Well, Easter is in a couple of days and that means RABBITS! But it's not only their incredible fertility which makes rabbits such a potent symbol of Spring and Renewal. They are also a symbol of the Divine Feminine and you never know if a rabbit or hare might be the Great Goddess in disguise. Traditional Celtic lore holds that witches often shapeshift into the form of rabbits and hares as well.
Rabbits are often believed to be drawn to, and enchanted by, the moon (another symbol of the Divine Feminine). In pagan tradition, witnessing a hare gazing at the moon is believed to bring good fortune and abundance. There are three Moon-Gazing Hares on my altar -- the two large ones are bookends given to me by my sister some years ago, and the small clay one in front of them is a sculpture by a Winnipeg artist which I bought around 1995. Moon-Gazing Hares always have that characteristic skyward-looking pose and huge round eyes mirroring the full moon.
On the other side of the altar is another charming rabbit bookend given to me by my sister as well, and another clay sculpture of a Moon Hare where the rabbit itself is shaped like the full moon. I bought it in Glastonbury, England when I was there in 2009.
This small original painting comes from Glastonbury as well. In the background, you can see Glastonbury Tor surmounted by St. Michael's Tower, all that remains of a medieval monastery. An ancient chapel honouring the Goddess/Saint Brigid is portrayed on the riverbank, a site known today as "Bride's Mound." This is where the Blue Bowl of Glastonbury, reputed to be the Holy Grail, was discovered. And in the foreground -- the Sacred Hare herself.
The final item at the front of the altar was also a gift from my sister. Isn't it delightful! Bunny buddies forever!
[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, April 2022]
so sweet! somebunny really loves you!
ReplyDeleteLove this post, Debra. A wonderful look at the significance of the Easter bunny!
ReplyDeleteI love that Full Moon Rabbit, though I was thinking it was something a bit more risqué.
ReplyDeleteI’d never heard of moon-gazing hares. Yours are wonderful. And your sister proves yet again to have a gift for choosing gifts.
ReplyDeleteLove this post. I have seen pictures of rabbits standing up staring at the moon but never knew the connection. I love that last painting, too! xo Diana
ReplyDeleteLove the bunnies,
ReplyDeleteSadly, the cottontail rabbits and the jack rabbits here in New Mexico are being decimated by Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus. Our little town used to be over run with the cute little creatures until a year or so ago. Now I rarely see one. Even though the Full Moon still shines (thankfully we humans haven't ruined that yet).
ReplyDeleteI really love this alter. Truly wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great collection. Thank you for the explanation about the moon gazing hares. I've seen the pose without realizing its meaning.
ReplyDeleteHoppy Easter Debra.
ReplyDeleteThere is all kinds of conflicting info about the Easter bunny. Here's one view... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny
ReplyDelete@ Mike -- Christian whitewash, LOL!
ReplyDeleteWonderful altar! Love the info about that symbol of life and spring, the rabbit. Those figures are so accurate and evocative.
ReplyDeleteI had a cottontail living in my yard last year. I hope she'll make an appearance come the good weather.
I recognsed Glastonbury Tor surmounted by St. Michael's Tower as soon as I spied it. It is not very far from me.
ReplyDeletePerfect!!
ReplyDeleteI like seeing full sets of bookends. The hares are lovely.
ReplyDelete@ Mike ~ Definitely christian bullshit!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely bunch o'bunnies! I saw two Jackrabbits at dusk last night, but they weren't moon gazing -- they were too busy scrabbling under our latest snowfall for tender grass roots on which to dine, LOL!
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter, Debra!
Happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteAncient people believed there was a rabbit in the moon.
Wonderful alter. Love the bunny buddies. Too darn cute.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of bunnies!
ReplyDeleteHow gorgeous! I adore all your altars! And this one is just so darn cute.
ReplyDeleteWe actually have rabbits where I live. I find this incredible given the lack of grass, and the coyotes/hawks, but there they are
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming this is what Mike is referring to:
ReplyDeleteIn his 1835 Deutsche Mythologie, Jacob Grimm states 'The Easter Hare is unintelligible to me, but probably the hare was the sacred animal of Ostara'. This proposed association was repeated by other authors including Charles Isaac Elton[16][page needed] and Charles J. Billson.[17] In 1961 Christina Hole wrote, 'The hare was the sacred beast of Eastre (or Ēostre), a Saxon goddess of Spring and of the dawn.'[18][page needed] The belief that Ēostre had a hare companion who became the Easter Bunny was popularized when it was presented as fact in the BBC documentary Shadow of the Hare (1993).[19]
The Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore however states '... there is no shred of evidence" that hares were sacred to Ēostre, noting that Bede does not associate her with any animal.'"
Nobody seems to be denying that the Christian celebration of Easter evolved from a pagan holiday, only the role rabbits played in the whole thing. As for sacred bunnies, give me Bugs, Harvey, Thumper, and the dude on the can of Nestle's Chocolate Quik.
@ Kirk -- Oh yes, I read that passage too. Look how old and outdated all the research is. Bede wrote in the 7th century and then they cite Grimm in 1835. Even the most recent source (1961) is from 60 years ago. This is carefully selective research to support the Christian paradigm; the same paradigm that suppressed, contradicted and eradicated pagan texts and practitioners. Now it gets to have the final, "authoritative" word? Please. That's why I say it's whitewash.
ReplyDeleteRabbit Goddess's....cool
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter
ReplyDeleteBeautiful rabbits. Love the pair on the little pink tray.
ReplyDeleteThey are all beautiful! I love them!
ReplyDeleteBelated happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteYou always have the most wonderful alters. I really like the Moon Rabbit.
ReplyDeleteYour sister certainly knows how to pick gifts for you, Debra! Another beautiful altar!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet collection. I still have my Easter rabbits out. I'm feeling very close to them this year and have continued to use them as my spring decorations.
ReplyDeleteThe bunny theme is just so cute! Did you know there was a Chinese god associated with bunnies who is the patron of homosexual love?
ReplyDelete@ Rommy -- Cool! That's my kinda god!
ReplyDelete