Gather round for a story about Ēostre & the hare…
Once upon a spring afternoon, a maiden took to the woods. The girl’s name was Ēostre, and after a long winter spent indoors, she couldn’t wait to visit her old friends - the trees, the bees, and the birds. Like her woodland companions, Ēostre preferred bramble and bush to the city lights that beckoned from afar. But as one learns, forging your own path is not for the faint of heart. While most of her peers traded their magickal educations for those of the mundane, Ēostre, a burgeoning witch, peered deeper into the cauldron. And on that fateful spring day, she heard a call for help.
The animals in the normally peaceful grove were in a frenzy. Squirrels chittered, snakes hissed, and bees buzzed for someone, anyone, to help their friend. When Ēostre approached, she saw a bird with a broken leg and an injured wing. Ēostre knew the bird required more than the village doctor could offer – it needed a miracle.
Fortunately, Ēostre was keen to help. With some assistance from her animal friends, the girl collected a bouquet of magickal herbs and cast a circle of flowers around the songstress. She placed a colorful, egg-shaped stone next to the bird, rested her hands over its body, and asked Brighid, Flora, and all the springtime goddesses to heal the injured creature.
Moments later, Ēostre lifted her hands, and the squirrels, snakes, and bees gasped - the bird was no more! Instead, a wide-eyed hare looked around in surprise. The bird (now a hare) hopped around the grove, admiring its velvety fur and floppy ears. Flying was no longer an option without wings, but the hare could now bounce and leap thanks to its powerful hind legs. With its nimble paws and sharp claws, the hare helped Ēostre dig a hole in the earth. The girl dropped the egg-shaped stone inside, and her animal helpers covered it with soil. As she’d expected, the spell had drained most of the stone’s essence, turning it dark and dull. Although it was no longer bright and cheery like when she’d found it, Ēostre was not worried.
“Sometimes, this is the price we pay for our spells,” Ēostre explained to the hare. “But after some time cradled in Mother Earth’s arms, all will be well.” She patted the mound of dirt, and the hare hopped into her lap. The girl and her new friend chatted until the sun drooped low in the sky. By then, the grove had regained its familiar, peaceful atmosphere, and the birds were already putting themselves to sleep.
Without a nest to lay its head, Ēostre wondered where the hare would sleep, but her concerns disappeared when a drove of floppy-eared creatures peeked out from behind a tree. Taking this as her cue to leave, Ēostre kissed the hare goodbye and promised to return.
By the time Ēostre returned to the grove in search of her friend, spring had officially sprung. She carried a bouquet of freshly harvested herbs from her garden, but the hare was nowhere to be found. However, just as she was about to leave, Ēostre spotted a pile of colorful eggs. The eggs sat atop a small mound – the same mound where she and the hare had buried the egg-shaped stone! Ēostre knew the eggs were a gift from the hare, and the animal’s way of offering thanks and encouragement – a reminder to keep forging her path.
Ēostre gathered the eggs and left the bouquet of flowers in their place. As she walked home, the eggs carefully cradled in her apron, she sang along with the birds. Together, they whistled a tune about spring, new beginnings, and the friends we make at each stop along the way. Legend says that Ēostre and the hare remain good friends. As the story goes, each year, on the Spring Equinox, the hare rises with the sun. It hides an array of colorful eggs throughout the enchanted grove, knowing that Ēostre and the rest of the witches will find them.
Legend says that Ēostre and the hare remain good friends. As the story goes, each year, on the Spring Equinox, the hare rises with the sun. It hides an array of colorful eggs throughout the enchanted grove, knowing that Ēostre and the rest of the witches will find them.
Ostara Altar Banner
$ 12.00
This Ostara Altar Banner is the perfect way to honor the spring sabbat and add a festive decoration to your altar. It features a colorful design printed on linen fabric and measures 14 inches long. Perfect to show your appreciation during… read more
