Ostara
One of the principal Wiccan Sabbats, or holidays. Ostara is another name referring to the Vernal (spring) equinox. The name Ostara derives from the name of a Teutonic Goddess, Oestre, which may in turn be derived from the Babylonian Ishtar. (The word Easter comes from the same root.) The connection of the equinox to the goddess is recorded by the seventh-century Christian author referred to as the Venerable Bede, who refers to the name-origin of the Easter holiday.
Pronunciation: Oh-star-ah • (noun)
The Goddess Oestre, painted by Jaques Reich
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