Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Ostara Ritual for Vitality


Ostara Ritual
Invocation for Vitality
(From The Wiccan Year by Judy Ann Nock, pg.111)
With its emphasis on new beginnings and new life, Ostara is an ideal time to call a renewed sense of energy to ourselves so that we may flourish along with the greening earth. Begin with an invigorating ritual bath. Combine equal amounts of: Sea Salt and Epsom Salt in a bowl (about 1/8 cup of each) and add a handful of crushed peppermint leaves.
                Pour the mixture into a muslin pouch or large tea bag/ cheese cloth and steep in a hot bath. Allow the salts to dissolve and the water to cool until it in comfortable. Immerse yourself in the bath with a soaked cloth draped over your face. Breathe in the stimulating essence of the herb as you allow the warm water to ease your muscles.
                Use the cloth to exfoliate your body, envisioning the cold and stagnant energy being scrubbed away and replaced with an exciting new dawn. As you wash your face, think on these words:

                “I cleanse myself in the blessed company of the tender green of the Earth. May my thoughts and desires be aligned with the Divine Nature of the Goddess. Allow my eyes to discern beauty wherever it lies. Let me breathe in the invigorating air. May it renew my blood with it’s purity. May my ears be filled with the happy songs of the birds of the sky. May my lips curl in a delightful smile at the new life unfolding around me. May my voice be clear and strong, raised in praise to the great lady of all beginnings. May my heart beat steady and sure, filled with love and not longing. May I never hunger nor thirst, but accept the abundance that is Her gift to the land. May the powerful sinews of my arms stretch to the sky to invoke Her grace. My hands will work the transformation of Her lovely crafts. My legs will move in a joyful dance. My feet will walk gently upon the renewing Earth, and the land shall become more beautiful because of my care.”

                After immersing yourself in water, it is now time to envision yourself aligning with the creatures of the land and of the air. Allow yourself to air-dry. As the water evaporates from your skin, think of the snakes that shed their skin in their cycle of renewal and the birds that molt, revealing their new feathers, soft and crisp. Next, light a candle and place a plate of fresh sprouts before you. Hold the plate high above the candle, saying this:

“May the spark of life and the flame of vitality imbue these living seeds with power and strength. Goddess great, Goddess green, blessings on these thriving seeds! As I consume them, hear my plea: Heal me. Grant me what I need.”

As you chew the sprouts, envision yourself taking in the energy of the springtime. As you swallow, envision yourself taking in the healing power of the Goddess inside you, replenishing your internal organs, enlivening your body with healthful energy, with blessings inside and out.


T.LH Notes:
I created a ritual bath to shed the unwanted and stagnant energy and then I took in a Goddess healing invocation which required me to eat fresh spouts and drink some delicious Mango juice. I feel I am seeing things more clearly, and I frankly have a lot of positive energy despite the stress I have been facing and the pain from my injury. I feel I shed-ed all which was keeping me from blossoming with the spring equinox and I had a very powerful moment during the cleansing as I was chanting "Goddess good, Goddess green, Goddess awaking Spring in me." I had a rush of energy that was deeply moving. I don't know if it was the combination of eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil and Epsom salt that forced my third eye to open and flux or if Goddess touched me, but I felt a great power awakening within me and a connection to all things. I went out after the bath and planted a mint plant in my garden giving back to Goddess what Goddess had given me. I still feel a "buzzing" around my aura and body. I feel refreshed, energized and happy. My spirituality has always been strong but its moments like these that give me the most comfort.

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