The term “Easter” can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon goddess called Eostre. She is the goddess of spring and of light. Since the Spring Equinox happened during April, her honored festival is commemorated during the same month for the same reason. Easter is determined to be the first Sunday after the first Full Moon following the Spring Equinox. Her earth symbol is the rabbit, thus the connection of the Easter rabbit to the Easter celebration.
Astrology, Easter Time and Our Destiny
When destiny calls, Easter time turns out to be a time suited for great negotiations. It is a time to be ruthless, charming and resourceful. Historic buildings need to be saved, a lovely piece of countryside needs to be preserved, and maybe an old railway should be kept from demolition. It is the time that shows what heroes are made of. It’s time to show remarkable bravery if what you want or what you pursue requires sacrifice or heroism of any kind for a humane cause.
Easter and Self-Discovery
Easter is a very special time of the year. It is a time to understand the sorrows and sacrifices of Holy Week, and the Easter Sunday celebration of the Resurrection of our Savior. It is a time for self-discovery and awareness. Having awareness helps us have a more positive outlook on life.
Becoming aware of the present moment can help us enjoy the world around us more, and understand ourselves better. Awareness doesn’t start by trying to change or fix anything. It’s about allowing ourselves to see the present moment clearly. When we do that, it can positively change the way we see ourselves and our lives.
We can start by being observant of our surroundings. Walk with purpose. Do not zone out when walking. Pay attention to the movement of your body. Take in the scenery. Walking on this planet is a joy. Mindful walking allows us to be aware of the pleasure of walking and experiencing.
Mentally aware people accept they do not always have all the answers. Every single thing that happens to us can be viewed negatively or positively. Remember, life is not so much what happens to us, but how we respond. How you choose to perceive an experience often determines that response. Others judge us, too, by how we react to a situation, not the situation, itself.
Easter Eggs
Easter eggs go back at least as far as Ancient Persia and painted eggs were part of the Spring Equinox Festival also known as Noruz. Eggs are an obvious choice to use if you want to symbolically celebrate fertility. But the reason for the eggs is Venusian. The egg is a high symbol of the ubiquitous Goddess known as Venus Ishtar, Innana, Oestra, and many more. In fact the word for Easter comes from the name Eostra. So we have eggs and other obvious symbols of the Goddess religion.
The Easter Tree
An Easter Tree is a festive centerpiece for a spring nature table in the weeks leading up to Easter. Easter egg trees are a very popular old European tradition. Originally found in Germany and Austria, they are also found in Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Moravia, and Hungary. The Spring tradition of the Egg Tree is centuries old, as the egg is the ancient symbol of life all over the world.
Traditionally eggs are hung on the branches of trees outside and on branches inside the home to celebrate the holiday. Easter egg trees can be inside or outside, elaborate or simple, but most importantly they should be fun and bring the family together in celebration of spring and Easter! We have an easy Easter craft idea that makes a beautiful Easter decoration and centerpiece for your Easter table. You can be as festive and original as you want.
Easter Decoration Project for the Family
Start by taking the family on a nature hunt to collect branches. Be sure to choose a branch (or branches) with many small limbs and wipe it clean before decorating. You can paint the branches in any color you please, white seems to be the most popular, or leave it in its natural state. Find a container to hold your branches. Place the branches in a large vase or flower-pot, and add sand or small pebbles around the base of the branch to keep it upright. If you were lucky enough to find a branch with blossoms, use water in your vase to keep it alive.
These branches of the tree may feature egg ornaments, pipe cleaner baskets with small bunnies, small bunches of fabric flowers, etc., all hung from colorful thread and pipe cleaners. Little forest animals and plastic or Styrofoam eggs can be decorated for the tree.
Styrofoam eggs are a holiday craft material suitable for even young children. They’re lightweight, difficult to break and last for many years. These faux eggs are ideal for a family that doesn’t want to decorate real chicken eggs for Easter but still wants to decorate eggs. The soft surface of Styrofoam suits embellishments of all types – from painting, decorating with ribbons, pins and sequins, fancy beads, to decoupage. To hang your eggs when you’re done, tie a 6” – 8” length of ribbon in a loop, and then pin and glue the ribbon loop to the narrow end of the egg.
Once you and your children learn how to make your own Easter tree, you may decide it’s something you would like to add as a family tradition. Build memories for your kids that they will treasure for a lifetime!
Easter Tree Supplies and Ideas (click here)
Besides eggs, Easter is filled with images of bunnies, baby chicks, and lily flowers because they are all symbols of rebirth. The Easter Bunny, for example, arose originally as a symbol of fertility, due to the rapid reproduction habits of the hare and rabbit. It is also part of German Lutheran folklore where the “Easter Hare” judged children’s behavior at the beginning of the Easter tide season.
Easter and The Spring Equinox
The shift in the Spring Equinox is due to a wobble in the Earth’s spin that takes 24,000 years to complete. The Sun is currently in the constellation of Pisces during the Spring Equinox, but in Roman times it was in Aries, and in 600 years, it will be in Aquarius, which will bring in “the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius.”
Easter happens at the Spring Equinox, the entry into the light half of the year. Sunday is the Sun’s day, and we celebrate the ending of one week and the beginning of another, a theme that echoes the Easter story of Resurrection.