Art Teacher/Artist - Ostara Jane Voices on the Path

Voices on the Path-

A Collection of Interviews

Art Teacher

Ostara Jane

Email: artistinvt@yahoo.com

Website or Contact Information:http://www.facebook.com/ostara.jane

First can you briefly tell us about yourself? What is your profession? Any special hobbies?

I am 53, the mother of one son who is 20 years old.  I am an artist and art teacher.  I am also somewhat of a political- peace activist.  I have a new boyfriend, he is awesome!

When did you begin your path? What inspired you to walk this journey?

My father is a self taught historian.  He started talking to me about pagan culture in a historical way and I was drawn into the tradition.  The more I learned, the better it seemed for my own spiritual path.

Can you tell us a little about your path? How would you describe yourself?

I like to make people laugh.  I don’t take myself seriously and my friends will tell you that when it comes to flowery poetic language, i just don’t have it in me.  I communicate  with my art and pictures mostly.

Does the path you've chosen affect your profession? If so, how? 

Being an artist, I am always connecting with my spiritual side.  I am always trying to put into pictures, what is going on in my head.  I love working with children, especially pagan children.  I have lots of crafts that use our symbols and holidays.  I've done several rituals with kids participating and reading or acting out something about a god or goddess.  I illustrated a beautiful book by Ellen Evert Hopman titled Walking the world in wonder, a child’s herbal.  It shows lots of common plants and herbs and talks about the wheel of the year. 

Is community important to you, or do you prefer to express you beliefs as a solitary?

I love a big gathering of people.  I got to participate in the Spiral Dance with Starhawk one time with some of my friends.  It was amazing and a night I will never forget.  When I can't be close to other people, I go it alone at home.  I have a lot of pagan friends

Are you associated with any organizations, volunteer work, or groups that support your spiritual beliefs?

I am part of a loosely organized group of witches.  I am the crone, a role I take very seriously

Would you say your path has been an easy or difficult journey? Any advice for someone new to this path?

It has been one of the easiest things I have ever done, it feels so natural and it is something I get a great deal of comfort from.  The only difficulty i have had is having bad feet at witchcamp.  The terrain was just too much for me.

I invite you here to share any information you find important that we may have missed in our questions

I studied psychology in college and I feel that the traditions of paganism work really nicely with Carl Jung’s archetypes.  There is so much to learn from the stories of our deities.  I have an understanding of how religion in general works in the mind-brain connection and I am so happy to have found a spiritual path and a community that I fit into perfectly.  My father also took me to learn Transcendental Meditation when i was 14 years old and i am so grateful that he is so open minded and gave me such a good spiritual foundation.  It has given me the strength to make good decisions and to be able to seek and find true happiness and purpose in my life.  

I'm mostly a technical writer and someone who is a very slow editor.  I might have some more to write about this stuff later after I have thought about it., but again, I'm a visual person and I'm not nice and flowery with my tongue, like so many of my pagan sisters and brothers.  When it is my turn to speak, I usually have some dry comment that cracks everyone up.  Its my gift i guess

Finally, what three books would you say most influenced your path?

I like Starhawk but I learned most of my "practice" from my community.  My book of shadows has been very influential.  I have an old Llewellyn book of spells that I refer to and of course Walking the world in wonder has been a big influence.