Happy Easter and a Merry Ishtar!
I stand corrected, per one of my Wiccan friends:
tis not Ishtar... Easter is named for a Saxon goddess who was known by the names of Oestre or Eastre, and in Germany by the name of Ostara... Along with Ostara, many Wiccans and neopagans observe Beltane, Litha (or summer solstice), Lughnasadh, the autumnal equinox, Samhain, Yule and Imbolc
The goddess Ishtar's symbol is the Lion and yes she is the goddess of love, war and wisdom/power... but she is/was used as a symbol of prostitution not rebirth, eggs and bunnies... Ishtar's feasts would last for 7 days while Ostara would fall directly in the middle of those feasts...
Ostara is a goddess of the dawn and the spring, and her name derives from words for dawn, the shining light arising from the east. Our words for the "female hormone" estrogen derives from her name.
Ostara was, of course, a fertility goddess. Bringing in the end of winter, with the days brighter and growing longer after the vernal equinox, Ostara had a passion for new life. Her presence was felt in the flowering of plants and the birth of babies, both animal and human. The rabbit (well known for its propensity for rapid reproduction) was her sacred animal.
Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny both featured in the spring festivals of Ostara, which were initially held during the feasts of the goddess Ishtar | Inanna. Eggs are an obvious symbol of fertility, and the newborn chicks an adorable representation of new growth. Brightly colored eggs, chicks, and bunnies were all used at festival time to express appreciation for Ostara's gift of abundance.
to enjoy over the past 3 weeks... an ther will be a Easter egge hunt this afternoon.!!!
