While there's a lot of discussion in the Pagan community about where the idea of coloring eggs actually came from, in scholarly circles things seem pretty clear. Despite the image of our pre-Christian European ancestors frolicking on an egg hunt in the forest -- and one well-known Wiccan author's tale about a frisky rabbit and the goddess Eostre -- it looks like in Europe, colored eggs didn't come along until after Christianity moved in. However, in Persia, eggs have been painted for thousands of years as part of the spring celebration of No Ruz, which is the Zoroastrian new year. Learn more about the origins of the Easter egg, and then color your own Ostara eggs with natural dyes!

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For those of you who dig archaeology as much as I do, there's a nifty find from the island of Crete. Last summer's excavation of a tomb at Orthi Petra has revealed, according to experts, the tomb of a high priestess of Zeus and three acolytes. Archaeologist Nicholas Stampolidis and his team date the graves to 2,700 years ago. Eti Bonn-Muller of Archaeology magazines says "People then may have considered them sorceresses, or intermediaries with the gods." What's really interesting, to me at least, is that these four women all appear to be related, and seem to be related to other women whose remains have been found at the site in graves spanning two centuries or more. This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "family tradition."

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Ostara is the season of rebirth and new life, and in many cultures, a god or goddess is associated with these aspects. In fact, while the story of the resurrection is typically connected with Christianity, other deities such as Mithras and Attis are also tied to the theme of death followed by rebirth. Here are a few of the deities connected with the spring equinox: Deities of Ostara.

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Thanks to Rowan for tipping me off to this one. A group of seven Muslim men who stopped to pray in a Henderson, Nevada, parking lot back in December have filed a complaint against the local police. According to reports, a resident called the police to say "seven Middle Eastern males were acting suspiciously by a gray minivan with California license plates." The caller also reported several of the men "were kissing the ground." Shortly afterwards, law enforcement officials showed up to question the men.

If you watch the cell phone video -- which is a bit grainy and blurry -- you can hear the officer saying that police were called because "someone saw you doing your prayers, and they were kind of weirded out by that." The officer makes reference to "indicents in the past," and says, "based on events that have happened around the world... can you fault people who don't understand things for being concerned?" You can also hear one of the Muslim men questioning whether or not just being Muslim is just cause for a police stop. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, has filed a formal complaint with the Henderson Police Department for what they believe to be an unlawful stop.

So, here's the big question -- IS it okay for police to question someone just because people think their behavior is a bit weird? What happens if I'm hosting circle in my back yard, and my neighbors peek over the fence to see a half dozen folks in robes, holding athames, and chanting around an altar? Can my local deputy pay a call just because it's odd behavior by suburban standards? Or is it only a problem if I'm a Muslim, rather than a Pagan? Definitely something worth thinking about.

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