Ostara, Éostre…Easter…Estrogen?
Those of you familiar with my writings, sit in circle with me, or deep dive together for session work, knows I love exploring the etymology of words. So often they have such obvious deeper meaning, hidden in plain sight.
When I began a more intentional path of understanding the pre-christian seasonal traditions of my Celtic and Germanic lineage many years ago, my love of digging into the roots of language, ritual and nature based wisdom teachings blossomed like a bunch of glowing spring daffodils!
The Vernal/Spring Equinox is considered the true awakening of spring, occurring March 21/22nd each year. The earlier cross quarter time of Imbolg (“in the belly”)- early February, is when the earth mother has life stirring in her belly, but the labour and birth are yet to come. The Equinox is that portal. Then comes Ostara, which aligns with the Christian honouring of “Easter”. What many people do not know, myself included until a number of years ago….the time of “Resurrection” existed well before the story of Jesus, the crucifixion, and his resurrection.
AND, the term Easter has it’s roots in pre-Christian Goddess - Earth based spirituality. It’s true.
It is no coincidence that the “rising of life, after death” aligns with the seasonal shift into Spring.
There are both linguistic AND symbolic potency I find fascinating both as a woman rediscovering HERSTORY, and someone curious about the often missed meaning right under our noses.
Let’s begin with Ostara - also known as Ēostre or Eostre. The name for an Anglo-Saxon Goddess associated with the dawn, spring, renewal, and fertility. Her name forms the linguistic root of “Easter” in English and “Ostern” in German. Ēostre derives from Proto-Germanic Austrō(n), tracing back to Proto-Indo-European h₂ews-ōs (‘dawn’ or ‘to shine’). Akin to words for “east” and shared with Dawn Goddesses like Greek Eos or Vedic Ushas, and the Maiden Celtic Goddesses such as Brigid (Irish, British Isle, Brittany), Blodeuwedd(Welsh), Rhioannon (British Isle), and Flidais (Irish).
The only “historical” reference relating the term Eostre and the association with Pre-Christian Goddess culture, comes from the 8th-century monk Bede in De Temporum Ratione. He noted in the “De Temporum Ratione - Chapter 15 - 725CE that the Anglo-Saxon month Ēosturmōnaþ (the time concurrent with April) was named after HER, with feasts held in her honor that later lent the name to the Christian Paschal (Passover) season. He documented what already was a lived experience of Honouring the Goddess Ostara, or the seasonal turning of Spring itself as a sacred potent time of fertility and rejuvination - ever heard the expression “hope springs eternal”? Our Ancestors would feel the awakening of life in a deeply connected way and honour the earth, the elements, and the abundance taking root in their communities.
As has happened with many other pagan, Goddess -Earth Based spiritual traditions and festival times marked in the Wheel of the Year, as Christianity spread in 6th–8th century Anglo-Saxon England and continental Germany missionaries overlaid Jesus’ resurrection (timed following the spring equinox) onto existing spring festivals to assist in conversion to Christianity whilst retaining pagan names - YET shifted their focus to Christian theology. Over time the names shifting to more Christian language.
It was also very common for Churches to be erected above/on pre-existing pagan, Earth honouring, Goddess revering /Pre-Christian sacred sites, and Christian Pilgrimage paths to follow previously known areas of both energetic potentency and spiritual significant land areas and waterways. Language was no different. It was a form of assimilation and co-opting a pre-existing reverence of the European and Celtic Isle Indigenous earth based traditions.
Ēostre / Ostara is associated with seasonal rebirth and fertility.
Easter knownas a Christian reference symbolic of spiritual resurrection, death and rebirth, and renewal of life.
As I was contemplating all of this and it’s association with the feminine, the word Estrogen popped into my head! The similarity resounding in my awareness.
Estrogen has it’s root in the Greek language and the word Oestrus. Estrus. Estr - from estrus which means the activation of a reproductive readiness. And gen - meaning to produce/generate. This can be held as the rising force of life after dormancy. A biological readiness and regenerative capacity. Just like the earth’s emergence into Spring (the Maiden) after the Winter (the Crone).
We know that estrogen is a key sex hormone for women, in the trilogy along with progesterone, testosterone. It thickens the uterine lining (preparing for possible pregnancy), stimulates breast tissue development, heightens sensory awareness, linked to social-emotional neuro responsiveness, promotes cell growth and repair, supports bone density - among other things. It’s key signals to the the body is to become attuned, prepare, grow and expand life….
JUST like the energies of Ēostre / Ostara, a time of dawning - life returning, rebirthing.
Even though estrogen doesn’t emerge from the same linguistic roots, the feminine cyclical symbolism to Éostre, Ostara and Easter is uncanny!
All point to the natural experience of the return of vitality and radiance, the awakening of life - fertility potential, the renewal of creative and generative energy within all of life, emerging from the feminine essence.
Together, they illustrate how ancient language, seasonal cycles, and biological processes all reflect an undeniably deeper feminine pattern.
I hope you have found this as fascinating as I did pondering, researching and sharing it with you!
OSTARA Blessings to you !
May your life be blessed with renewal of radiance and vitality. And So It Is.
