I’m sorry this month’s post is so late! We’ve had a lot going on around Casa de Ravenson. March is in full swing, and there’s lots to do!
March is when everything starts waking back up. The Bradford pear trees, cherry trees, daffodils, and forsythia, and hyacinths have been blooming for about 2 weeks now, but everything else is still grey and sleepy. I’m seeing more of a variety in the birds in my yard, including house wrens and robins. I even saw a black vulture today. We visited a swamp about a week ago that was loaded with turtles sunning themselves and geese. It’s so exciting!
The name March comes from the old Roman Martius, as March was originally dedicated to Mars, the Roman god of war and agriculture. As March brought better weather, people started to plan for things like battle and farming- hence Mars. It was originally the first month of the old Roman calendar, and several other cultures have designated the beginning of Spring as new year. It definitely feels like a new beginning, and I tend to see Ostara (around March 21) as another rebirth as I put my plans from New Year into motion for real.
Lunations:
March 6- New Moon in Pisces, 11:03am EDT
March 20- Full Moon in Libra, 9:42pm EDT
Astronomy:
March 5- Mercury goes retrograde
March 15- Eta Virginids meteor shower begins
March 28- Mercury goes direct
Celtic Tree Month:
Ash (Feb 18th- Mar 17th): Mastership and power, psychic/prophetic dreams, strength, harmony, being in tune with your surroundings, heals loneliness of human spirit by forming a link between gods, man, and the dead, key to universal truth and cosmic wisdom, tree of initiation.
Alder (Mar 18th- April 14th): Balance, reawakening fertility, accelerated growth (good time for business or creative ventures), harnessing your hidden potential, balancing practical and mystical, release, foundations, determination, confidence, facing things you’ve been avoiding.
Holidays (non-Pagan):
March 1: Employee Appreciation Day
March 4: Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
March 5: Shrove Tuesday/Marti Gras
March 6: Ash Wednesday (Christian)
March 10: Daylight Saving Time starts
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
March 21: Holi (Hindu)
March 21: Purim (Jewish)
Holidays (Pagan):
March 5: Navigium Isidis- Romano-Egyptian festival honoring Isis, Goddess of the moon and the sea
March 7: Elaphebolion Noumenia- Greek festival honoring all Greek gods and goddesses
March 9: Greek festival of Athena
March 10: Greek festival of Aphrodite and Hermes
March 12: Greek festival of Artemis
March 14: Asklepieia, Greek festival of Hygeia and Asklepios
March 15 to 20: Greek Dionysia, festival of Dionysus
March 15 to 21: Anglo-Teutonic festival of Ostara
March 19 to 23: Roman festival of goddess Minerva
March 20: Slavic Jare, when god Jarilo/Lado returns from the land of the dead to reunite with goddess Morana/Lada. Their union brings fertility.
March 21: Ostara
Themes for the month: Rebirth, energy, excitement, flowers, animals, balance of Ostara and return of the sun.
General activities for the month: Being outside on the warm days, and staying inside on the cold days. Enjoying early spring before the pollen really kicks in. Spotting flowers as they bloom. Starting to take action on plans made in January and February.
Herbs I’m using: Anything green and vibrant in my food and smoothies- especially cilantro, ginger hibiscus tea to wake me up after the long Winter, oolong tea and jasmine flowers in a full moon tea I’m making.
Stones I’m using: Carnelian for energy and sexyness, dendritic agate for growth and expansion, selenite for purification and fresh energy!
Goddess of the Month: This is an obvious month to work with the energy of Ostara, an elusive Germanic goddess about which little is known. She was described sparingly by Bede in the 8th century CE and everything else has been theorized or even purposefully reconstructed. Whether she existed as we know her now, her value during this time of year is undeniable. Pagan Eostre lives!
3 card reading:
First, we have 4 of Water. This is a pretty typical card for this time of year, especially if Winter is stretching on. We’re bored, frustrated, and want to get out, but we may not be able to. We may feel apathetic and have trouble getting motivated to start anything when it seems like Spring starts and stops, and then starts again.
Next, we see 4 of Earth reversed. This also makes sense, as we’re having trouble letting go of the heavy earth energy of Winter. We’ve spent all this time, trying to stay cozy and secure in our homes, and we really need to start moving. It’s time to jump! Don’t hang onto what you know, reach for something different and exciting right now. Break out of your egg- that’s the energy of Spring!
And finally, we have King of Fire reversed. This card is telling us something similar, in that we need to find our passion, and take responsibility for pursuing it. We need to really start some new projects or activities and get out into the fiery energy of the sun.
Our special guidance card is Joy reversed. This just reinforces the notion that we can’t achieve joy as long as we’re holding ourselves back. Joy is something to be pursued with complete abandon, and that requires a leap of faith. Spring is the time to take that leap!
Mid-March
By Lizette Woodworth Reese
It is too early for white boughs, too late
For snows. From out the hedge the wind lets fall
A few last flakes, ragged and delicate.
Down the stripped roads the maples start their small,
Soft, ’wildering fires. Stained are the meadow stalks
A rich and deepening red. The willow tree
Is woolly. In deserted garden-walks
The lean bush crouching hints old royalty,
Feels some June stir in the sharp air and knows
Soon ’twill leap up and show the world a rose.
The days go out with shouting; nights are loud;
Wild, warring shapes the wood lifts in the cold;
The moon’s a sword of keen, barbaric gold,
Plunged to the hilt into a pitch black cloud.
My personal tides: Our family is on the threshold of some major changes. This is our rebirth into a new life, leaving behind a lot of the problems of our old life. EVERYTHING is changing. Hopefully for the better, though that remains to be seen. We’re excited! I’m also contemplating a time of a lot of creativity and being more connected with nature.
My personal goals: It’s go time on some projects I’ve been working on slowly. It’s time to completely declutter and organize, and I’m also feeling the urge to work on creative projects a lot. Writing, drawing, painting, etc., there’s just so much I want to do!
Tell me about your March! What are your plans? How are you celebrating the beginning of Spring?
Blessed be! 🙂