Description

This painting is of the goddess of the dawn, Ostara, who is celebrated on the Spring Equinox. Ostara ushers in the spring on feathered wings, bringing light, life and love.
For many years I have been an avid student of Celtic and Germanic religion and myths. A repeated theme is the transformation of swans into spiritual beings or goddesses. These spiritual beings can also shape-shift back into swans or other birds. To the ancient Europeans, birds were a conduit to the gods or higher spiritual powers. Birds arriving in the springtime gave rise to the notion that they also brought fertility to the land and the people. The sight of the first birds in springtime would thus have a profound emotional impact on people in ancient times. They would herald the end of the cold weather and the joy of new life. Combine this with religious feelings, and one can understand how birds have been powerful symbols for eons.