Messages In This Digest (7 Messages)

1.: Ostara Magick is Afloat, all good things are waiting for us From: Cher Chirichello

2a.: Egg Rolling Choices Divination From: Cher Chirichello

3a.: OSTARA OR EOSTAR MARCH 20-23 From: Cher Chirichello

4a.: Ostara Prayer From: Cher Chirichello

5.: SPRING EQUINOX CEREMONY From: Cher Chirichello

6a.: Cascarones From: Cher Chirichello

7.: (no subject) From: gloria hohol

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1.: Ostara Magick is Afloat, all good things are waiting for us

Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411

Sat Mar 19, 2011 9:42 am (PDT)

Ostara Magick is Afloat, all good things are waiting for us, beginning of new
life, beginning or new awaking of your spirituality, time to get close
to your deities/higher powers and reach for that opportunity and take
it!
My brother just called, he's been unemployed the
entire last year, his wife is severely handicapped with arthritis in her hips and knees, she's in her 30's and lived her entire life in pain.
Today he got his old job back and starts Monday, Full time with
benefits, $13 an hour but this is the best opportunity to get the help
for his wife....Blessing in disguise we forget to look for those little
miracles and embrace them, no matter how big or small!

Cher
New_Jersey_Pagans...Come in and Chat with us!

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2a.: Egg Rolling Choices Divination

Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411

Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:40 am (PDT)

Egg Rolling Choices Divination
A Spring Ritual

Assemble Materials

You need to have an undecorated, unpeeled hardboiled egg and at least one waterproof coloring tool such as a crayon or permanent marker.

New Growth Choices

Pick four things you might choose to do this Spring that have the potential of enriching your life. These things can be options that you already have been considering doing. They also may be things that occur to you as you do this part of the exercise. If more than than four things occur to you, pick the four most intriguing to you.

Write these four possible actions on the back of this paper or on a separate sheet. Choose a symbol or word to signify each action. Mark it next to the fuller description of the four possible actions.

Egg Decorating

Hold the egg in your hands a few moments and silently focus on it being a spiritual helper on your life's journey. Silently thank the bird species that produced it (such as chicken, duck, goose). Acknowledge it as the synthesis of the Elements of Nature -- the Earth which is its physical form, plus the Water, Fire, and Air that hardboiled it, and Spirit, its connection with you as your spiritual helper. When you feel complete with the meditation, begin decorating the egg.

Throughout the egg decorating process, keep your attention focused on it being a spiritual helper. Decorate the egg with symbols as follows:

At one end of the egg make a circle and inside it put your name or initials, plus a symbol that represents the Spring season to you.
At the other end of the egg, make a circle and inside it put a symbol or word that represents Divinity to you (such as a deity name or a sacred color or shape).

Now draw four vertical lines dividing the remainder of the egg into roughly four segments.

In each of the four segments put the symbol and/or word of each of the new growth options you are considering.
When you are done decorating the egg, hold the egg a few moments in your hands and imagine it glowing with a spiritual light. Connect again with it as a spiritual helper in this decorated form. When you are complete with this, place the egg on the altar in the divination egg basket for use later.

Divination

After the indoor ritual is completed, get your egg and, weather permitting, journey outdoors to take part in the egg rolling divination part of the ritual. As part of group ritual, present yourself and your egg to the directions and focus on your connection with the Divine within and in all of Nature around you.

After this is done, begin your personal divination. Find a sloped area to serve as the place for your egg rolling. If necessary, clear a way for the rolling by removing by hand sticks, leaves, and other debris.

Once this is done, center yourself and holding the egg in your hands, request guidance by repeatedly saying something like: "Guidance for New Growth, come."

Roll the egg. Keep your eyes on it as it rolls. Notice where it lands.

Go to the egg after it stops rolling and then examine what side and symbol is facing the sky. Focus on the segment that is most predominantly facing upward. Call to mind what this symbol represents. Spend some time meditating on what has shown itself to you. Reflect on yourself putting this option into action in your daily life.

When done, give thanks for the guidance received and take up your egg. What you do with the egg is up to you -- for example, you can eat it as a sacred food, or you can take it home and place it on an altar or other special place, or you can bury it in the Earth, or you can leave it at the Stone Circle or other sacred site at the Sanctuary as an offering. Whatever you choose, keep in mind its sacredness.

Implementation

Make a note about the guidance you received. Write about your experiences.

Manifest the action in your life and notice in what ways you grow as a result of doing this.

Give thanks for this growth and change.

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3a.: OSTARA OR EOSTAR MARCH 20-23

Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411

Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:44 am (PDT)

OSTARA OR EOSTAR MARCH 20-23

This is the Spring Equinox, known also as Ostara or Eostar. It's the
time of balance, when light and dark are equal and the Earth swells
with new life. In ancient times, people celebrated the arrival of spring, and the Goddess Eostar, or Eostre, whose symbols were the egg and the hare, both representations of the Great Mother.

Ostara is a festival of fertility and resurrection, the union of sun and soil, a time of planting, mothering, and tending to young children and animals.

At the Spring Equinox, the God and the Goddess are now equals, and they dance together across the Earth. Where ever they step, flowers appear and bloom beneath their feet, and sorrow turns to delight as the world is reborn.

Traditional symbols of this Sabbat are eggs, lambs, chicks, and rabbits-all symbolic of the Goddess in her "mother" aspect.

Eggs are considered a symbol of the universe itself, with the shell representing earth; the membrane, air; the yolk, fire; and the white, water. An ancient Ostara custom was to dye eggs red, the color of life-force and regeneration.

Other traditional colors of this Sabbat are silver and penny-candy pastels.

Celebrate Ostara with fresh spring flowers, bouquets of freesia, daffodils, lilac, and herbs such as clover, lemngrass, and mint.

Make "oracle eggs," Draw magical symbols on hard-boiled eggs with paraffin or white crayon. These can include astrological signs, runes, and dream symbology. Have an egg hunt; drop the eggs into pots of dye, and divine your future by the symbols that appear.

Water your houseplants with rainwater that has been steeped overnight in the ight of a full Moon. Play favorite childhood games. Blow bubbles, play hopscotch and jacks, and jump rope using affirmation as rhyme. bless the seeds for our garden, and envision health, happiness, and prosperity growing for you in the warmth of the Sun.

Michele Morgan

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4a.: Ostara Prayer

Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411

Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:46 am (PDT)

Ostara
Spring Equinox

Dear Goddess, mother of all creations, you
are the fertile Earth. Please allow my seed
of love and compassion to take root and
grow this spring season.

Dear God, father of all creation, you are
the life-giving rain and sun. Please allow
my seed of patience and forgiveness to
take root and grow this spring season.

Dear eternal parents, thank you for calling
me to the Pagan/Witch/Wiccan faith; please grant
me the strength I need to do your will.

So Mote It Be.

Author Unknown

Cher
New_Jersey_Pagans...Come in and Chat with us!

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5.: SPRING EQUINOX CEREMONY

Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411

Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:46 am (PDT)

SPRING EQUINOX CEREMONY

Preparations: A wheel symbol stands on the altar; it may be anything that feels suitable a cut out disc painted yellow or gold and decorated with spring flowers, a circular mirror, around brass tray.

The High Priest's robe, if any, and accessories should be symbolic of the Sun; any metal he wears should be gold, gilt, brass or bronze.

The altar, if indoors, should be decorated with spring flowers particularly the yellow ones such as daffodils, primroses, gorse, or forsythia. One banquet should be ready for handing to the Spring Queen, and a chaplet of flowers for her crowning. The Spring Queen is one of the younger women in the Coven.

The cauldron is placed in the center of the circle, with an unlit candle in it. If outside, and conditions permit, a bonfire is made ready to light. A taper is placed ready on the altar for the Maiden to carry fire to the High Priest.

A phallic wand is on the altar.

Half as many cords as there are people present are ready on the altar, tied together at their center point in a single knot. If there is an odd number of people, add one before dividing by two. As part of the feasting and offering to the Gods, you can use hard boiled eggs with painted shells. These symbolize the World Egg, laid by the Goddess and hatched by the heat of the Sun of the God.

The High Priest moves to stands in the East, and the High Priestess in the West, facing each other over the unlit bonfire. The High Priestess carries the phallic wand in her right hand. The rest of the Coven distribute themselves around the rest of the perimeter of the Circle.

The High Priestess says:

"We kindle this fire today
In presence of the Holy Ones,
Without malice, without jealousy, without envy,
Without fear of aught beneath the Sun
But the High Gods.

Thee we invoke, O Light of Life,
Be Thou a bright flame before us,
Be Thou a guiding star above us,
Be Thou a smooth path beneath us;

Kindle Thou within our hearts
A flame of love for our neighbors,
To our foes, to our friends, to our kindred all,
To all men on the broad earth.

O merciful Son of Cerridwen,
From the lowliest thing that liveth
To the Name which is highest of all."

The High Priestess holds the phallic wand on high and walks slowly deosil around the bonfire or cauldron to stand in front of the High Priest. She says:

"O Sun, be Thou ready to conquer the Dark!"

The High Priestess presents the phallic wand the High Priest and then steps to one side.

The High Priest holds up the wand in salute and replaces it on the altar.

The Maiden lights the taper from one of the altar candles and presents it to the High Priest. The Maiden then steps to one side.

The High Priest carries the taper to the bonfire and lights it. He gives the taper back to the Maiden, who blows it out and replaces it on the altar. She then picks up the cords and gives them to the High Priest.

The High Priestess arranges everyone around the fire, man facing woman as far as possible. The High Priest hands out the ends of the cords in accordance with her instructions, retaining on end of the final cord himself and handing the other end of it to the High Priestess. If there is an odd number of people, with more men then women, he holds on to two cord ends himself, or if more women then men, the High Priestess does the same. Either way, both of them must be linked with two members of the opposite sex.

When everyone is holding a cord, they all pull the cords taut, with the central knot above the fire. They then start circling deosil in the Wheel dance, building up speed, always keeping the cords taut and the knot over the fire. Any chant can be used that sounds good.

Then the Coven all sit in a circle round the fire. The High Priest gathers up the cords, being careful not to let them get burned and replaces them on the altar.

The High Priest names one of the women to be the Spring Queen and stands her in front of the altar. He crowns her with the chaplet of flowers and gives her the Five Fold Kiss.

The High Priest steps back and calls forward each man in turn to give the Spring Queen the Five Fold Kiss. When the last man has done so, the High Priest presents the Spring Queen with her bouquet.

Then, starting with the Spring Queen, everyone jumps over the fire, singly or in couples, not forgetting to wish.

Author Unknown

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6a.: Cascarones

Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411

Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:48 am (PDT)

Cascarones

You will need the following things for this craft. Fresh eggs, herbs, confetti, or other lightweight item for filling, clear tape, colored pens or tissue paper and glue to decorate eggs with.

1. Empty egg shells by making a small hole in the larger end and a slightly larger hole in the small end (be sure to puncture the yolk). Be careful not to crack the rest of the egg). Then gently blow on the larger end of the egg to gently push out the egg's innards. (save these for scrambled eggs or omlettes)

2. Rinse out the eggs with cool water and let them dry overnight.

3. Close the bottom hole with a tiny piece of tape or a bit or glue.

4. Carefully fill the shells with herbs, confetti or other light- weight filling.

5. When full, seal the top hole with tape or glue.

6. Carefully decorate the outside of the egg.

7. On Ostara morning, catch your loved ones by surprise and break the egg over their head. As the filling rains down over your loved one and you, you are both showered with blessings, love, luck, and new life of the season.

Cher
New_Jersey_Pagans...Come in and Chat with us!

Main Yahoo Group NJP:   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/New_Jersey_Pagans/
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