Eostre: A Goddess For Letting Go Of The Past
As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. —ECKHART TOLLE
I want to share an excerpt from my book, The Goddess Solution, to celebrate Ostara, the Spring Equinox. Enjoy!
Imagine what it would feel like if you started anew each day. You hopped out of bed with enthusiasm and curiosity, wondering what new discoveries you would make. You felt fortunate to embark on another day brimming with opportunity. You didn’t lament the past or fear the future. Each day was an opportunity to let go of old grievances, prior disappointments, and outdated beliefs you held about yourself and others.
Each day was a fresh start. Doesn’t that sound delightful? Your energy would be high. Your enthusiasm would be contagious. Advantageous encounters and opportunities would present themselves. This attitude would ensure that you lived each day to the fullest. Sounds pretty good, right? With the goddess Eostre, we can let go of the past and treat each day as an opportunity for rebirth.
THE GODDESS STORY
Eostre is the Anglo-Saxon and Germanic goddess of spring, rebirth, and the dawn. She is a plucky and enthusiastic teenager with an eye for mis-chief and adventure. Though Eostre is a maiden goddess, we can connect with her at any age to remind ourselves to approach life with enthusiasm, curiosity, and goodwill. Eostre accepts the world and its inhabitants as they are right now, not what she believes they’ll be in the future. This trusting attitude enables her to live in the present moment and act with spontaneity as situations arise.
In the myth of Eostre, she finds a little bird that is injured beyond repair. Since she can’t help the bird in its current form, she transforms it into a snow hare that lays colored eggs. Though Eostre is a pagan goddess whose energy invokes growth, Christians borrowed her name for the Easter holiday, which has long been associated with her affinity for rabbits and colored eggs. Her pagan festival is on the vernal equinox, which is usually around March 21, the first day of spring.
Eostre’s month is April. In many parts of the world, that’s the beginning of spring, a time for renewal. Animals begin to give birth (in my town, there are rabbits galore!), and crops start to grow. People have more energy to start new projects and make new commitments. But we don’t need to wait until April to connect with Eostre; we can summon her throughout the year to remind us to release the past and begin again. In fact, we can do this every single day.
THE GODDESS IN MODERN SOCIETY
If we’re not careful, we can let the past define us. That might actually be our default mode. The story of our past gets repeated until it becomes part of us. It gets etched into our minds, and even onto our faces. It influences the way we perceive our world, interact with others, and think about ourselves—not always for the better.
Many of the conversations I have with friends and family members seem to begin with an old grievance. I’ve been told the same stories about the annoying neighbor, untrustworthy sister, or narcissistic ex-husband.
While I often gently remind these people it would be in their best interests to let go and move on, that doesn’t appear easy to do. We’re limiting our joy in the present moment and our potential for future growth when we remain stuck in a box defined by our past experiences. The goddess Eostre reminds us to start each day anew so we can act spontaneously in a present not clouded by things that have happened in the past or that we’re afraid will happen in the future. This attitude gives us room to grow, and it lets others evolve too.
The stories of Eostre describe her as a confident, enthusiastic, and risk-taking teen. She is a lover of animals, people, and life in general. Not surprisingly, spiritual masters across traditions have been encouraging us to live like Eostre for thousands of years. Jesus instructed his followers to live with eyes like a child’s. The Buddha often preached about having a beginner’s mind. This means we keep a child-like attitude of trust, joy, and curiosity, but we can also still get wiser and more discerning as we go through life. We don’t assume we know how others will behave or how situations will play out. We create space for transformation. We do this by letting go of the past.
Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teacher and author, encourages us to let go of the past completely. He doesn’t believe that holding on ever helps us live a joyful life in the present moment. He suggests that we consider our past memories only to the extent that they provide pleasure. But even then, he warns about becoming attached to them if they’re making us long for an earlier time. He explains that time no longer exists. The only time we have is right now—Eostre knows this.
You don’t need to erase the memories of your youth or any other time period you look back on fondly (I sure won’t!), but the key is not to let the past dictate the present moment. Starting each day fresh with enthusiasm and gratitude seems to be the best way to live like a goddess.
I understand that it’s not always easy to let go of the past. You certainly don’t need to do it alone—nor should you ever try to suppress traumatic events. If you’re struggling with events from the past, please seek counsel from a licensed therapist. It’s important that you move forward constructively and therapeutically.
THE GODDESS IN MY LIFE
I’ve never been one to lament the past. I’m more inclined to fret about the future. Connecting with Eostre’s energy for growth and renewal comes naturally to me. I genuinely enjoy starting over and seeing what the day will bring. But there was a time when I needed to go to therapy to move on from the past.
When I first met my partner, it was a tumultuous period in my life. I was getting separated and planning for a divorce. My partner had an on-again, off-again girlfriend and appeared to still be coming to terms with his own divorce. What began as a casual friendship turned into an intense affair. It ended abruptly when he decided to get back together with his ex-girlfriend. I was surprised and heartbroken. This doomed love affair took me some time to get over. Eventually, I was able to move on and began to date again. Sometimes I’d run into him in town or he’d send a text to check in. A flood of emotion would always return.
Several years later, we started to date again. While he assured me that he and his ex-girlfriend really were over for good, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being naive. My heart wanted to move forward, but my brain was holding me back. No matter how consistent and honest he was with me, I couldn’t forget the past. This resulted in a perpetual state of anxiety.
Luckily, I had started to see a therapist who was helping me with my anxiety and fear of abandonment. My relationship was bringing out insecurities I had developed as a child. Although my mind wanted to bail on the relationship so I wouldn’t have to deal with these feelings, my heart implored me to stay. And with the help of my therapist, I was able to overcome my fears, as well as our rocky start. It took about a year for me to stop fretting that he would get back together with his ex-girlfriend, and to start enjoying our relationship in the present.
Like Eostre, I found myself able to enjoy the present when I relinquished the past. Our relationship began to grow and blossom. It wasn’t easy; it took a lot of effort. But if I hadn’t decided to move on from past hurts, the relationship wouldn’t have been able to take root, and we wouldn’t have grown as individuals. Not only that, but I would have brought the same fears with me to the next relationship.
Through therapy, I learned that my past experiences (most from as far back as childhood) were influencing my feelings in the present. Now when I feel triggered, I ask myself if I’m reacting to the current situation or a past grievance. Eostre reminds me to let go of the past and start each day anew. This attitude creates the space for me and others to evolve.
Working with Eostre is not about hiding grievances under the rug or suppressing trauma. It’s about resolving issues so we can live in the present.
HOW TO CONNECT WITH THE GODDESS
Here are some ways you can connect with Eostre so you can remember to live each day to the fullest.
+ MEDITATE
A cord-cutting meditation helps you sever negative attachments that are keeping you stuck in the past. You can find one in the “Meditation” section at the back of the book, or get it at lisamarierankin.com.
+ JOURNAL
In your goddess journal, write the answers to the following questions:
What is a past grievance or experience that you’ve been
holding on to?
How does this influence your life in the present moment?
What would your life be like if you could let it go?
AFFIRMATION
Each day is an opportunity to begin again with joy, gratitude, and curiosity.
The Goddess Solution is a practical spiritual guide that shows how to apply ancient goddess wisdom to modern-day scenarios, such as dating, sex, careers, divorce, conflict, and more. The book is available on Amazon and other retailers.