This is the welcoming area to those new to Paganism, as well as those just visiting. I want you to understand that the ideas/philosophies presented here are my personal opinion and cannot stand as a representation for all of the people who practice Paganism. Although there may be many who agree with most of my philosophies, there are just as many who don't.
Paganism is an earth-based religion in which one sees the interconnectedness of all things. People, stones, plants, the Earth itself, are all a part of Deity. Deity, although viewed differently by most individuals, is seen generally as being represnted by the Goddess and the God. Together, they embody the totality of life and energy in the Universe. Neither can be greater than the other, as they are interdependent and complementary.
Pagans celebrate the cycles of the seasons and see how they manifest
in Life. There are eight major holidays, known as Sabbats, that are
based on the movements of the Sun and the major cycles that the Celts saw
in the plants and animals that they raised. Although most traditions
of Paganism have their own names for each of the holidays, they can be
listed as follows:
Samhian (Halloween, Hallows)
-- The Pagan New year. This is when the veil between the worlds is
thinnest. It is a time of honoring our dead and celebrating a completion
of the cycle. (It is the third harvest holiday.)
Yule (Winter Solstice, Saturnalia)
-- This holiday roughly equates to the Christian holiday of Christmas.
The time of the year is the same, as are most of the symbols. This
is the longest night of the year, when we urge the Sun to be reborn to
warm us again.
Imbolc (Brigid's Day, Candlemas)
-- This is the time in winter when it feels like it will never end.
However, in animals, we are able to see the return of spring, even if there
are no evident signs in the ground yet. (This holiday's name means
"ewe's milk," because is is the time when ewe's impregnated around Beltane
of the previous year, come into their milk.)
Ostara (Spring Equinox,
Eostre) -- This holiday celebrates the balance of light and dark, with
a move toward the light. It is the first of the fertility holidays.
Its primary symbols include the egg, the rabbit, and pastel colors.
Beltane (Lady Day, May day)
-- This is the most powerful of the fertility holidays. It is the
wedding of the God and Goddess -- the sacred marriage between the earth
and the sky, all that is female and all that is male.
Midsummer (Summer Solstice)
-- This holiday celebrates the God in all his glory. It is at this
time of year when the Sun is at the height of its power -- so too with
the God, whose symbol is the Sun.
Lughnasadh (Lammas) -- This
is the first harvest holiday and is a celebration of the sacrifice of the
God. He gives his own life for the life of the people.
Mabon (Autumnal Equinox)
-- This the second holiday in the harvest triad. It is similar
to the American holiday of Thanksgiving.
Many of the Sabbats correspond quite nicely to traditional Christian holidays -- namely Ostara (easter) and Yule (Christmas). Most historians, anthropologists, etc give the early Church's necessity to "convert the heathens" as being the reason for what we often see as a blatant plaigarism. If you have ever wondered why holly berries and misteltoe are related to the birth of man from the Middle East, or why colored eggs and bunny rabbits are related to that same man's death -- you now have your answer. (Little note: When I attended Christian school, we were taught that these symbols were pagan in origin and that we should avoid them at all costs!) Pagans were noted for having big festivals for each of these holidays. The early Church had a difficult time in the beginning of converting peasants to a religion that didn't have these fun, colorful celebrations -- so they borrowed symbols and times of year (Jesus was said to have been born in Feb, not Dec) to make the transition between religions easier.
While the Sabbats are largely based on solar cycles, our Esbats are lunar holidays. Pagans celebrate the phases of the Moon and see them as represneting the tides of power in one's life. The New Moon is the time for new beginnings. The Waxing Moon (from New to Full) is the time for increase. The Full Moon is the time of greatest power and completion. The Waning Moon (Full to New) is the time for decrease. The Dark Moon is the time just before the New Moon that is dedicated to the aspects of life (and one's personality) that are usually kept hidden.
There is a lot more to Paganism than our holidays. Magick, divination,
music, art, ritual -- all are part of this very beautiful religion.
Perhaps in days or weeks to come, I will expand on these topics.
Some material about them can be found on other pages. The
Library has quite a few links to sites that would be most helpful for
any who wish to learn more about Paganism.