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Hi Everyone!! We hope that everyone had a great Easter last weekend. We know we did. So with that rite we have officially embraced Spring. It is important to remember that as the seasons change so do our bodies, the rhythm and cycles become more closely aligned with the increase in the hours of daylight and the resurgence of life. Our whole system responds to the blooming of flowers and the budding of trees with processes of its own.
It has been proven that at times like this the body can easily slip out of balance. Particularly a body out of balance. And as we have written about in the past here and here, CBD has been shown to be very effective at keeping your body in balance. So stop by the shop and send your loved ones some high quality, lab-tested, Cali Craft CBD products to let them know that you care about them and their well-being.
This week, in honor of Easter, we are going to take a closer look at the rites of Spring.
The Rites of Spring
Easter is most commonly associated with the Christian faith and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the founder and namesake of the Christian religion. It is a rite celebrated annually by Christians and non-Christians alike the world over.
Interestingly the resurrection of Jesus always comes with the advent of Spring suspiciously close to the Spring Equinox. When all things that ‘died’ during the winter come back to life. In this way the resurrection of Jesus is like the rebirth of nature and the return of the sun. So much so that Jesus is often referred to as the Light of the World.
But why the name Easter and whats with the rabbit and the colored eggs?
In the Beginning…
In the pagan world there were many, many gods and goddesses. Each culture had their own pantheon of characters. Gods of war, goddesses of love, tricksters and helpers, all were familiar players in the myths of the ancients.
Each one was associated with different processes and practices. The sun gods, moon goddesses, gods of the sea, goddesses of the earth, etc.and of course the goddesses of Spring.
One of the earliest goddesses associated with the Spring was Ishtar. Ishtar was worshiped by the ancient Mesopotamians thousands of years before the birth of Christ. She was known as the Queen of the Heavens and the goddess associated with love and war. She was also the goddess associated with medicine, healing and fertility. And interestingly she was also the goddess associated with cannabis.
Ishtar’s name sounds close enough to the word Easter that people just assume that she is the one the festival is named after. So we decided to take a closer look.
Eoester, Ishtar, Astara
After some digging we discovered that the word Easter is most probably derived from the name Eoester. Eoester or Astatra was the Germanic goddess of the dawn. She was famed for her spring rituals which included feasting on rabbits fattened on hemp seeds, the consumption of hemp beer and public love-making.
The clearest evidence of her connection to Easter however, is the story of the goddess turning her pet bird into a rabbit who then laid colored eggs for the children during her festival.
In the End…
Whatever the case may be one thing is for certain, the rites of spring have always been a central part of human spirituality. They represent light and rebirth and have been celebrated since the dawn of history. Many of the deities associated with the coming of spring are also associated with cannabis. From Ishatar in Mesopotamia to Eoester in Europe to Shiva in India and Magu in Asia; all preside over the rites of spring and all are the patron deities of cannabis.
Coincidentally (or is it?) all of the above are also healers, but we will write more on that another time. For now get out there and enjoy the spring and remember to do the things you require personally to keep your body mind and spirit in balance.