Ostara

Germanic goddess of spring and the return of nature also known as the goddess of dawn. Other names are: Ostar, Eostar, Eastre or Eostre.
The Ostarfeast was celebrated in the spring, it was the celebration of the day and night evening of spring. Both the English Easter as the German word for it: Ostern refive from her name. The christian easter is celebrated according to the same time of year: day and night evening of spring. Ethymologically her name is associated with Eos, Oesja, Isjtar and Astarte - goddesses of fertility and the planet Venus. Even the biblical Esther is associated with this (see: Isjtar).

Ostara's sacred animal is the hare, being a symbol of fertility. Even today we know the easterbunny! The name for the East is taken from her name, as the sun rises in the east, giving new life to the day. Many things, known to us from easter, are related to the worship of Ostara: the eggs (being symbols of fertility) and the hare/bunny. During her feast the holy fire of Ragnarok would burn, while people jumped over it. The same ritual is known from the Celtic Beltane feast, which is the same celebration, however it takes place about 6 weeks later, around May 1st.

She helps the despaired and the feared. She is also recodnized as Valfreya, the Lady of Battle. She owns magical powers, that make it possible for her to ride the night sky. She guides the souls of the dead in battle and those who lived a good life to their final resting place. She protects the fountain that hold the water of rebirth. According to mythology she shared her secrets of magic with Odin, the German highest god.
In Iceland she is known as Freya, who was one of the Vanes, however the scandinavic Freya seems to be someone else. In German and Celtic areas the same goddes were worshipped with different names: Holda, Freya, Ostara, Frigg, Tara.

Jacob Grimm even gave us some information about her in his "Deutsche Mythologie" (German Mythology) of 1835:
First: the Germans and the Celts called April, the fourth month of the year, Esturmonath, it was Ostara's month.
Secondly: people in country with lower tempertures people were used to celebrate the renewing of the seasons at easter (Ostara), this was the most important feast. Later this feast was transformed to the resurrection of Christ. However, the name of the feast stayed pagan: Ostern (German), Easter (English).
Third: all remains of the faith - the believe that the dew of eastermorning is sacred and can heal wounds, the colouring of eggs, the presentation of the Easter Bunny. The egg was the symbol of Ostaras' womb. They were painted red, as blooded, and they were laid in graves to give power to the dead. The same tradition in known in Russia and Greece and possibly goes back to the time where our ancient ancestors gave redpainted gifts to their dead.

Oya