Ostara is the celebration of the Spring Equinox and is usually celebrated between March 20th and the 23rd. The sun is gaining more strength and the days are becoming longer and warmer. It is about fertility, balance and new life. During this time the ground begins to defrost and soften, preparing for the rains of Spring, trees start to flourish, seeds are stirring beneath the ground, bees are awakening from hibernation and the sounds of birds fill the air. The symbols of Ostara are the hare, rabbit, lamb, robin and the egg; trees are birch, ash and alder and the colours are green, yellow, purple and blue.
It is also a time to celebrate the Goddess of Spring and Dawn, Eostre, for which the Spring Equinox celebrations are named after and as legend has it transformed a bird into a hare and the hare responded by laying coloured eggs.
Things you can do to honour the Spring Equinox and the Goddess Eostre are Spring cleaning as in out with the old of winter and in with the new, preparing your garden, planting seeds, colour or decorate eggs, start making plans for the months ahead, light a candle, and bake or cook to honour Ostara and the season.
Baking anything with honey is great especially during Ostara, as it celebrates the awakening of bees and the plant life that they so readily rely on in order to make their honey.
Honey Cake
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2 1/2 cups of flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup honey
1/3 cup light olive oil
4 eggs
zest from one orange
1 cup orange juice
Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease and flour two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans and line the bottom with baking parchment paper.
Blend all the dry ingredients together and then add all the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans and place thin slices of orange rounds on top.
Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cakes in the pans for about 7 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Have a nice weekend and happy Ostara/Spring Equinox blessings, everyone! - JD