Spring Awakening – Q. What Is The Astrological Significance Of Easter…?
Aries Season, the Libra Full Moon, and the Astrology of Easter, Religious Rituals And The Goddess Ēostre...
What is the astrological significance of easter? Your question is answered here, unpacking the timing of this holiday and the Full Moon!
Remember, Eggs Represent The Moon…
Spring is my all time favourite time of year! It represents the time of brand new life with bunnies, chicks, lambs and colourful eggs, plus it’s my birthday… But what are the astrological connotations? Let’s find out!
The date of Easter isn’t fixed but rather governed by the phases of the Moon!
Yes, Easter arrives according to the timing of the first Full Moon after Spring Equinox!
The Spring Equinox (a.k.a the Vernal Equinox) can fall on March 19th, 20th or 21st. This is the moment when the Sun arrives at 0º Aries (read more about the Spring Equinox here).
The Astrological Significance Of Easter
The following Full Moon will be the Full Moon in Libra – the paschal full moon, a name derived from “Pascha” from the Greek/Aramaic word meaning Passover. Yes, Passover is also a Full Moon Day.
The date of Easter is determined as the first Sunday after this lunation, therefore the earliest possible date of Easter is March 22nd (if a Full Moon peaks on Saturday March 21st), the latest possible date is April 25th (if a Full Moon peaks on Sunday April 18th). Therefore, Easter is a celebration typically held during Aries Season.
Spiritual Significance…
Remember, astrology is a timing technique and a language. To inject spiritual significance we’ve to mark the moment and invite in spirit, a universal power – a god or goddess of your own understanding..
Remember, ritual + an injection of spirit = spiritual!
Thankfully, for thousands of years religious people have ensured the everyman moves in sync with the seasons…
Examples of Holy Days Now…
- Pesach: Notably, the important and significant holiday (Holy Day) Passover, a Jewish feast of instituted 3,400 years ago also called Pesach in Hebrew, meaning “to pass over”. On the Full Moon, people of faith commemorate God freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. As per the book of Exodus, the celebration incorporates themes of springtime, social justice and freedom — including recognising those who are still being oppressed.
- Qingming Festival – also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day and the Clear Bright Festival in English – dates back 2,500 years and is celebrated in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, and is a ritual to remember the ancestors.
- Ramadan: This is an auspicious month of reflection, contemplation and celebration. The Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle and Ramadan starts just after the New Moon, however this is not dependent on zodiac sign – it could be the New Moon in Aries or Taurus. The “Night of Forgiveness”, Lailat al Bara’ah in Arabic and Shab-Barat in Persian is celebrated on the night of the full moon. It is believed this is the night when fates are fixed.
- Palm Sunday (also called Passion Sunday) in the Christian tradition is the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter, and sees the blessing of palms (leaves of the date palm or twigs from locally available trees). This ceremony was taking place toward the end of the 4th century in Jerusalem emphasise the suffering and death of Christ. Palms are often taken home to serve as sacred signs of the sacraments.
Religious culture celebrates resurrection, but remember that the symbolism holds true in astrology, too – the Son of God (the Sun) on a cross (the celestial Southern Cross) overcoming the powers of darkness (winter), now reborn (spring).
Goddess Ostara, Ēostre, Eastre, Eostre…
A Goddess For Spring…
In modern paganism, we celebrate the lunar goddess of fertility – Ēostre (Germanic paganism), Eastre (Germanic / Anglo-Saxon), or Ostara.
Her colours are pink and green, and her animal is the hare, the origin of the Easter Bunny – the Eastre Rabbit! But we can also honour birds and eggs, too…
Legend has it that the goddess found a wounded bird lying on the ground. She saved its life by turning it into a rabbit, but the change was incomplete. Although the bird had the appearance of a rabbit, it was still able to lay eggs!
We can celebrate the goddess who has long been known as ‘Easter‘ with a fitting feast, as well as decorating and honouring eggs, and including rabbits and hares!
A tradition for Good Friday is to eat hot cross buns, waking up and having them for breakfast…
My Top 5 Things To Do During Aries Season!
My choices and favourite activities during the Sun's tour of Aries...
Open Up With Ostara! 5 Ways To Work Spring Equinox Into Your Beauty Rituals…
Welcome Aries Season with a sprinkle of springtime beauty – and celebrate the start of a new astrological year!
Hot Cross Buns: To Symbolise The Four Phases Of The Moon…
The Pagans that used to worship Eostre made buns marked with a cross to offer to the goddess.
The four quarters of the cross on top of each bun were said to represent the Phases of the Moon, while the cross itself symbolised rebirth after winter.
Symbolism Of Spring In Paganism…
- Sacred Cakes – Simnel Cake, Hot Cross Buns!
- Exchange of Eggs (maybe chocolate or sugar)
- Dying eggs with bright spring colours – pink and green!
Mrs Alice Has The Most Picture Perfect Tablescape Settings!
- Wearing new clothes and an ‘Easter Bonnet’ for the Aries body part, the head!
- Giving small eggs, rabbits and other gifts to mark the spring and honour the symbolism of the goddess Ostara!
Full Moon In Libra…
Day and night are equal at equinox. With Spring Equinox, light is overtaking darkness and so we honour new life with all its symbolism – bunnies hop, eggs crack open with new life, shoots burst through the earth, and buds promise to bloom.
[At Autumn Equinox, or Fall Equinox darkness grows strong, and we head towards winter… This is the season of fall, Libra Season – responsible Saturn is exalted in Libra, while the Sun is in fall – the starts to fall or loose power and dignity in the seventh zodiac sign Libra. It can be witnessed as a sunset, and the fall of the Sun].
Astrologically, the Full Moon in Libra sees the Sun in Aries, and the Moon full in Libra. The light of our brightest star in the Solar System is illuminating our pearly satellite!
As above, so below, we can illuminate two areas of our consciousness. The area of our horoscope featuring Aries is awakened by the Sun, Moon shines is the sector governed by Libra.
Revelations come with the Full Moon.
Generally speaking, we can focus on qualities of initiation, leadership and courage (Aries) and diplomacy, balance and grace (Libra).
Ask yourself…
- Are you feeling able to show your autonomy or are you being led by others?
- Where are you happy to take the lead and where might you incorporate more balance?
- Are you honestly and truly balanced or do you need to equalise, and bring more equilibrium, peace, and harmony?
- Are you bold, courageous and fair, or is indecision, avoidance and an inability to confront life dominating you?
- Where are you ready to bloom and blossom, and where can you share the load, and resonsibility?
Read your horoscope for the Libra Full Moon, here.
In Summary…
The timing of the ceremony of Easter is certainly astrological. We might say that the themes of the ceremony of this time connect to Aries.
This is traditionally a time to celebrate a new, fertile beginning. We can say it’s a time for social justice, freedom, and liberation from oppression, too. It’s a time to remember those who have past to do more with what we have – a time for Gratitude!
However you choose to celebrate, I wish you all a wonderful Aries Season and Libra Full Moon!
Read about Saturnalia here, the roots of Christmas.