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You are allowed to celebrate the ancestral holidays without becoming a pagan – A message to those who want to distance themselves from Christianity
I have acknowledged pagan holidays since around the age of 12, but this is the first time in my life I have finally decolonized them. The last year I’ve watched as Evangelical Christians have become extremists who’ve hijacked the government and are forcing their cruelty upon the world. I’ve seen them use their religion to justify harm, control, fascism, and war. Now they are telling soldiers that the war in Iran was “all part of God’s divine plan”, and that they are trying to spark Armageddon via WWIII. It’s insanity, it’s depraved, it’s unforgivable, but mostly importantly, it’s how that religion has always been. The Abrahamic religions continue to do…
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Book Review – Pagan Portals: Breath of Spring: How to Survive (and Enjoy) the Spring Festival by Melusine Draco
Book Review Pagan Portals: Breath of Spring: How to Survive (and Enjoy) the Spring Festival by Melusine Draco Publisher: Moon Books 96 Pages Release Date: February 1, 2023 Breath of Spring: How to Survive (and Enjoy) the Spring Festival is another lovely offering from Moon Books’ Pagan Portals series, this time exploring the various festivals of spring as they developed in Western cultures. In the first chapter, author Melusine Draco explores the origins of Candlemas and the related Pagan festival of Imbolc, from possible Greek origins (the return of Persephone) through the Christian era in Britain. This chapter explores some of the historical traditions surrounding the…
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Ostara Correspondences
Mon, Mar 20, 2023 (oh-star-ah) – Lesser Sabbat – Spring/Vernal Equinox Other Names: Ostre, Oestre, Eostre, Rites of Spring, Eostra’s Day, Lady Day, First Day of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Alban Eiler, Bacchanalia, Mean Earraigh, Pasch, Caisg, Pess Symbolism: The beginning of spring, new life and rebirth, the God and Goddess in Their youth, balance, fertility Goddesses: all love, virgin, and fertility Goddesses; Anna Perenna (Roman), Aphrodite (Greek), Astarte (Canaanite, Persia, GrecoRoman), Athena (Greek), Cybele (Greco-Roman), Blodeuwedd, Eostre (Saxon Goddess of Fertility), Flidais (Irish), Gaia (Greek), Hera, Ishtar (Assyro-Babylonian), Isis (Egyptian), Libera (Roman), Minerva (Roman), The Muses (Greek), Persephone (Greek), Renpet (Egyptian), Venus (Roman), Ostara (the German Goddess…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary Special: Flowers for Bealtaine Bealtaine is an Irish festival traditionally celebrated on May Eve (April 30th), with many modern celebrations taking place on May 1st. The word is pronounced Bee-ell-tun-uh approximately – at least that’s my best attempt with my very basic Irish! I think it’s important to embrace the correct pronunciation (or as close as you can get) because Irish is a living language and thriving culture, so anglicising Irish words is needless. I pronounced it Bell-tane for many years – now I know better, I try to do better. I’m an English person whose Pagan path is heavily influenced by Irish Paganism, history,…
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Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times
Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times for April/May 2022 Bright Blessings This is our first Spring in our apartment, and as I was deciding what to plant for this year, I pined for the ground and built-in planters I had at our old place. I used to buy so many seeds, and there were years I planted tons of cucumbers and tomatoes as well as pumpkins, roses, herbs, and a whole lot of annual flowers. This year, I am relegated to a limited number of pots, and the truth is, it may be this way for a while, if not permanently. We made it out of the condo successfully…
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Ostara Correspondences
(Ostara the Spring Goddess Witch Sticker by artist Di from Fort Witchy Stickies, FORTWITCHDFW shop on Etsy.) March 20-21st – when the Sun enters Ares (oh-star-ah) – Lesser Sabbat – Spring/Vernal Equinox, Other Names: Ostre, Oestre, Eostre, Rites of Spring, Eostra’s Day, Lady Day, First Day of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Alban Eiler, Bacchanalia, Mean Earraigh, Pasch, Caisg, Pess Date: Spring Equinox March 19–23 in Northern Hemisphere. Symbolism: The beginning of spring, new life and rebirth, the God and Goddess in Their youth, balance, fertility Goddesses: all love, virgin, and fertility Goddesses; Anna Perenna (Roman), Aphrodite (Greek), Astarte (Canaanite, Persia, GrecoRoman), Athena (Greek), Cybele (Greco-Roman), Blodeuwedd, Eostre…
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Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times
Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times for March 2021 Bright Blessings! It’s below freezing outside, and we may get up to eight inches of snow in the next three days. I have been shoveling my backside off this month, because we’ve already gotten PLENTY of snow already, as The Cailleach reminds us it’s still her domain. Not for long! (Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash) In just over a month, it will be Spring Equinox, and, according to weather reports, it will have warmed up significantly by then. Already, the days are longer, and seeds are out in stores…YES we got some seeds. Those who have read…
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Divine Introspections: Meditation Journeys through Healing and Spirituality
Your Personal Perpetual Flame Feeding Your Fire Through Spiritual Design (Photo by Jessica Delp on Unsplash) As Brigid moves across the lands, thawing our fields, awakening nature, and guiding the sun back to its highest point in the sky, through her Eternal Flame we find a continuance of renewal, rebirthing, and a wealth of new beginnings and opportunities moving into the Spring. Another great Spiritual Connectivity that we find at this time is a heightened ability to see clearly, not just physically but Spiritually on a much larger scale. Your goals are forming, you’re surrounding yourself with new people that bring you to a better sense of self,…
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Imbolc Correspondences
(St. Brigid’s Cross, Imbolc Ornament, Celtic Festival, Home Protection from Evil, Hunger and Fire created by Christina Carrie of Pure Gaea Vibes on etsy.) February 1, 2 Other Names: Imbolg (im-molc)(em-bowl’g) (Celtic), Candlemas (Christian), Brigantia (Caledonii), Oimelc, Festival of Light, Brigid’s (Brid, Bride) Day, La Fheill, An Fheille Bride, Candelaria (Mexico), Chinese New Year, Disting-tid (Feb 14th, Teutonic), DisaBlot, Anagantios, Lupercalia/Lupercus (Strega), Groundhog Day, Valentines Day. Animals & Mythical Beings: Firebird, dragon, groundhog, deer, burrowing animals, ewes, robin, sheep, lamb, other creatures waking from hibernation. Gemstones: Amethyst, garnet, onyx, turquoise. Incense/Oil: Jasmine, rosemary, frankincense, cinnamon, neroli, musk, olive, sweet pea, basil, myrrh, and wisteria, apricot, carnation. Colors/Candles: Brown,…
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Season of Tender Roots: Belonging – An Excerpt from ‘Seasons of Moon and Flame’ by Danielle Dulsky
Season of Tender Roots: Belonging An Excerpt from ‘Seasons of Moon and Flame’ by Danielle Dulsky As a young woman, beloved witch, author, and teacher Danielle Dulsky found refuge, nurturance, and wisdom when visiting her grandmother’s rustic home. Next to the fire of the winter hearth and sitting outside with the wildflowers of spring, her anorexic body was loved and fed, her racing thoughts were slowed, and she received a maternal support she did not have in any other part of her life. These visits with Grandmother Grace were the seeds that eventually grew into Danielle’s deepening exploration into the Sacred Hag archetype and the wisdom that these elder…
