Pagan Books Pagan Movies Pagan Holidays Pagan Glossary of Terms Some basic information on Wicca and Paganism Recipes and Food, Pagan Style!
Disclaimer -- the information contained within is a compilation, and does not necessarily reflect my personal opinions, ideas, or practices. Paganism is alive and well in a state of being that includes the individual deciding for itself what is best, what is right, and what works. I wish you fortune along your journey!
PAGAN BOOKSThe Truth About Witchcraft Today by Scott Cunningham: A good basic book on Wicca.
Spiral Dance by Starhawk: The classic book on Pagan history.
Ancient Ways by Dan and Pauline Campanelli: Descriptions of the Holidays.
Rites of Passage by Dan and Pauline Campanelli: Rituals and suggestions for changes in our lives.
To Ride a Silver Brookstick by Silver Ravenwolf: A basic tutorial - good starter book.
Animal Speak by Ted Andrews: One of the best books I have found on Animal Totems.
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. Fabulous for readers of all ages. An interesting description of modern practices of halloween and the ties to tradition. This is also an animated movie (starring Leonard Nimoy).
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PAGAN MOVIESThe Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. An interesting description of modern practices of halloween and the ties to tradition (starring Leonard Nimoy).
The Burning Times. Various Pagan personalitles/celebrities. There are three in the series, but I cannot recall the other titles.
The Lord of the Dance with Michael Flatley. An ancient Celtic myth in which one can view the struggle of the "dark" and "light" Lords (who are really one) through dance.
Kiki's Delivery Service. Japanese Ainme about a child-witch Kiki who loses her magical abilities and must learn to cope. Entertaining and well done.
The Wicker Man. A movie about Summers Isle (actually exists off the coast of England) which is an enclosed Pagan community. Partially based in truth. The only part which bothers me is the "sacrifice" at the end.
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PAGAN HOLIDAYSYULE (December 21): The Winter Solstice celebration of the return of light (the days getting longer). I particularly like the fact that many of the world's religions are celebrating a form of light at this time - the Christian light of the star proclaiming Jesus's birth, the Jewish Menorah, the candles of Kwanzaa, the Hindu Divali, and the Swedish St. Lucia Day. It is the longest night of the year, and is sometimes celebrated in darkness (Feast of the Long Night).
IMBOLC (February 1): Celebrates the first stirrings of Spring. In more northern climes, it is a time of the Trickster, as Winter still has a firm grip upon the land. New candles are often made.
OSTARA (March 21): The Spring Solstice. A time of planting not only actual seeds, but symbolic seeds of desire. A time of fertility. Light and dark are balanced.
BELTANE (May 1): Also known as May Day. The marriage of the Lord and Lady. Often in olden days, couples would "swive in the field" (make love) to symbolically fertilize the earth. Children born of such unions were thought to be magical indeed. The Maypole is a symbol of the phallus, the red and white ribbons representing semen and blood.
MIDSUMMER/LITHA (June 21): Summer Solstice. The longest day of the year. Also the symbolic battle between the Oak King (lighter half of the year) and the Holly King (darker half of the year).
LUGHNASADH/LAMMAS (August 1): (loo-NAH-sah or LOO-nah-sah) The first harvest. Traditionally, the King sets down his life for the good of the land (some attribute this also to Jesus). Nowadays, a Corn King may be made out of corn and grain stalks and set afire.
MABON (September 21): Autumn Solstice and the second harvest (of fruits and vegetables). The earth and its members prepare for sleep.
SAMHAIN (October 31): (SOW-wen, sah-VEEN) The end of the Celtic/Pagan year, and the final harvest. Superstition says that anything harvested after this day is blighted by the faeries. The "veil between the worlds" of the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest on this day, which is where many ghost stories come from. It is also one of the best days for divination. "Halloween" is an amalgamation of "Holy Evening" - hallowed means Holy. Samhain is rich in tradition, much of which is carried on to modern day but not understood.
Dressing up in costume and begging door to door for treats began as a method of confusing spirits (by dressing up like one), and appeasing the spirits by offerings of food, thus sharing the bounty of the harvest. The tricks occurred when the offerings were not made.
Pumpkins, or earlier, turnips and squashes, were carved with frightening faces to scare off malevolent spirits.
Bobbing for apples was a game of divination. Runes or symbols were carved onto the apples and you "chose your fortune."
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PAGAN GLOSSARY OF TERMS(Common and personal definitions: your mileage may vary.)
ALTAR: A special table or shelf where ritual objects are placed for the purpose of worship. Items that may be found on an altar include candles (for light or macgial workings), an athame or wand, a dish of salt and water (for purification and to represent Earth and Water), stones, incense, a small statue of a God or Goddess, other personally symbolic or meaningful items..
ATHAME: (AH-tha-may or a-THA-may) The ritual blade used by most Wiccans. It acts as an extension of ones self, much like a stage magicians wand, focusing energy to direct power during magickal workings. It is normally not used for cutting, other than carving symbols into a candle
BOOK OF SHADOWS: A book (nowadays, sometimes a computer disk) in which spells, magickal workings, rituals, and personal notes are kept.
CAKES AND ALE: Similar to Communion, a time to give thanks during ritual for all we have received and to remember to share what we have with others. Cakes can be cookies or crackers or special breads baked for the ritual; ale may be an alcoholic beverage, juice, water, milk, or other special beverage. The cakes and ale are blessed and consumed.
CHANT: A rhythmic song or set of words which can be used repetitively during ritual, magick, or for the mere joy of singing. Here are a few standards (forgive me for not being able to find to whom the credit belongs on some):
- We are a Circle within a Circle, with no beginning and never ending (Rick Hamouris)
- Earth my body, Water my blood, Air my breath, and Fire my spirit (Andras Corbin Arthen)
- We all come from the Goddess, and to Her we shall return, like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean (Z. Budapest)
- We are one with the infinite sun, forever and ever and ever (Hopi chant)
CIRCLE: The sacred space where worship and ritual occur. Is also another name for a Coven or working group (i.e., Raven Circle. The Circle of Oak).
COVEN: A group (2 or more) of pagans who worship together on a regular basis. Traditionally 13 members, a Coven can be of any size.
DEGREE: Typically, there are three degrees within the Wiccan system. A novice or seeker is considered First Degree and is usually initiated. Someone moving toward Priesthood will complete whatever training their Priest/Priestess deems appropriate and reach Second Degree. Third Degree is Priesthood. Priests within Wicca are not necessarily legally ordained.
DEOSIL: (DAY-o-sil or JES-sil) Clockwise. When opening or casting Circle, the Priest or Priestess will commonly walk clockwise around the circle, symbolic of the cycle of life. Opposite: see WIDDERSHINS.
DIVINATION: Fortune-telling or future-telling by various means. There are literally hundreds of methods, some common, some strange. Be aware that divination is not always 100% correct.
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- Tarot cards: special cards depicting situations and states of being.
- Runestones: Ancient Teutonic figures or pictographs assigned certain meanings.
- Scrying: A form of hypnosis. Staring into flame, water, or a mirror to receive images or visions of the future.
- Psychometry: Holding or touching an object and receiving images, impressions, or vibes from it.
- Pendulum: Using a weighted object on a string to swing in certain directions, indicating yes, no, or unknown/maybe answers.
- Aleuromancy: Papers with written answers are place within dough balls and baked. Modern fortune cookies are a derivitive of this.
- Cromniomancy: Finds significance from onion sprouts. (I told you there were some strange ones!)
- Bibliomancy: Letting a book fall open, pointing with closed eyes to a spot, and finding significance from the chosen word or passage
ELEMENTS: Earth, Air, Fire and Water from which everything on Earth is made. The elements have specific corrolations within a Circle. The following colours are from my personal workings and are common within Wicca; there are other colours assigned to directions in other spiritualities.
- Air: Yellow. East. Communication, thoughts. Dawn. Symbolized by feathers, birds, incense.
- Fire: Red, South. Action, motion. Noon. Symbolized by flame, red stones, a dragon or Phoenix.
- Water: Blue. West. Healing, emotions. Evening. Symbolized by a bowl of water, seashells, the chalice.
- Earth: Green. North. Solidity, stability. Midnight. Symbolized by stones, a stag or bear, food.
GOD: The male deity. Some of his names include Pan, Herne, Zeus, Mithras, Osirus, Cernunos, Narada, Apollo, Hanuman, Wotan, Shango. Known as Brother, Lover, and Son. Sometimes known as the Horned God, not in reference to Satan (which does not have a place in the Wiccan lexicon) but with deer antlers as the Lord of the Hunt.
GODDESS: The female deity. Some of her names include Gaea, Isis, Brigid, Diana, Demeter, Astarte, Kali, Inanna, Lakshmi, Hecate. Symbolic in phases of the moon - Maiden (waxing), Mother (full), and Crone (waning), and a fourth face of the Warrior (new).
HANDFASTING: A pagan wedding, either legal or non-legal. Handfasting was a common term for marriage until the 1400s. It has been used as a form of temporary marriage - if two wanted to join, often a Handfasting would occur, and after a term of a year and a day (traditionally) the couple could either renew vows and become legally wed or could break things off with no hard feelings on either side. During a Handfasting, the couple is presented and their left hands are bound by a special cord. Such modern terms such as tying the knot come from this practice.
INITIATION: The process or ritual of joining a group or Coven. The form varies from simple welcoming to elaborate ritual and preparation. The initiation should not, however, involve pain, coersion, or acts not agreed upon in advance.
KARMA: Most Pagans believe in Karma, a checks and balances system of your actions. What comes around, goes around. Karma involves being totally responsible for ones self and ones actions.
MAGICK: Some Wiccans use this spelling to deferentiate between stage magic (sleight of hand) and the practise of using energy to create change. Magick work is not necessarily connected to spirituality - some simply practise one or the other alone, while others use both. Common uses of magick include prosperity, protection, and healing. Magick is not unnatural or supernatural. Prayer and meditation can be considered forms of magick. Also see SPELL.
PAGAN: I use this as a broad blanket term for anyone who is not of Chritian, Moslem, or Jewish faiths. From the Latin word paganus, meaning country dweller (similar to heathen - who lives on the heath).
PENTACLE: A five-pointed star encased by a circle. Represents the four Elements (see ELEMENTS), the top point representing Spirit, surrounded by a circle which symbolizes unity. An inverted pentacle is not a sign of the devil, but a symbol that the wearer in on a journey not yet completed and still has much to learn.
REDE: An it harm none, do what thou wilt. This is the Wiccan law, similar in form to the Ten Commandments. The meaning is clear.
REINCARNATION: The belief that we live more than one lifetime. Specific beliefs fary widely - some feel we are always the same sex, some believe that it is a system of reward and punishment depending on how you do in your current incarnation, some feel that we reincarnate to get a full spectrum of human experience, some believe we do not always come back in human form.
RITUAL: A ceremony used for the celebration of holidays, magick workings, initiation, etc. Can be spontaneous or scripted. During a typical ritual, the Circle is cast, elements are recognised and welcomed, the Gods (or other deity) are invited to join or watch. Magick may be performed, a celebration of a moon or holiday or event may occur. A form of thanksgiving may take place (see CAKES AND ALE). Finally, the Circle is closed. Catholic Mass may be considered a Ritual.
SPELL: A piece of magick work in various forms to obtain a desired end. One might meditate on sending healing light/energy to a sick or injured friend; one might create a pouch filled with certain herbs and embroidered with a rune of protection. Most (unfortunately, I cannot say all) Pagans do not use their spells in a negative or manipulative fashion. Also see MAGICK.
TOTEM: An animal from which a lesson is learned by symbolism. A Pagan may wear a symbol of a totem animal, or practise magick using Totem energy. Animal totems are deeply symbolic and contain many messages, some personal to the recipient (example: Bear or Eagle for strength, Tortoise for patience). See the Books portion of this page for a great book on Totems.
TRADITION: The particular path of spirituality followed by a practitioner. Examples: Gardnerian (and its offshoot Alexandrian), Egyptian (Fellowship of Isis), Norse (Asatru), Greek, Celtic, Faerie.
WAND: A rod of varying material (wood, stone, metal, etc.) which is used to focus the direction of energy.
WICCA: A modern form of worship with roots in ancient expressions of the reverence of Nature. Gerald Gardner is said to be the father of modern Wicca.
WIDDERSHINS: Counter-clockwise. A Priest/Priestess may move in that direction for the purpose of closing Circle or removing energies. Also see DEOSIL.
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SOME BASIC INFORMATION ON WICCA AND PAGANISM
Wicca is an earth-based spirituality. Some argue its base roots may be traced to Neoliothic Man, but its modern roots come from the earlier half of the 1900's through the influence of Doreen Valiente, Aliester Crowley, Gerald Gardner, and other Pagan men and women.
Wicca may also be known as Witchcraft (though not as modern terms normally define it), the Craft, or paganism. Not all Pagans are Witches, and not all Witches are Pagans. Each tends to define his- or herself individually.
Those in the Craft may be known as Witches, Pagans, Earth Spiritualists, and Wiccans. Witches are both male and female. The term Warlock is typically not used -- warlock came from the Inquisition as a name for a male witch. Its roots lie in Scottish, the meaning of which is "oath breaker"
Wicca has nothing to do with "Satan" or any negative aspect thereof. Anyone claiming to be a witch and a "Satanist" is not a witch or Wiccan. Wicca does not have a "Satan" within the deity structure.
Like different Christian denominations, Wicca has many traditions.
Wiccans worship a male and female god aspect, known as the God and Goddess or Lord and Lady, as all things are inherently male and female. The lord aspect may be depicted as Herne the Hunter with the antlers of a deer on his head, the sign of a successful hunt (food and the continuation of life). The lady aspect may be depicted as a Venus or mother (the creation of life).
Wiccans follow one Rede or "commandment" which is: "If it harms none, do as you will."
The word Wicca comes from ancient terms meaning "wise one."
Some Wiccans do use spells or magick. A spell is a projection, creative visualization, or prayer. Other religions also use prayer, ritual, and meditation to achieve a desired result. Most Wiccans do not use magick to enchant people or make things happen against one's will. This is a negative and manipulative practice which is against our Rede. I say "most" because, sadly, there are abusive and manipulative peoples in every spiritual group.
Wiccans are taught to respect and study other religions. Wiccans recognize that no one faith is "right" for everyone. But throughout all faiths, there are far more similarities than differences.
Wiccans do not recruit members. If the faith is attractive to someone, they are welcome, but they commonly do not actively pursue new members. Nor do they force members to remain with them if their path leads them elsewhere.
The symbols of the Craft are the Sun (representing the male god aspect), the crescent Moon (representing the female god aspect) and the Pentacle (a five-pointed star within a circle, one point up). The pentacle, as a symbol, has received negative press. To Wiccans, it is the four Elements (earth, air, fire, water) from which everything is made, and the top point is Spirit, which we consider the most important. In some traditions when a Wiccan is progressing to the Priesthood and gains second degree, s/he wears the pentacle upside down as a humbling symbol which means that s/he still has much to learn.
Wiccans are generally an ecological people because our spirituality is so connected to the Earth which gives us life. Humankind depend on the earth, its plant and animal life for food and shelter, Therefore, everything on the earth is sacred. We are concerned with the lack of respect and poor treatment of the planet.
The one thing which binds us all in every religion most theologians have overlooked for years -- that no matter what corner of the world, no matter what methods or words or practices, every culture believes in a "force" which is higher than themselves. No matter how they worship it or what names they call it, it is the kernel of basic belief in all religions.
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Pagan Links
EarthSpirit -Rites of Spring, Twilight Covening, other events, wonderful people, MORE!
University of Southern Maine Pagan Students' Association
Earth Religionists Activist League
Who is this Lorelei person anyway?Joined by the Gods: A Book of Pagan Marriage
