Eostre

Culture: Anglo-Saxon/Germanic   Also spelled: Ēostre

Eostre is known chiefly from a single brief mention by the 8th-century monk Bede, who wrote that a spring month, and later the Christian festival of Easter, was named for her; because so little survives, much of her modern association with eggs, hares and spring renewal is reconstructed or inferred rather than directly attested, and worth researching with that caveat in mind.

Associations

Spring, dawn, renewal, new beginnings (largely modern/reconstructed associations).

Ways people honor her (modern)

• Mark the spring equinox with rituals of renewal and fresh starts
• Decorate or exchange eggs as a seasonal, symbolic act
• Approach her worship with honesty about how little historical source material survives
• Read Bede's original brief mention, and note how much later tradition has built on it

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.