Stories and storytelling are such an integral part of humanity and how it has evolved that it can by and large be credited for the shaping of modern humanity. For millennia, humanity has used stories to explain the unexplainable, pass down heritage, teach children lessons, to entertain, and even to explain why things are the way they are. As cultures grew and melded and travel and emigration became more common, stories were retold, and they changed a little with each retelling. We merged our stories with new discoveries in science and changes in religion. They evolved a little at a time to stay relevant with their current cultures. Some of them fading from memory, but many others lifting into legendary status (no matter if modern science or the newly discovered world could empirically prove they did not exist or weren’t what we thought). Story telling is how we connect with our past in the present.  

Our ancestors have been telling versions of these same stories for time immemorial. You know the ones I mean. Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, the Lochness Monster, the Tortoise and the Hare, The little mermaid. From fairytales to fables and even religious representations, hundreds of these stories permeate cultures around the world. No matter how old we get, these stories hold a place near and dear to our hearts. As children they enchant us and as adults sometimes, they are the glue that holds our childhood together when we need something nostalgic and magical to believe in, even when we know better. 

The history of such stories fascinates me. Especially when you look in relation to how those stories shaped religions and cultures and vice versa. Today, I’d like to take a look at the history of the Easter Bunny with you.  

Everybody raised in a Christian home knows that The Easter Bunny is responsible for Easter Egg hunts, sweet treats, and pretty baskets filled with goodies on Easter morning. For some kids this happens overnight- much like Santa Claus; and they wake up Easter morning to a house that has been visited by the crafty bunny in question. In my house, The Easter bunny came while we were at Sunday Mass (I honestly think my parents “reasoning” behind this was that there was no way one bunny to get to everybody overnight and he needed the overtime). 

From ancient times all the way up to today, where stores are filled with fake grass, packages of peeps, stuffed bunnies, the ubiquitous Jelly-Belly, and Chocolate Bunnies of all sizes. I even saw peep flavored Pepsi in a store this year. The holiday is so large that the White House even hosts an Easter Egg Roll every year. Families have been building traditions around this elusive rabbit for generations. One year my parents even wrote a letter from the Easter Bunny saying that there would be “No Chocolate Bunnies that year because everybody always eats the Ears off first”. My dad and I had a tradition where every year he’d try to find me a slightly bigger chocolate bunny, because that’s all I ever really wanted. We had a lot of fun each year sharing that bunny between us until we had to stop for obvious reasons as the rabbits in question had gotten titanically large (Our record was a 4-foot-tall chocolate rabbit that stood as tall as I did at the time). But why a bunny? Why Eggs? Rabbits do not lay eggs. Who started the tradition and where did it come from?  

In more modern history, The Easter Bunny made the jump to the United States in the 1700’s from German Immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and told stories to their children of the Osterhase (https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/easter-symbols). At this point in time Easter was already a well-established Christian holiday and observed even more strictly by the Catholic See and the Orthodox Church.  

But where did they get a rabbit from? The Hare was considered a sacred animal by many cultures and religions dating all the way back to the Neolithic Age. There’s Even documentation from Julius Caesar in 51 B.C.E. about how in Britain, hares were not eaten because even then they had religious significance. Though visually rabbits may not come across as overly sexual, being primarily cute and fluffy, the expression “breed like rabbits” exists for a reason. In Greece, Hares were sacred to Aphrodite and her son Eros was often depicted holding a Hare as a symbol of love and sexuality. Other ancient cultures who used the Hare or rabbit as a symbol of fertility, love, and sexuality include the Celts & the Chinese. The Egyptians in the form of the goddess Wenet. The Aztec god Tepoztēcatl, God of both fertility and drunkenness. Even the Norse goddess Freyja (Eostre: The Mystery Goddess Who Gave Easter its Name | History Cooperative). Take a jump to Christianity, where the Virgin Mary was frequently depicted with a white rabbit, representing her overcoming sexual temptation and the birth that was a “new spring” for men.  

But despite the rabbit’s long history as a symbol for birth, love, and all things sexual, it’s a far cry from that to the fairytale of a candy depositing, dapper rabbit, and the universal symbol for Christianity’s biggest holiday. 

Like many fairytales- the Brother’s Grimm play a part. although ironically, they did not write the tale. In 1835 Jacob Grimm theorized that the Easter Bunny was a direct holdover from Pagans converting to Christianity. In fact, in 731 C.E. the monk Bede, who is often referred to as the father of English history, wrote that the month of April was referred to as Eosturmonath after the goddess Eostre. The German’s may have called this same goddess Ostara (as in the holiday of the same name symbolizing the start of spring). In ‘De Temporum Ratione’ Bede even went as far as to say that a pagan Spring festival in the name of the goddess had been assimilated into the Christian holiday symbolizing the resurrection of Christ (which is of course in turn a celebration of the new beginnings as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice).  

It was Jacob Grimm however, who argued the connection between the Anglo-Saxon celebration of Eostre in Eosturmonath and the Old High German counterpart of Ostara in Ostermonat. (The Anglo-Saxon’s were a Germanic people). This is also in keeping with the fact that the German Emigrants to the U.S. later celebrated the ‘Osterhase.’ 

While most European languages refer to the Christian holiday with names that come from the Jewish holiday of Passover, such as Pâques in French or Påsk in Swedish, German, and English languages retain this older, non-biblical word: Easter. (The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny | History| Smithsonian Magazine) More recent archeological evidence has supported proof of Esotre’s worship in England and Germany, with the Hare being one of her primary symbols along with eggs. 

It is fascinating just thinking about all the ways that stories and beliefs shape our culture and our surroundings. Even though Eostre hasn’t been prominently celebrated in almost two thousand years and most Christians may not have knowledge of the evolution of certain symbols & celebratory practices- in a way the story itself lives on. That even though Pagans and Christians have very different beliefs, their stories are still interwoven in the fabric of the universe. That the number of overlapping symbols and beliefs in the world shared among cultures thousands of miles apart, feeds into the idea of a bigger greater shared ‘human story.’ This is usually where I have this small moment of existential reflection about ripples, and the echoes of the lives of people long dead. But the idea that in a way you are telling the same stories as your many times over great grandmother when you observe those traditions or share them with your children; and that someday many centuries from now you will still be alive among your descendants in some tiny way because of the stories you tell today, will always be a magical one to me.

Happy Rabbit Day,

Mikaela

What is Ostara?

Not to be confused with the Christian Holiday of Easter, Ostara is the festival of growth, new beginnings and the dawning of a new season of life. It is traditionally the celebration of the vernal equinox, a sign that truly warmer days are ahead. A time to plan the upcoming season of hard work.  

While there are some symbolic overlaps in the celebrating of Easter and Ostara, they take place several weeks apart and celebrate two very different things. For those that follow the Christian Faith, Easter celebrates the rebirth of Christ. The spring Equinox has been known by many names: Ostara (Germanic), Eostre (Saxon), No Ruz (Persian) etc. Ostara has been celebrated in one form or another for hundreds of years, evolving and changing as civilizations grew and moved. 

Through the evolution of language, and the migration of beliefs many people came to celebrate Ostara and Eostre as one in the same: a time to rejoice, to honor Eostre: the goddess of the dawn, spring and fertility. Some religious studies even suggest that whilst the Easter holiday celebrates something entirely different, the Christian church adopted a similar name during their attempt to convert pagans to Christianity.  

There is even overlap in the symbolism behind the Painted eggs, and the Easter Bunny, but we’ll get to that in a later post because the evolution of legends and beliefs is one of my favorite topics, and the Easter Bunny is a fascinating tale.  

Celebrating at home is easy and doesn’t have to be a massive production. We’ve included some of our favorite ideas below, some are even things you can do in groups or with family, while others are more suited for those of you that want solitude. 

Ways to Celebrate:  

Painting Eggs

This is an old tradition, one with a lot of overlap to Easter and many of the Slavic nations. Grandma never had time to paint her own eggs but both her and mom had a knack for collecting intricately designed or carved decorative eggs that we always loved when we were kids. Still, hand painting or even using a dye kit can be a fun family exercise or a crafting challenge if you are more detail oriented like my sister. If you get really into it, it can also be a great way to meditate and use the power of intention setting.  

Arranging Flowers & Your ‘Hearth Space’

This is another amazing intention setting tool. Taking the time to select the flowers that represent the things you want to manifest, speaking positivity and energy into them while you arrange them, allowing color and new life into your home. 

Prep Your Garden, Spend Time With Your Plants (setting intentions while you do so)

Are you noticing a theme here? A large portion of my home practices rely strongly on mindfulness and intentionality.  Finding the magic in every day processes gives you a never-ending pool of energy to pull from. Spring is a great time to refresh your soil, nudge awake your perennial friends and plant your annual guests. I find this to be a quiet, peaceful, and reflective time. Relaxing instrumental music and some fresh air help clear my mind and setting my intentions with my plants gives me a great way to channel and manifest growth. A fun exercise is assigning a purpose or focus to each plant in my garden. If I want to grow in a personal relationship, I spend a little more time with that plant. If I want to grow my focus, I spend a bit more time with that plant. 

Herb Wreathes & Floral Wreathes

I have several grapevine wreathes hung in entry ways and doorways around the house. I switch out the flowers and herbs tucked into them from time to time to refresh the flow of energy and reflect the current season. It gives me a chance to use my creative side and adds a personalized welcoming touch to our space. I believe homes should be a representation of the people that live there, and I want the people that come to visit us to know that we put thought into welcoming them into our space. 

Alter Updates

Spring flowers (avoid lilies if you have a cat that likes to chew on plants), painted eggs, or decorative eggs, carvings or figures of rabbits and hares. The goddess Eostre was considered a guardian of portals, often depicted with keys hanging from her belt, old skeleton keys make great decorations for your Alter. Focus on whites, Yellows and Greens in your candles. Moonstone, Amethyst and Quartz make great energy focuses this month. If you like to include plants or spices look to primroses, clover, dogwood, daffodils, and tulips. Incense commonly include rosewood, vervain, violet, myrrh, geranium and jasmine. 

Pack Away Cold Weather Clothing

This is an easy mild way to do some spring cleaning. It also opens up your mind to the changing of the seasons and helps remove clutter and mess and focus down your needs. I am an advocate for as little clutter as possible. Clutter makes me feel overwhelmed. This is the part of the year to emerge from winter hibernation, shed your unnecessary layers and simplify. Tucking away heavy, bulky clothing you won’t need until next winter season is a good way to facilitate that mentality shift.  

Take a Floral Milk Bath

Self Care is important, and while self-care is not always bubble baths and face masks, taking a quiet evening for yourself- even if its just an hour to soak is a great way to refresh yourself. Keep your eye out for the post I’ll be making about a fun spring milk bath recipe you can try. This is really much easier than it sounds. It’s a lot of fun, and again, a great way to bring mindfulness into your life. 

Smudge & Cleanse

This is a time to renew and energize. That includes your home and your sacred space as well. You can make your own smudge or buy one from a reputable vendor, words are not necessary, but you can also set the boundaries and intentions of your home this way. I start at the heart of my home and work my way outward to each room, finishing with all the exterior points of entry into the house. Starting at the center for me is symbolic of renewing the heart of my home or my ‘hearth center’ and pushing all the negativity outward. My favorite invocation to use for this (once the smudge is lit) is ‘Smoke of Fire, and Water, and Earth cleanse this home and cleanse this hearth. Drive away All hate and fear; only good may enter here.’ I repeat this as I move from room to room. Its meditative and helps focus your intentions and energy.  

Dawn Ceremony

On the morning of Ostara wake up early (before the sun rises). Put on a pot of coffee or tea (I prefer a floral tea for this occasion). Find a quiet place to sit and meditate while you watch the Eastern horizon, again I prefer to do this outside in the quiet, but a nice large window will do. Sit, enjoy the sunrise, greet the day, and set your intentions. 

Ostara Baking

I am, at the end of the day, a house witch, and I work best with food. You can put a lot of emotion and intention into food when you cook. It is my way of nurturing those I love and showing them I care. I find peace in it, and to me a welcome home is always warm and smells of bread. An Ostara favorite of mine is Sourdough Rosemary Buns- again, I plan on sharing this recipe soon; but any form of seasonal cooking will do. Think about your goals for the upcoming season as you prepare your Ostara meal. I have included our menu this year as an example.  

Our Ostara Feast: 

• Berry and mixed greens salad 
• Hard boiled- painted eggs 
• Kielbasa 
• Pierogi 
• Sourdough rolls 
• Vanilla Bavarian cream filled Packzki 

Remember…

Spirituality is a personal journey. It is your journey and nobody else’s. How you choose to experience it is up to you. These are just ideas, here to help you if you are new and feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities. Go with what resonates with you, you could pick one, you could pick ten. You could use none of these, but let it spark something else.  

We always love to see how you make something your own. So Celebrate! We also welcome you to chime in- suggest the things you love to do.  

All the best, Always, 

Mikaela.  

Creating and Caring For Sourdough Bread Starters

Okay, now that we’ve gone over bread basics 101 you will notice in the upcoming weeks that I have a particular love of sourdoughs (If you missed that episode, you can find it here). I love sourdough for a number of reasons. To quote Shakespeare and a cult classic at the same time…

1. They taste delicious- I will never sacrifice flavor if I can avoid it. It is richer, deeper, and smoother than any other bread. 
2. Sourdough starter is a legacy opportunity, and we know I’m all about food traditions. You can inherit it from a family member or start a new tradition. The older the starter, the better the flavor and it will continue to get better with time. My favorite sourdough starter was a birthday gift from my sister, and she got it from a woman whose family has had the same one for 90 years. One of my chef instructors had had his for 45 years since HE was in culinary school. 
3. It has a lower glycemic index than most breads- the fermentation depletes much of the starch which means less of a blood sugar spike.  
4. It is easier on gluten sensitive people. Due to the long fermentation time, much of the gluten protein is broken down into amino acids before you eating.  
5. more good bacteria and acid. Lactobacillus is the bacteria found in sourdough bread in large amounts, this leads to higher amounts of lactic acid, which reduces the amount of phytic acid in your gut.  
6. fewer preservatives- this applies to all sourdoughs, but even more so if you are making it at home. Sourdough bread contains acetic acid, which naturally prevents the growth of mold. It naturally preserves itself, meaning that toxic preservatives are not required to make it last. So, it won’t go bad nearly as quickly.  
7. It’s more nutrient dense than other breads. Sourdough bread has a mix of iron, manganese, calcium, B1-B6, B12, folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin E. Compared to other breads, sourdough retains many of the original nutrients that are processed out of other kinds of bread. 
8. Sourdough can be used to make just about any type of bread PLUS some. Yes, there is the traditional “San Francisco style sourdough” but anything can be made with sourdough starter. whole wheat, multigrain, brioche, Pulla, PANCAKES, WAFFLES, crackers, bagels. Fermenting dough is the oldest style of leavening bread in the world. It is so versatile.  
9. It is one of the most cost effective ways to make bread. You don’t even need yeast to do it. You CAN jump start starter with dry yeast if you’re in a hurry, but its technically not necessary. It super easy to care for and even easier to start. 
10. There are so many variations on sourdough. You can start with the old school flour and water method, but I know people that feed them with apple cider, and one lady that feeds hers with a tiny bit of molasses in addition to her flour and water to further increase the flavor. and further than that- I find the process fascinating. The ONLY place in the world that you can get true San Francisco sourdough- is in San Francisco. Why? because yeast is a living organism- its regional. Even if you buy a San Francisco originating sourdough, it will slowly over time grow into something else, changing the flavor in nuanced ways. If you start yours from scratch with no added yeast, it will cultivate from the air with the local variant of yeast. That means that in one way or another your bread will be a little bit different than everybody else’s in the world.  

So, now that I have you hooked on the idea of sourdough, lets go over how to start one, and the basics for caring for them. Its probably the easiest thing I’ll ever teach you.  

All you need is an airtight crock or container, flour, and water. But I’ll put notes in here if you’re in a hurry and want to speed up your colony. Most crocks/ containers can be bought anywhere you just want to make sure it has a good seal. I believe my sister bought mine from WIlliams-Sonoma. The one I gave to my father I found at target. It also another thing that is easy to thrift from goodwill. I prefer stone wear myself, but ceramic will also work just fine. How big it will depend entirely on how much you want. I like to keep 4-5 cups on hand, but you can even do smaller batches like my dad who keeps 2-3. Just bear in mind you either have to store it in your fridge or in a cool dry place, so just make sure you have room for whatever container you choose.  

let’s dive in to the two easiest methods: 

Air cultivation:

This takes the longest, but this is the world’s original method for making bread. Mix equal parts flour and water, pour into your chosen container. Seal. Let’s sit at room temperature for two days. Feed equal parts flour and water every two days for 10 days. Once you reach the 10 day mark you can shift your starter to the fridge if you choose. If you store it in the fridge, you can feed it once a week. If you are storing it at room temperature you will need to feed it roughly every three days.  

Jump start:

The exact same thing as above but add 2 tsps. of active dry yeast to the warm water and let bloom for 5 minutes before you add your flour. This starter can be ready to use within 12 hours, and then fed like normal.  

General sourdough tips: 

• Remember that if you are baking with sourdough and you store yours in the fridge you will need to let it come up to room temperature before you use it. cold yeast is slow yeast. 
• If you are going to make sourdough but need to feed your starter as well, feed your starter the day BEFORE and not right before or you will heavily dilute the sour flavor. best practice is actually to feed after you use it to replenish what you have used.  
• If you ever need to alter the texture of your starter (got too thick, got too runny for your preference) you can easily adjust the texture by going a little heavier on the flour or water at feeding time. If you prefer a spongier starter as opposed to a liquidy one, that’s totally fine- both make great bread. Over time you will find what works for you. 
• Sourdough breads take longer to rise than “active yeasts” all good things take time. go by size, not by time. let your doughs double at their own pace instead of assuming since your timer went off its good to go. again, I stress bread is a relationship. you don’t set a time limit on good sex, so don’t time how long it takes your dough to rise.  
• Name your sourdough starter- this is technically a superstition thing, but it is tradition. And whilst some traditions are stupid and archaic, this one is near and dear to my heart. This is the most basic form of magic: Intention setting. doing something with purpose and care and then allowing that intention to manifest. You are fostering a relationship with a living thing. You care for it, and it gives you sustenance. you want a good, happy, healthy, THRIVING starter. Naming things is one of the oldest human instincts. It gives things purpose, power, personality, and on a psychological level you are more likely to take care of something if you have taken the care to give it a name. Name your starter. Mine is Gus. Gus is cute, Gus is tasty, Gus is growing because I care for Gus. You see where I am going with this?  

I hope this helps you start a new adventure. Once you learn the basics you can start additional starters and begin playing with feeder flavors. Please, share your journey! Feel free to shoot us a message if you have questions or want to share. I will be using sourdough starter in many of our bread recipe’s going forward; but don’t feel like that will exclude you from trying things if you aren’t ready to commit to a sourdough baby. Remember you can always start your sourdough colony per batch the night before and still have the recipe come together even if some of the flavor depth is missing. 

All the best, 

Mikaela