Ostara High Tea Celebration with Maeve's Magic

As the days grow longer and brighter, join us for a propitiatory banquet in celebration of Ostara !

The spring equinox is one of only two moments in the entire year when day and night are almost exactly equal in length. The sun crosses the celestial equator, rising due east and setting due west, and for this single day, light and darkness hold each other in perfect tension. After this point, the balance tips. The days grow longer. The light wins.

And this, my friends, is the spiritual meaning of Ostara : the return of the light, the defeat of darkness. A feeling, within and all around us, that Earth is never idle. Even when it appears to be sleeping, its roots are growing strong and full of promises.

Now is a time to shake yourself out of hibernation lethargy and honor the potential that has quietly grown within you in the past months. This new warm ray of Sunshine ignites the spark of an idea or faith in a dream waiting to come true.

In pagan and Wiccan traditions, this moment on the Wheel of the Year is called Ostara. The name comes from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and dawn whose association with fertility, renewal, and — yes — rabbits and eggs predates Christianity by centuries. The Venerable Bede, writing in the 8th century, noted that the month of April was named Eosturmonað in honor of the goddess, and that feasts were held in her name during the spring season. Whether Eostre was a widely worshipped deity or a more localized figure is debated by scholars, but her symbolic legacy is undeniable: she gave her name to Easter, and the symbols we now associate with that holiday — eggs, hares, flowers, new clothes — are the direct descendants of her spring festival.

Ostara sits between Imbolc (February’s first stirring of spring) and Beltane (May’s full bloom). Where Imbolc whispers something is beginning, Ostara declares it. The ice is breaking. The ground is softening. The seeds you planted in the dark half of the year — literally or figuratively — are now pushing upward through the soil.

Do bring these winter dreams with you and let your creativity and imagination draw inspiration by the great magnetism of the castle so they can bloom and flourish during the next season !

This joyful and highly heart-warming tea ritual starts with an explorative tour of the castle conducted by historian William G. Krejci. Once the warm-up part of scouting around is over, comforts of the soul will be tended to by Maeve's Magic putting on a tea ritual as both a cultural and festive experience. Guests will discover Maeve's Magic herbal brews, whimsical bites such as hors d'oeuvres, puddings and other delights from pagan cuisine !

Maeve's Magic is a local, sustainable apothecary and small catering business. Return to the sources of tradition, folk-lore and savoir-faire through recipes that have been lovingly preserved and transmitted since centuries past. Very limited attendance, only 14 guests !

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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