Spring Forward

 

 

 

"And then one day she left me. She left me as the pigeon leaves the window to fly in the wide blue sky."- Avijeet Das

Each full moon, each season, has it ancients festivals for ancient goddesses.  Spring is the most joyous for obvious reasons – they, and we, have been uncaged from the grips of Winter.  We celebrate having survived.  We celebrate this unleashing into creative energies.  The goddesses came first in a time line of spirituality and a type of adoration, explanation, and fertility and rebirth.  There has been a death and is brought back to life.  This is reason for fetivals and celebrations of the goddesses;  the very iracle of Mother Nature showing us there is rebirth, a resurrection.  The Wheel of the Year, turns, and there are stories and myths and honors bestowed whatever mytery it is that caused this to happen.  There was no one religion that explained it – it was life as it was. 

Within the stories and the myth were the stories to explain life, and thus, seeing Mother Nature as feminine, the goddesses were given festivals and dancing and song and stories and prayers of gratitude.  If you would like to know which goddess you could turn to, this Spring season, check out the following and find out which one applies for you.

Idunn, is the Norse goddess of Spring and rejuvenation, the keeper of magic apples that keeps the gods and goddesses youthful.  She is the goddess of my ancestors.  I find more of her information and seek to know how to honor her.

The old Roman goddess, Anna Perenna, festival was March 15^th, The Ides of March, at the first full moon in the old Roman calander, which was deemed the beginning of a New Year cycle.

The Celtic, Artio, The Bear Goddess, came out of hibernation and was honored in festivals and feasts.

Ashanti, African goddess was honored by the planting of seeds.  But, first, permission was asked of her, out in Mother Nature, of course, and the request was deemed as being heard if her husband, Nyame, sent down rain.  Symbolic as heck.

Beiwe, ancient Sami goddess if sun and Spring was honored in her symbolic animal, the reindeer.

Blodewedd, Celtic goddess of the Flower Face, reprented the blossoming that comes after death.

Brigid, another Celtic goddess, this time of hearth, fire, hiome, poetry, smithing, medicine was celebrated at the first signs of Spring. 

Dziewana was a Polish goddess of the forest when new spruting leaves were beginnign to show, and time for sowing happned with festivals and great parades.

Eriene/Irene, Greek goddess of spring, as one of the three deities of the seasons and keeper of the gates of heaven.  Her name means Peace as well as spring, who dances with Thallo, goddess of buds and green shoots.

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers and gardens and all of nature’s plants.  In end of april, early May, thee were great flower festivals, including the dance of the Maypole.

Hare Ke, is the Nambibian goddess of Spring rains and the pople have her bless the seeds and tools before they sow the seeds.

Konohana-sakuya Hime, is the Shinto Japanese goddess of Mount Fuji and other volcanoes, as well as goddes of Spring andearthly life symbolized by the cherry vlossoms ( Sakura.  And my granddaughter’s middle name.  She is currently on a mission in Japan). 

Ninhursag, Sumerian goddess who created people from clay, the Earth goddess of all of Mother Earth and her people.

Ostara, Celtic goddess of Spring and rebirth and its fertility.  She is the goddess of Easter before Christianity took her over.  She is represented with the hare and the egg. 

Saraswati, Hindu goddess of arts, wisdom and learning who is celebrated the first day of Spring.  Her flower is the lotus.

How very much we have forgotten , or been conditioned to forget, over the ages.  It is beautiful, to me, to find the feminine divine, not a mediator, as females are in Christianity.  I have craved to know, and still am, that divine feminine that my ancestors were attached to.  I seek their wisdom in sotries and myths I can find online.  I, then, relate to the goddess of whatver season we are in. but for now, Idunn

What is your ancestoral myths and goddess(es)?  Do you follow the paternal or maternal line?  Whomever she is, she influences you as do the goddesses that belong to every moon and celebration we have today.  I challenge you to know her.  Spring forward, knowing you do not spring alone, that you will be guided on the easiest route to follow.  that there is  Divine Feminine, that springs with you.

©Carol Desjarlais 3.23.22

https://mythopedia.com/topics/idun