The Origin of Easter

Goddess Esther, the Easter goddessHappy Easter! Before there were Jews or Christians or Buddha or Muslims, there was the earth and the ancient earth-based religions which celebrated the seasons. Our modern celebrations of Easter still preserve some vestiges of the original meaning of the pagan lunar holiday Oestara, which celebrated the Germanic lunar goddess Eostre (pronounced Esther) – from whose name we get the words East (where the sun dawns) and estrogen (feminine hormone). An earlier predecessor would be the Babylonian goddess Ishtar – goddess of fertility. To this day, Easter always occurs on the Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Passover occurs the evening after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox. Esther’s cohort was the hare – ancient peoples believed they saw a hare in the full moon. And the celebration of the fertility of spring has us decorating (honoring) eggs – the symbol of life. Blessings to you, however you wish to celebrate this wholi-day! It is all about life, the day becoming longer than the night, and resurrection from the cold of winter bursting forth into the lush blossoming of spring. May you experience a glorious re-birth of your own at this time!

5 thoughts on “The Origin of Easter”

  1. Nijoles, Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed your documentary on the Flavian invention of Jesus. I grew up the son of a Baptist deacon and later married a Catholic and converted, myself. But I did often have doubts about Christianity. This documentary plus Archaya’s (sp?) books really helped me see what I view as truth. Thank you so much! .. Plus, your soothing voice is priceless! 🙂

    Jeff in TX

    1. Thanks so much, Jeff! I take a more spiritual view than Joe, and believe that many people have gotten a lot of good out of the teachings. So why should it matter who the messenger was – a myth? Founded in Platonism? Written by Philo? It’s the wisdom of the ages, and if it helps you be kinder to your fellow man, live a more fulfilled life, and stand in your True Power, then go out and be that Higher Person. The issue is when people confuse their identity with that given to them by a human organization, rather than identifying directly with their own personal Life Energy Source. That’s when they see others who don’t believe like they do, as the “enemy” – and that is not Love, which the Jesus archetype preached.

  2. Dear Nijole, thank you for article!
    What do you think of following opinion:
    “Easter is celebration of first stable lunar state after Spring Equinox as an start point for new year. In before days it was celebrated in new moon day and resurrection is the methaphor for the moon, which “dies” every month for exactly 3 days from the sky and then “resurrect” in the state of new moon, young moon, “child”.
    Also the symbol of Easter if rabbit, which is connected to the moon in most hystorical traditions, due to visible shape existing on the moon and seen by every living creature on the Earth.”
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_rabbit

    Thank you!

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