Celebrations: Samhain

Samhain (pronounced Sow-in or Sah-win) is a Gaelic festival to mark the end of the harvest and to mark the beginning of the “Darker Half” of the year, or Winter. Traditionally, the festival is celebrated from sunset on to October 31st to sunrise November 1st. It falls halfway between the autumn equinox and winter solstice, and is one of four such celebrations that include Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. Historically, it has been celebrated throughout Ireland, and later, the Island of Man and Scotland.  Continue reading

Deities

Paganism tends to be very much about the Journey rather than the Destination, and as there is no root Dogma, we tend to  be incredibly flexible when it comes to Deity. Someone once remarked to me, Paganism was very much a practice of perception, and I would have to agree. There are many out there who follow Bast, the Egyptian Lady of Cats, but I can guarantee you, each of them will view Her in a different light, or have an individual relationship with Her.

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Introduction to Various Pagan Paths

This is by no means a complete list, and I doubt it ever will be. This is just to get anyone who’s interested started. Everyone needs a starting point.

Wicca – A diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it. It is divided into various lineages and denominations, referred to as traditions, each with its own organisational structure and level of centralisation. Due to its decentralized nature, there is some disagreement over what actually constitutes Wicca. Some traditions, collectively referred to as British Traditional Wicca, strictly follow the initiatory lineage of Gardner and consider the term Wicca to apply only to such lineaged traditions, while other eclectic traditions do not.

Druidism – A form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment.

Ásatrú – A reconstruction of the old Nordic religions

Hellenism – A reconstruction of Greek practices

Kemetism – A reconstruction of Egyptian practices

Native American faiths – Very, very diverse. Each Nation will have its own stories and practices

Eclectic – A melting pot of various traditions. Bits taken from other practices to form a new, individual practice.

Occult – Hidden, or secret magic/practice

Syncretic – A blend of pagan and (usually) non-pagan beliefs

Folkloric – Practice that is influenced by legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are cultural traditions

Reconstructed – Practice that is constructed (or reconstructed) using literature, archeology, music, etc. of a particular people using a single pantheon.

Faery Tradition – Practice that focuses on the Fey and their lore and relation to our world

Family Traiditions – Traditions that are passed down between families

Strega Witches – Sect of Italian magic

Ceremonial Magic – a broad term used in the context of Hermeticism or Western esotericism to encompass a wide variety of long, elaborate, and complex rituals of magic.

– Alfrún