Eostre, Ishtar or Easter

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The goddess Ishtar was often called the Queen of Heaven by the people of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia would be Iraq in this day and age. I know… you’re wondering why we are talking about the Goddess Ishtar and that’s because many believe Easter is linked to her.She is the goddess of love, sexuality, and fertility… And ultimately responsible for all life. Though she was never a mother. She was also the goddess of war and is celestial… She is the planet Venus and the morning and evening star. How is she connected to Easter, you wonder? Well there are no actual facts to link her to Easter, but tons of speculation. For example, the symbols we use for easter… Eggs and bunnies, well both are associated with sex. Bunnies multiply rapidly and eggs are how life is created.. Whether eggs are laid or created internally such as in a woman’s body they bring life. And she was the goddess of sex and fertility.According to lore, Nimrod, King of Babylon and builder of the Tower of Babel, married his mother, Semiramis, but shortly after he died. Semiramis assured people that he had become the sun god Baal. Of course she took advantage of his death and began telling people that she was a goddess who descended from the moon in a moon egg. She claimed the egg had dropped into Euphrates on the first full moon after the spring equinox. Obviously Semiramis is Ishtar and some claim it is pronounced Easter.The legend goes on to say once Ishtar became pregnant she claimed that the Sun-God had caused her to conceive. She gave birth to her son named Tammuz, he was a hunter but was killed at one point by a wild pig. Since her son was killed by a pig she claimed a 40 day period of time for sorrow prior to the anniversary of his death. During those 40 days no meat was to be eaten.Very similar to the 40 days of lent with no meat on Fridays.Then every year on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox there would be a celebration that included rabbits, eggs and a pig would be eaten.After the Assyrian empire was Christianized the symbols were used to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but it’s not too far from the Assyrian Mythology.There are so many stories of her and the sex rituals that were performed… There are even discussions regarding prostitution in her temple. It is said that Babylonian women would visit the temple of Ishtar and would have to agree to have sex with any male that wanted her. In return the male would donate money to the temple.Sounds like it. Though what I find interesting is that some say Easter was started with the goddess Eostre and it was a celebration of the spring equinox. A celebration occurred in tribute to the renewal of the Earth after winter. And once again symbols of rabbits and eggs pop up throughout these stories of the Pagan Goddess.