Holy moly… I'm back. Though I would say I'm a little bit less on the grid which feels lovely and peaceful and exciting and a little bit scary. My daughter and I arrived at our new home in Colorado last week. Today we are not just celebrating Easter but also my daughter is officially a teenager! The symbolism is no coincidence. The past few weeks leading up to our move have been crazy, to say the least. I underwent a last-minute ankle surgery and then 10 days later drove to Florida for a side trip to the beach before we headed to the mountains! We wanted to visit with Mimi and Papa one more time and my toes were craving the sand! It is good to be back!!
Though I was raised loosely Christian, I believe the appropriate term we would be called was "Creasters” because we usually went to church on Christmas and Easter with a few services sprinkled in between, I never really identified with the Bible. It felt like trying to read a book written in a foreign language.
What I have come to believe more recently is that the words we use are not necessarily important when connecting to (insert your name for) God/Source/Universe/Nature. What is more important is the energy fueling our connection. If our language is getting in the way of this connection, we might want to rethink the language and story we are choosing.
Growing up, for me, Easter was more about the Easter bunny, finding eggs and having a delicious brunch, while gathering with family and loved ones. As I got older and questioned my connection with Christianity I started to let go of all of these traditions… Well, except for the Easter bunny. It wasn’t until I was in WAYfinding that I was able to explore the symbolism of Easter, and how it might be relevant to my life. We explored the idea that Easter can be symbolic of rebirth. It can be a time to take inventory of all the things that are not working in our lives, as well as, all the things that are working well. We can take this time to intentionally let go of the habits, behaviors, and even people that are no longer serving us, in order to make space for the things that feed our soul and help us to shine!
I was curious about the Easter bunny tradition though. Where in the heck did that come from?? Here’s what I found. The name Easter was adopted by early Christians and comes from the pagan festival of Eostre. Eostre had become synonymous with Springtime and rebirth. The Easter egg was originally the symbol of fertility and rebirth. Today Easter eggs are a symbol for the resurrection of Jesus in Christianity. The eggshell represents the tomb. While opening the egg represents him rising from the dead. Many would not eat eggs during Lent, so a delicious egg on Easter morning was a special treat! Even dying Easter eggs has a symbolic meaning representing the blood of Christ. So fascinating! Chocolate also is connected to Lent. Easter was the ending of Lent, which prohibits such indulgences as sweets and chocolate so people would get to splurge on some of their favorite things.
But what about that Easter bunny? The theory is the Easter bunny comes from the pagan festival again of Eostre as the goddess was traditionally represented by a rabbit which again represented fertility or new birth. In Germany, the 'Osterhase' or Easter Hare laid eggs for children to discover on Easter morning.
What shell do we have around ourselves that may no longer be serving us? When I imagine the shell cracking, I think about my light that can shine outward, and all the light I can let in. Happy Easter, Happy Spring!
Question: In your daily routine, are there any habits that may no longer be serving your soul? Are you surrounding yourself with people that lift you up and help you to shine?
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