We thank the universe for all it has to offer us,
and are so blessed to be alive on this day.
Welcome life! Welcome, light! Welcome, Spring!
This is one of the Ostara ritual readings that I fished out while surfing the pinterest today. Sunday, March 20th, proved to be quite extraordinary: while it started very nice and sunny – like true Spring should be – the state wide warning of the approaching winter storm did come true toward the evening! Therefore, Spring Equinox experience – the tipping point of balance between the cold and warmth, winter white out and spring colors, grim and joyful – was impeccable.
I started by attending Ostarabløt, hosted by Kenaz Wicca in Sony Atrium, located in midtown Manhattan. It’s one of the rare indoor public spaces in NYC that are absolutely free and often used by city pagans for various meets and greets. But this was my first time attending an actual ritual there. It was still very sunny in the mid-afternoon so the ritual turned our to be very bright and uplifting. The altar had plenty of vibrant flowers, colored eggs and delicious Tsoureki/Chala/Kulich type of bread with and egg in the middle – all thanks to Amanda!
Kenaz Wicca rituals are usually full of beautiful music and singing and this one was no exception! I was really curious to see what random people lunching in the atrium would do when they hear Amanda’s and Jacob’s beautiful voices. But once again was reminded that this is New York, ya’ll – nobody cares! Which in this case is a good thing – the ritual was not interrupted by curios inquiries or snarky remarks ! And, of course, the acoustics in the place like this proved to be amazing:)
We sowed the seeds charged with an our intentions, decorated the eggs, then hunted them in the covered basket and raised the glass of mead and a piece of braided bread to the Gods.
Gods of all, to Thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise!
The next ritual that evening was hosted by Wiccan Family Temple, also in midtown Manhattan, so I decided to take a walk from 55th to 31st street. It was getting dark and snow showed up as promised.
The altar was decorated with onion peel colored eggs by Vuolo family. Plastic egg shells had various seeds in it for fertility and fruition spell and parchment paper to write our intentions.
Wiccan Family Temple rituals very often include the working on your wishes/plans/needs, manifesting them out loud while the circle is open and banishing all the bad stuff in your life. Actually, they try to incorporate that in every Sabbath celebration and very often in Esbats as well. Personally, it makes me more aware of the turning wheel of the year and reminds how to use the specific energies of that time to your benefit. So I listed all my plans on the parchment paper, ate the yolk of the colored egg I picked and buried the white in my garden for extra fruition:)
After the ritual was over the situation outside have already turned back to winter, who claiming it’s rightful half of the day with chilly winds and wet snow.
Lastly, I wanted to share few memories from the Ostara ritual last year (2015) with Wiccan Family Temple in LaTea Theater in Lower East Side. I can’t help to mention, that weather must have been even worse back then!
They also had a bed for God and Goddess to lay in decorated with greens, blossoms and birds and everybody laid an almond seed in it while remembering the areas in their life that need extra fertility. I still have rue growing in my garden since that ritual…
Hail Ostara, risen today
Ásáheil!
At first it looked like regular Wiccan rite: circle was cast, quarters were called, everyone anointed with special oil… but then each of the four initiates were approached by the elder as they said their vows and dedicating themselves to the Gods and Goddess of their choice.
The theme of this ceremony is of rebirth, with the accent on both God and Goddess but mainly the Goddess. For the women especially it’s an introduction to the Goddess within her. So each participant picked up the mirror and took a good look at themselves.
Then it was time for newly baked witches to introduce themselves to the quarters.
And last, every initiate did a speak on what the Craft, Wicca and this dedication meant to them. A lot of nice words were said but the metaphor that stuck in my mind came from Mandy, mother to 3 small kids: that what began as her escape from busy daily life to weekend classes, became that of the “glass jar, already filled with pebbles to the top, but Wicca studies were the water that filled the gaps between the stones”. Truly beautiful, right?
Then came the 3rd degree initiation to the high priestess.
And after some long speeches and vows all that was left to do is to see if the cloak fits, exchange gifts and cut the cake.
Congratulations, witches! Blessed be!