Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings. Today’s post is about the folklore and magick of Rabbits, as well as why they are iconic creatures of Spring! I will be going over aspects of Rabbits in folklore in separate sections to give a rounded view of why they are so linked to Springtime and so important in folklore generally. Without further ado, let’s look at Rabbits in folklore!
SYMBOL OF FERTILITY & REBIRTH OF SPRINGTIME
~One of the most important aspects of Rabbits in folklore is their nature as a symbol of fertility. It is this aspect of Rabbits that truly relates the most to Springtime, as the Spring is the time when the world is becoming fertile again with plants beginning to bloom, trees beginning to sprout fresh leaves, birds beginning to migrate back after the cold winter months, and animals like Rabbits beginning to mate. Of course, the reason Rabbits are so intrinsically linked to fertility is that they are very capable of producing a prodigious number of offspring very quickly! Finally, for this section, I want to mention that Rabbits are connected to fertility in their link with Hares, which are known as being sacred to Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Sex, herself a Goddess deeply entwined with fertility!
SYMBOL OF TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH
~As Spring is the time of transformation and growth from the bleakness of Winter into the time of Mother Nature blossoming with new life, Rabbits having a connection to Spring also confirms the fact that Rabbits are often associated with transformation themselves. In ancient Egyptian myth, there is a profound link between Hares and the Moon, which can be seen to link Rabbits to Transformational energy through the cycles of the Moon. This is especially true since in Egyptian belief the Moon was Masculine while waxing and Feminine when waning. In this way, Hares and Rabbits can ebb and flow between both genders, which also links to the nature of Rabbits being seen as very sexual creatures in addition to the transformational aspect of the Moon going from Masculine to Feminine as the cycle wears on!
BALANCE OF LIFE & DEATH
~According to Caesar, the ancient Celts had a profound taboo on eating Rabbit meat. This is likely because Rabbits are so profoundly connected to many Goddesses and Faery Women, with the nature of transformation discussed above also serving to connect to the ability of these Goddesses and Faery Women to shapeshift into Rabbits! Also in Celtic folklore connected to Rabbits, there is a link to the Rabbit having the ability to transition between the realms of life and death, serving as spirit guides, and often associated with witches. Eostre is often said to be associated with transition times and the balance of life and death due to her Spring Goddess nature. In Britain, witches were often also said to be able to take the forms of Rabbits and Hares! The final thing I want to mention here is that many buildings in the British West Country have the Three Hares symbol found on them, which is also seen in other cultures. This symbol is known as a Tinner Rabbit because it was associated in the medieval period with Alchemy, in particular the role Tin plays in Alchemical workings!
THE WHITE RABBIT & THE MARCH HARE
~I could not end this post about Rabbits in folklore without discussing my favorite literary Rabbit and Hare characters of all time! Those familiar with my work here on White Rose of Avalon will know that I am a huge lover of Alice in Wonderland. So, it should not be a surprise that the White Rabbit and the March Hare are two of my all-time favorite fictional Rabbits and Hares. The White Rabbit serves much of the same idea as being a symbol of transformation and growth discussed above, he is also a bit of a psychopomp, helping Alice transition from one state of being to another (instead of from life to death it is from the mundane world to Wonderland). Had Alice never followed the White Rabbit, she would never have gone through the massive transformations that the story would show her evolving through! As for the March Hare, he is an important member of the famed Tea Party which Alice attended while in Wonderland. Funnily, he is often overlooked, due to the absolutely iconic nature of the Mad Hatter and the fact that the Dormouse is more often discussed (even being referenced in the iconic song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane, which is of course also based on Alice in Wonderland). However, the March Hare is just as crazed a figure as the Mad Hatter in many ways, serving as an excellent foil to the Hatter during the Tea Party sequence! In this case, the Hare is the trickster testing Alice’s perceptions and preconceived notions of life, much like Hares are often used in older tales like Aesop’s Fables.
~I hope you have enjoyed this slightly rambling overview of some of the ways Rabbits and Hares in folklore explain their connection to Spring. What is your favorite Rabbit association? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a Tinner Rabbit symbol on the Moon. I found the image on https://www.cafepress.com/+tinners_rabbit_moon_wall_clock,1604013282.
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/
Further Reading
- https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/ancient-roots-of-easter-bunny/#:~:text=Caesar would likely have known,Virgin Mary with a hare.
- https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2020/04/folklore-rabbits-hares.html
- Your Goddess Year by Skye Alexander
- Aesop’s Fables
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
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