Louise March 2010 OSTARA.   The festival of Ostara is celebrated around 21st March on the Spring Equinox and is a fertility festival. The Christian celebration of Easter is derived from this most ancient festival. Ostara, also known as Eostra’s Day and Rites of Spring, marks the first day of true spring. The Goddess bursts forth from her winter sleep and blankets the Earth with fertility. On Ostara the hours of darkness and daylight are equal and the wild animals and birds are busying themselves with nest building and mating. This is a very busy time for fairies and earth spirits as many new plants and flowers are popping up all over the place! Suitable Ostara offerings to give to the Fae include seeds such as sesame, pumpkin and sunflower or cakes and biscuits made from these. Also leafy green veg such as sprouts etc. Today, we still use many of the old symbols to mark the Christian Easter celebrations. These symbols include chocolate eggs derived from the ancient practice of decorating small trees with little painted wooden eggs ( still done in parts of Europe, especially Germany) The egg is of course a big fertility symbol. Our modern day easter bunny comes from the hare, one of the old symbols of the Goddess during Spring. This is the perfect time for renewing or refreshing the home and garden so if you haven’t cleaned out that old messy cupboard, now is a good time. When you’ve finished that, treat yourself to a walk and see how many plants you can spot coming to life.   Best wishes, Louise. www.angeliqueminiatures.co.uk BLOG http://angeliqueminiatures.wordpress.com/

Louise February 2010   IMBOLC.   The celebration of Imbolc or the Festival of Torches, takes place on 2nd February. The alternative Christian festival is called Candle Mass. Imbolc is at the time of the year when the longer, lighter days are becoming more and more obvious. Traditionally, the Goddess has recovered from the birth of the God and is beginning to wake from her long Winter Sleep. The God is now a young energetic child eager to bring warmth and fertility to the Earth. It is an Imbolc tradition that at dusk, every light in the house should be lit, if only for a few minutes. This symbolises the return of the Sun. Suitable food offerings for the fairy folk include all dairy produce as Imbolc also marks the festival of calving. Also spicy, peppery foods (including curry!!!) and dishes containing onions and garlic. Spiced wines and raisons are another fairy favourite. Imbolc is also a festival of purification and cleansing after being shut in for the Winter. A good time for clearing out cupboards!            Best wishes, Louise. www.angeliqueminiatures.co.uk