Revisiting the Very First Ostara Episode (2016)

Updated: Apr 7

three eggs in a cup on the ground — Photo by Haley Owens on Unsplash

What it's All About:

This very first Ostara episode, originally aired in 2016, is back! Please note that in this re-airing, there is no dream symbol segment. Additionally, in earlier episodes of this podcast, I have voiced these meditations myself. I don't do that anymore. Now, I use pre-recorded meditation tracks instead. However, this is the only episode where I included a long preamble before a meditation. Now, please join me as we reconnect with the spirit of Ostara.

Songs Featured:

Ostara, Maiden of Spring by Flora Wares
Ostara by Threefold
Spring is Returning by KIVA
And the Wheel Turns by Assembly of the Sacred Wheel.
Ostara by Heidevolk
Serpentine Seduction by Dragon Ritual Drummers.
Breath of Wanting by Inkubus Sukkubus
Rapture by High Priestess

Links Mentioned:

Polls:

Choose a New Logo Poll:

Choose an Old Music From the Goddess' Vault Beltaine Episode for May:

Get in Touch Through Social Media:

Spirit Guide of the Week:

Ostara

Transcript:

(03:15)

Welcome to another episode of the Music from the Goddess’ Vault Podcast. I am your host, Midnight Starr. You just heard Flora Wares with Ostara, Maid of Spring. Today, we’re going back to 2016, for revisiting the very first Ostara Episode. Before we get into today's episode, I wanted to share a quick update and announcement with you. Two of the surveys are waiting for your response. First, choose a new logo for the show, and the winner will be determined by your vote. The winning logo you select must remain in that position for three consecutive months. Only then will it become the new face of the podcast. You can vote by following the link in the show notes or by scanning the QR code on the Substack blog and page. In the second pool, choose which of my previous episodes you'd like to hear again. Again, follow the link and vote. Remember, These polls are only open for one month, so act quickly. To stay informed about future episodes, you can sign up for my newsletter at musicgoddessvault.substack.com. Choose from a monthly plan for $7, an annual plan for $70, or enjoy a free subscription. Join us and stay connected! Do you have any suggestions for topics for future shows? Connect with me on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, Mastodon, and Threads. Visit my goddess blog vault1.wixsite.com/home or visit bluesky now. I can't wait to hear your ideas! Now for the topic: Revisiting the very first Ostara Episode. First of all, I didn't know that we just celebrated Ostara in last month. In some years it is held in March, and in other years in April. Even though it is late, this is the episode you voted to replay in the poll I mentioned. Before you listen to this again, I'd like to say a few things about it. First, there is no Dream Symbol of the week. Second, I've included some new links in the show notes so you can read it anytime. Thirdly, before I began meditation here, there is a very long pre-ample about how to do it. You can skip ahead if you don't want to hear it. And finally, for the first two years of this podcast, I was finding meditation scripts and reading them to you. As you can tell, I don’t do that anymore. Now that I got that out of the way, here’s the Ostara Episode of 2016.

(15:41)

Welcome to another episode of The Goddess's Vault. I'm your host, Midnight Starr.

What you heard at the top of the show is Threefold, with their song Ostara from their album Turning the Wheel. You can probably guess that the topic of today's show is all about Ostara. For you non-Pagans, Ostara is the pagan version of Easter. So yes, it's another history lesson regarding a holiday. Before I forget, there's been another fan who wants me to put out another episode fast. The problem is that I do have a full-time job that I have to go to in order to make money. I do not make any money doing this podcast. I do this for free after work. Anyway, let's start off the show with the song Spring is Returning by KIVA.

(18:00)

The ancient festival of Ostara was named after a Germanic moon goddess. It is believed that around the spring equinox was when Ostara mated with a fertility god. Otherwise, the spring equinox is a time for fertility and to start planning for the new crop season. Eoster is the Saxon version of Ostara. The feast was on the moon following the vernal equinox. The feast itself is almost identical to the Christian Easter. And by the way, since the Christians took over this holiday celebration, it had many name changes throughout the years. First it was Ostara, then Eoster, then some other names that I cannot pronounce, and the final one - Easter. I will be talking about how other cultures celebrate the spring equinox. First, a song from Assembly of the Sacred Wheel called And the Wheel Turns.

(21:33)

It's time for the Spirit Guide of the Week. As you can tell, because of the holiday coming up, why not have Ostara as the Spirit Guide of the Week? As mentioned, she is the Germanic goddess of Spring, but she is also the moon and maiden goddess. Ostara also represents the opportunity for growth and rebirth. Her most famous story also has two symbols of what is now Easter. Legend has it that spring was late one year. Ostara was feeling guilty about that. So the first thing that she saw when she came out was a bird that lay dying and with its wings frozen from the snow. So she took this bird and kept it as her pet. Or in the adult version, her passionate lover. But this bird can no longer fly because its wings were frozen. So Ostara turned it into a rabbit. She gave this rabbit the ability to run fast, to evade all hunters, and to honor its earlier incarnation as a bird. Ostara also gave the rabbit the ability to lay eggs in a rainbow of colors. I could not find what to offer Ostara. But it is obvious that you can offer her eggs. That is it for now. Tune in next time for another Spirit Guide of the Week.

(27:38)

That was Ostara by Heidevoke. Here are some other ways that other cultures in the past celebrate the spring equinox. The Mayans of Central America celebrated the spring equinox for ten centuries. If you go to the pyramid in El Castillo, in Mexico, at sunset on the equinox, you will see a shadow appear on the western side, on top of the staircase, all the way to the bottom. It looks like a serpent is going down. In Mayan times, the spring equinox meant the return of the Sun Serpent. The Achaemenid dynasty in what was then Persia celebrated the equinox with the festival of Nowruz, which means New Day. And in the European Medieval period, the March hare was used as a fertility symbol. This species of rabbit was nocturnal. But the interesting thing about the March hare is that the female can see the second litter of bunnies while pregnant with the first. However, in honor of the Mayans, I'm going to play Serpentine Seduction by Dragon Ritual Drummers.

(35:10)

I'm going to do something different with this meditation. The reason is because there's a new member of my local coven. This person's energy is all over the place, and these next two podcasts are going to be for the newbies. I'm also going to do a long preamble as well. It's more about what to expect for the newbies. This meditation is all about diaphragmatic breathing. The next one will be about grounding, and these two are very important before you do any spell work or any healing for that matter. Another name for diaphragmatic breathing is belly breathing. Most of us who aren't actors or singers tend to breathe from our chest. That's the wrong way to do it. Before I go into the meditation, the first thing that you should do is either sit up straight or lie down like most other things. Posture is very important when it comes to meditation. The next thing to do is put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. That way, you can tell if you are a chest or belly breather. If you breathe and your shoulder goes up and down, you are a chest breather. If you are, then use your hand to be a weight. Or you can put a book on your chest so that your belly can be more involved with breathing. If you are a visual person, you can visualize your stomach as a balloon. When you blow up the balloon, it grows big. That's when you inhale. When you don't, it contracts, and that's when you exhale. Another way to visualize diaphragmatic breathing is by pretending that you are blowing out 100 candles. Another exercise you can do before this meditation, to get that belly breathing, is by panting like a dog. You can feel how your belly contracts when you do that. The most important thing to remember when you are doing this meditation is that you have to do it every day. You cannot skip it. You have to do it every day until you feel that you can move on to the grounding meditation again, which will be in the next podcast. This breathing meditation is from inyourhealthstudio.com.

(00:00)

That was Breath of Wanting by Inkkubus Sukubus. I hope that you enjoyed listening to the very first Ostara Episode that I did for this podcast. But unfortunately, that is it for this show. Again, I am your host, Midnight Starr. Before I end this episode, let me remind you of a few things that you need to do. There are currently two polls in progress right now. Please go and cast your vote for both of them. I'm looking for a new logo and need your help in choosing the best one. Visit the show notes or simply scan the QR code on my blog and Substack page to check out the options. After the monthly voting ends, I'll announce the winning logo. However, it will then compete against four new challengers. If it wins against them for three months straight, it'll be named the ultimate winner. Next, you have the option to select one past episode of the podcast that you want to listen to again. Next, Here's an opportunity for you to choose one of the past episodes of my podcast you'd like to hear again. To join in, please use the links provided in the show notes or scan the QR code on my blog and Substack. This voting will be ongoing every month once the logo poll ends. You have an entire month to make your selections, so don't hesitate to act! Do you have any ideas for show topics, questions about spirit guides, or specific dream symbols you want me to discuss? Feel free to reach out through my website at goddessvault1.wixsite.com/home or find me on multiple social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok, X, Instagram, Mastodon, Thread, and Bluesky. I'm excited to hear from you! Stay ahead and be the first to get the newest episodes by subscribing to my newsletter at musicgoddessvault.substack.com! As I finish today's show, let's enjoy this cover of the Blonde tune Rapture by High Priestess. Blessed be.