Over the weekend, my daughter Aurora, took some beautiful images of the flowers blooming in our garden. It inspired me to look further into the Celtic Spring Equinox or Ostara. With new life and ducklings on the Lake, it appears as if there is a bridge of magical space between both heaven and earth. The Celts refer to this month as Fearn pronounced fairin. It is a time for making spiritual decisions, magic relating to prophecy and divination, and getting in touch with your intuition. Alder flowers and twigs are known as charms to be used in Faerie magic.
Whistles were once made out of Alder shoots to call upon Air spirits, so it's an ideal wood for making a pipe or flute. Personally I use the "air" instruments such as a Tin whistle and an Ocarina - an ancient wind instrument dating back approximately 12,000 years ago. There are several variations, but generally ocarinas are enclosed spaces with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. Traditional Ocarinas are made from clay or ceramic, but mine is from wood (they also are seen in glass, metal or bone).
Spring also brings in the Goddess Eostre. According to the stories, she is a goddess associated with flowers and springtime, and her name gives us the word "Easter," as well as the name of Ostara itself. There is not strong evidence supporting Eostre, although it is believed she could have belonged to some tribal group in the Germanic areas and her stories have been passed down through oral tradition.
So whether you celebrate Easter (from the legends of Eostre) or the Celtic Fearn, April is the perfect time to be at one with nature, appreciate newfound life and enjoy the breathy sweet sounds of the flute!
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