palestinian families play a game called “tae’sh” or “crack the eggs” on Easter mornings
People in ancient Ukraine dyed eggs in thanks for the sun’s return
The egg is used by Christians as a sign of Jesus’ resurrection
Eggs were eaten at the spring Akitu festival in Babylon and surrounding areas
Chocolate’s Connections to the Season
Chocolate’s connection to spring started with people gifting eggs during spring as a symbol of rebirth. Over time, decorative and ornate eggs were made to give as gifts
During the 18th c Fabergé eggs became a coveted prize from eastern Europe. Chocolatiers began making chocolate versions as an accessible alternative to the pricey piece.
The first hollow chocolate egg was created in 1873 by the predecessor to the Cadbury company.
Foods for Spring Equinox Around the World
Cuddura cu l’ova (Egg Baskets) - in Sicily and southern Italy they make pastries with a boiled egg sitting in nest or purse of anise dough, and often a cross over the top. The tradition may come from pre-Roman days, but merged with Christianity and is traditional at Easter. There are similar pastries in Greece and Spain
Sabzi Pollo - is a traditional Persian dish of rice and chopped herbs served with fish and eaten during Nowruz
Fanesca - a creamy Ecuadorian Easter soup with gourds, beans, and cod. It is believed to come from indigenous peoples of the Andes’ celebrations of the mother earth goddess Pachamama.
Matzah - an unleavened bread (similar to a cracker) eaten by the Jewish diaspora celebrating Passover. This is in remembrance of when they were escaping Egypt and there was no time to let the bread rise.
Tuh’u - a lamb and beet stew from ancient Babylon that was likely served at Akitu festivals
Recipes for Spring Equinox
Lavender Lemonade
Lavender Simple Syrup
2 c water
1 c white sugar
2 T dried lavender
Lemonade
Lavender Simple Syrup
4 c water
¾ cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
Handful of mint leaves
Lemon or lime wedges
Making the Simple Syrup
Bring 2 c of water to a boil, add 1 c sugar and stir until dissolved. Turn off heat, add lavender and let steep for 1-2 hours (the longer it steeps, the stronger the flavor). (You can put the lavender in a tea bag, tea strainer, or tied coffee filter.)
Remove the lavender and let cool. You can pour it in a jar and keep it up to a week until you’re ready to make the lemonade
Making the Lemonade
Combine the lavender simple syrup, lemon juice, and 4 cups of water in a pitcher and stir.
Take the mint leaves in your hand, smack them and the mix into the lemonade. Add in citrus wedges. Add ice and serve!
Deviled Eggs
6 eggs
3 T mayo (we use Dukes)
1 T white vinegar
1 T stone ground Mustard
salt & pepper
chives (optional)
Instructions
Hard boil 6 eggs. Peel and cut in half, separating the yolk from the white.
Crush the yokes with a fork until fluffy. Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spoon yolk mixture into egg whites.
Optional, top the eggs with minced chives
Hot-Cross Buns
3/4 c warm milk
2¼ t yeast (1 packet)
1 t white sugar
½ c brown sugar
5 T butter, softened
½ t vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 t salt
1 ½ t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg
½ t allspice
½ t cardamom
3½ c flour
1 c dried fruits (I used half currents and half raisins, but you could also use apricots, cranberries, or others)
Flour Cross
½ c flour
6-8 T water
Icing
1 c powdered sugar
3 T orange juice
½ t vanilla
Instructions:
Mix milk, yeast, and white sugar in bowl. Cover to let yeast activate for 5 min.
Add brown sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, salt, spices, and 1 c flour. Slowly add the rest of the flour and once well mixed, incorporate dried fruits.
Mix dough until it pulls away from the sides and is sticky and soft. Add flour in small amounts if it seems too sticky.
Knead until a soft dough forms and it bounces back after poking it.
Place dough in greased large bowl. Cover and let rise 1-2 hours or until doubled.
Prepare a 9x13 pan, grease or parchment on bottom.
Punch down dough, divide into 15 pieces for a 9x13. Shape each piece into a ball and pinch dough towards bottom, arrange in pan 3 rows of 5. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until puffed up.
Preheat oven to 350˚
Whisk together flour cross ingredients to make a thick paste. Spoon into a ziplock bag, cut of a tiny bit of the tip and pipe lines down the center of each row creating crosses on each roll.
Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top
While baking, whisk the icing ingredients together. Brush on warm rolls and serve immediately.
Brown Sugar Carrots with Thyme
3-4 large carrots, sliced in wheels
2-3 T butter
2 T brown sugar
fresh thyme
salt & pepper
Instructions
Heat a pan at a medium low heat and add butter. When butter is melted, add carrots and cook until you can easily poke with a fork.
Add brown sugar and allow it to melt while mixing it with the carrots. Stir occasionally for a few minutes until the carrots begin to caramelize. Add salt, pepper, and fresh thyme to your taste.
Italian Egg Baskets
3 c flour
1 c sugar
¼ t salt
2½ t baking powder
½ c shortening (Crisco)
3 c eggs
1 t anise extract
1 drop each, vanilla and lemon extract
milk to soften dough
hard boiled eggs
Icing
1 c powdered sugar
2-3 T milk
Instructions:
Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and shortening in a bowl until combined.
Make a well and add eggs, anise, vanilla, and lemon. Mix to combine and add milk as needed to make a soft dough.
Make the dough into two small ropes and twist together into circles creating nests.
Set a hard-boiled egg at the center of each nest. Make a small cross with dough on top.
Bake at 375˚ for 10-15 min until bottoms are slightly brown.
Mix together icing ingredients. If you want you can color the icing.
Let egg nests cool, decorate with icing and sprinkles. Store in fridge until ready to eat.
The Actions of Celebrating
the Spring Equinox
Activities, crafts, and rituals are the ways we physically connect and carry on traditions from the past. It is through these physical manifestations that we learn to connect with our ancestors and the meaning of a holiday. Look for ways to acknowledge your history and traditions, while creating some of your own.
Dying Eggs
Dying eggs different colors has roots in many cultures and religious traditions from ancient pagans in Ukraine and England, to celebrants of Easter and Nowruz
Planting Seeds in the Garden of Adonis
Planting Seeds in the Garden of Adonis, Sicily – in ancient Sicily, and still today, women gather the morning of the spring equinox to plant seeds in the Garden of Adonis
Osterbaum (Easter Tree)
For centuries it has been a tradition in Germany to decorate a tree with colored eggs in celebration of spring, although its origins are unknown.
Osterwasser (Easter Water)
Legend says that young women can collect blessed water that brings life and fertility from a local stream on Easter morning if they do so before the sun is up and not talk to anyone on the way there or back.
Indoor Activities
Spring clean – make room for good to come in
Arrange a vase of spring flowers
Dye eggs (you can use onions, beets, turmeric and other natural sources)
Make a sun tea with equinox herbs
Plant seedlings in eggshells
Take a ritual bath
Outdoor Activities
Watch the sunrise
Feed the Birds
Make a flower crown
Plant seeds outside
Take a neighborhood spring cleaning walk
Traditional Activities, Crafts & Rituals
Small Ways to Celebrate
Egg Ritual - for the Spring Equinox
1.Bring close any meaningful symbols of the season
Incorporating meaningful things focuses our intention and reminds us of the lessons of this time. Many of the flowers, animals, stones and food remind of the new birth, fertility and first growth this season brings. You may want to incorporate an element from your ancestral culture. Look for meanings that support your intentions for the year.
2. Write the growth you’re looking for on an egg
Incorporating meaningful things focuses our intention and reminds us of the lessons of this time. Many of the flowers, animals, stones and food remind of the new birth, fertility and first growth this season brings. You may want to incorporate an element from your ancestral culture. Look for meanings that support your intentions for the year.
3. Prepare and bury the egg
Incorporating meaningful things focuses our intention and reminds us of the lessons of this time. Many of the flowers, animals, stones and food remind of the new birth, fertility and first growth this season brings. You may want to incorporate an element from your ancestral culture. Look for meanings that support your intentions for the year.
4. Plant seeds above the buried egg
Choose some seeds and plant them above the egg so you can watch your plant and your plans grow in the coming month, knowing the nourishment you planted to sustain them.
Tarot Spread
1. Me and my goal
2. What do I need to focus on?
3. Who or what can I bring in to guide me?
4. What action steps should I take?
5. How will I grow?
I hope you enjoy this playlist, its full of songs that reminded me of this season and the lessons that come from our traditions of spring! To listen, scan the Spotify code in the first image, or follow this link.
Spring Equinox Meditations
It’s time to plant those seeds and start the plan into action. Have you started on any of the first steps you laid out? Are there any you’re resisting? Do you need anything else to go ahead and start?
Spring is a time of rebirth, what in your life are you seeing in a new way? Are there changes you’re noticing from the things you shed?
Looking ahead, what growth are you hoping to see in the coming months? Choose some benchmarks to note your progress.
