Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox is the mid-point of the Waxing Year, the nights and days are balanced. Western culture proclaims it the first day of Spring. The spark of light that was born at Winter Solstice has reached maturity, and from this point forward, the days grow longer than the nights.

This is the time that is often seen as the time of Kore’s return from the Underworld, where She (as Persephone) has ruled throughout the Winter.

Older traditions called it Ostara, as it was the time of the festivals of the Grecian Goddess, Eostre, and the Germanic Ostara, both fertility Goddesses of Dawn. (It is from these goddesses that the modern Easter holiday takes its name) as the Earth bursts forth with new greenery from sleeping seeds. Metaphorically we too plant our own seeds at this time, seeds of our future goals and future projects

Decorated eggs have always been symbols of fertility. In Europe in the past, gifts of decorated eggs were given to new brides, in hopes they would bear many children or bowls full of eggs were given to the field-workers by the farmer’s wife, to insure a rich harvest. Many cultures see the egg as a symbol of Life, or the actual home of the soul. The egg is the symbol of all good fortune in Russia and decorated eggs are still given as gifts to loved ones and buried in graves to insure rebirth.

White	Purity
Yellow	Wisdom, a successful Harvest, or Spirituality
Green	Spring, rebirth, wealth, youth, growth, happiness
Blue	Good health, clear skies
Orange	Power, endurance, ambition
Red	Happiness, hope, passion, nobility, bravery, enthusiasm, love
Brown	Enrichment, good harvest, happiness
Purple	Faith, trust, power
Pink	Success
Black	Remembrance

In the Ukraine each color applied to the decorated eggs had meaning to villagers.Decorating these eggs, called Pysansky, was a women’s ritual. Eggs, given as gifts, conveyed particular wishes. Meanings varied from village to village, but to the left are some examples.

The eggs were gathered only from hens who lived near a rooster, as a non-fertile egg meant there would be no fertility in the home. No one was allowed to watch the women work as they transferred the goodness of the household to the designs on the eggs and thus kept evil away. Secret family recipes were use for mixing the dyes and the women placed special blessings on each egg.

The Spring Equinox defines the season where Spring reaches it's apex, with the powers of light on the ascendancy. The god of light now wins a victory over his twin, the god of darkness. In the Welsh Mabinogion, this is the day on which the restored Llew takes his vengeance on Goronwy by piercing him with the sunlight spear. For Llew was restored/reborn at the Winter Solstice and is now well/old enough to vanquish his rival/twin and mate with his lover/mother. And the great Mother Goddess, who has returned to her Virgin aspect at Candlemas, welcomes the young sun god's embraces and conceives a child. The child will be born nine months from now, at the next Winter Solstice. And so the cycle closes only to begin anew.