Ostara Ritual 3 Alder (20 March) in the year of our Lady 2007

Needs: pastel color altar cloth, three pastel colored candles (the colors are up to you as long a they're pastel) matches, three candlesticks, pastel colored flowers, fruit or flower incense (your choice), censer, charcoal block, bubble blowing soap and bubble pipe, bowl of LIGHTLY salted water, small pieces of pastel colored paper and a pencil, CD player, Goddess Chant CD by Shawna Carol

Set up altar:
Place three candles in the middle of the altar. Place bowl of salt water between water and earth. Place censer between air and fire. Place flowers at spirit, or better, have flowers all over the room. Place the papers and pencil by your right hand (left if you're left handed). Place the bubble soap and pipe between air and water.

Light charcoal and allow to heat
Light two candles, leaving the middle one dark.

Cleanse space by sprinkling salt water around the circle. Play "Make Sacred Space" (track 3 on the CD)
Cleanse aura with salt water.
Place some incense on the charcoal block

Close circle:

Isis, Great Mother Goddess of Egypt, you of the winged arms, daughter of Nut, Great Madonna of the Nile and healer of all wounds, we call on you this night. Come into our circle, lovely lady of motherly love! Breathe on us your sacred breath of healing and accept our offering of sweet smelling incense.

Biliku, chief divinity of the Andamanese Islands, you who take the form of the spider, creator of earth and the first to own fire, we invite you into our circle this night. Come, fiery lady! Return to earth tonight, for we cannot live without your warmth!

Ganga, Hindu mother of rivers, holder of the sacred wisdom of the water, you who create and heal, you who light the night sky with the Milky Way, we invite you into our circle this night. Come, Lady of wisdom, Lady of healing, Lady of light, for we are in need of healing, of wisdom, and of light this night.

Odduda, primary mother Goddess of the Yoruba of Nigeria, creator of the earth whose name means "she who exists for herself and to create others", we invite you into our circle this night. Come, creator of the world, for we need your manifesting power to create healing in our own lives and worlds.

Kwan Yin, Chinese Mother of compassion, you who shed your healing tears on us all, Chinese Madonna, beauty personified, we invite you into our circle this night. Come lovely lady, for we need your compassion this night.

We are here to celebrate the spring equinox, the time of the child. Persephone has returned to Demeter from the underworld, and all the earth blossoms with joy. The newborn infant of Imbolc has grown into a playful child. And with her blossoming the world bursts into spring. Rejoice! For the child is at play!

Charge of the Goddess:

Whenever you need anything, once a month and best when the moon is full, and eight times more in the year, you shall meet in some safe place to celebrate my spirit, who am the queen of all women. You shall meet in freedom, and as a sign of trust you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in my presence, for mine is ecstasy of the spirit and joy on earth. My only law is love unto all. Mine is the secret that opens on the door of birth and mine is the mystery of life that is the Cauldron of Hecate, the womb of immortality. I give knowledge of the all -creative spirit, and beyond death I give peace and reunion with those gone before. Nor do I ask any sacrifice, for I am the mother of all things and my love is the breast milk that nourishes the earth.

I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed and unto me they must return. Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold- all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who seek to know me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not unless you know the mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which us attained at the end of desire.

Light the middle candle to honor the child within you. Go back into your childhood and find the child you were. Hold her gently on your lap. Tell her how much you love her. Ask her if there is any hurt she would like you to heal. Ask her if she has any healing messages for you. Shrink her until she is very small, small enough to hold in your hand. Tuck her into your heart.

Write on a piece of paper the best memories you have of childhood. Maybe it was a pet or something you did with a sibling. Whatever, write these moments on sheets of paper, one per paper. Fold each paper in half and set them to your right.

Write your least favorite memory of childhood. What do you wish had been different? What hurts are there? Write these memories using one paper for each. Fold each in half and put them to your left.

Hug the favorite memories and burn them on the incense. Send them to the four winds on the sweet smell of flowers so the world can enjoy the sweet memories of childhood.

Hug your unhappy times too, for they created your woman-strength. But they must be purified to truly be of use. Place them in the salt water. Whatever pain that remains from these experiences, wash that pain away in the salt water. Whatever shame or sorrow or grief, wash it away in the salt water. If you want, say something about this as you do it. Know that once cleansed, these pains or grief or shames can never disturb you again!

Raise power by singing a child's song. Any song will do! Sing it as many times as you want. Sing it loud! Sing it faster each time! You are doing some wonderful healing here! Celebrate that! Give yourself the power to heal all those old pains! When you are ready sit quietly.

All is healed. And you have celebrated the good times. Now play. Blow bubbles. And as you do see the beauty in each one. Watch how long they rest on the altar before they break. Watch how they play among themselves. Blow the biggest bubble you can. Blow as many bubbles as you can. Know that each bubble is your breath and the healing water of Ganga.

When you are done quietly listen to Mother's Gift, track 4 of Goddess Chant. Sing along if you wish. And send healing power out to all the children who are hurting in the world. Send your mother's love to them that they might be fed, clothed, warm, and dry, safe and loved, as all children should be.

When you are ready ground and open the circle beginning with Kwan Yin and ending with Isis.

Let the candles burn out on their own. Send the LIGHTLY salted water into a moving body of water along with all your childhood pains so the water can sweep them away.