Ostara: a Time of Growth

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Each Sabbat brings with it a special meaning as part of the wheel of the year. The journey through the seasons is not just a physical one, but also mental and spiritual.

As we approach each Sabbat, we can grow with the seasons when we know the lessons each one brings us. This series explores the Sabbats' spiritual meaning in the context of modern Pagans.

Ostara is the Spring Equinox, straddling the line between the cold Winter nights and the warm days of Spring and Summer. While Imbolc brings the light to the year, the warmth of that light takes a bit longer, welcomed by Ostara.

This marks the time when we need to get serious about getting things planted. If we haven't started yet, the time is coming soon. Seeds should be sorted, plots of land mapped out - the future depends on whether we plant the right stuff to harvest and eat in the winter.

This applies to our metaphorical seeds, as well. Soon, we will no longer be trapped indoors by the weather. We will be free to do all the activities we need to. The days are still getting longer, giving us more time and energy to be active.

What "seeds" are you preparing for this year? What plans do you make?

Pagan Children's Books Ostara Newsletter

The next Sabbat is just around the corner! Check out this list on goal setting for Pagan children - tell us how you like it on our FB page! View this email in your browser

Blessed be, <<First Name>>! Ostara is about to blossom forth in nature. This Sabbat is about the first signs of growth in the new year. This means the sprouting of the first seeds - whether floral or spiritual. What seeds have you planted? What goals have you set up? If you haven't started working on them yet, now is the time to do so! Work done now has the added energy of what we plant now, we shall harvest. This means more oomph to get it accomplished. That means now is the time to set up abundance spells, now is the time to be generous, and now is the time to start projects that you want to have solid results. ABC Book of Goddesses is a great choice for birthdays or bedtime reading! Look for the things you want to grow and change this year, and get the ball rolling for it! This is a skill set, to make goals happen. And it is one that kids are never too young (or old) to start learning. Here's some steps to teach them! Clarify your goal. Make sure you know exactly what you want. Break it down. Go for daily, weekly and/or monthly steps to accomplish the task. Give it a deadline. Determine when you want it done. Do the same for each step. Clarify if the deadline is firm or flexible. Set up a task list. Make the steps easy to see and understand, then add a box - you can check it off or add a sticker, etc. when it is done. Help kids do the tasks themselves. It is so much easier to research summer camps yourself. Instead, narrow it down to fewer choices and let the kids decide. A guideline to keep it real is - no more than half the kid's age plus one (A 3yo gets two choices, a 10yo gets up to six, etc.) Walk them through pros and cons lists. Show kids how to evaluate choices by making a list of benefits and drawbacks. You can talk about priorities (cost may be a more important factor than location), how each choice would effect others (can mom or dad handle packing a lunch every day for a week of day camp?), etc. Don't forget the spells! Help kids write and work spells to aid their goals. Talk about effects, costs, correspondences, gods, and techniques to teach them how to determine if and what kind of spells to use.