Paganism // Current

Is it logical to believe in god?

I think this video is fascinating. It's been a question which I've been going over in my head as of late so I was kind... more

middle_east
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Halloween sparks religious controversy

"Because of its distinctive mix of religious elements, Halloween continues to create controversy among religious groups. ... more

DeliaTheArtist
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"Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (Irish pronunciation: [ˈsˠaunʲ]; from the Old Irish samain). The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year". Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.

History of name

The term Halloween is shortened from All Hallows' Even (both "even" and "eve" are abbreviations of "evening", but "Halloween" gets its "n" from "even") as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day", which is now also known as All Saints' Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to November 1. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints' Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar.

Symbols

The carved pumpkin, lit by a candle inside, is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols in America, and is commonly called a jack-o'-lantern. Originating in Europe, these lanterns were first carved from a turnip or rutabaga. Believing that the head was the most powerful part of the body containing the spirit and the knowledge, the Celts used the "head" of the vegetable to frighten off any superstitions.The name jack-o'-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking old farmer. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America, where pumpkins were readily available and much larger, making them easier to carve than turnips. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their home's doorstep after dark. In America the tradition of carving pumpkins is known to have preceded the Great Famine period of Irish immigration. The carved pumpkin was originally associated with harvest time in general in America and did not become specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century."

Just some fun history for the holiday, more at link,enjoy:) "Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (Irish pronunciation: [ˈsˠaunʲ]; from the Old... more

DeliaTheArtist
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11 responses

21 days ago

Halloween church bells ding-dong

Plans to revive a medieval bell-ringing tradition at Halloween have caused a ding-dong about Paganism in a Suffolk town.... more

EclecticBadger
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0 responses

1 month ago

Pope in Paris condemns love of money, power

Pope Benedict XVI condemned unbridled "pagan" passion for power, possessions and money as a modern-day plague Saturday... more

GeoffNI
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1 response

2 months ago

Druid Utopia

We spend a day with a group of modern Druids as they welcome in the Spring with a ceremony at the Spring Equinox. The Druids were... more

aaronstone
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7 responses

4 months ago

Hocus Pocus Club

On the 10th May this year Witchfest England takes place. This is one of the largest and most popular gathering of Witches in the... more

aaronstone
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15 responses

4 months ago

Kathy Lee Gifford bashes pagans on The Today Show!

On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, during a live broadcast of a wedding reception on The Today Show, Kathy Lee Gifford gratuitously... more

shroomfairy
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12 responses

4 months ago

Friendly Neighborhood Witches

"From The Times July 8, 2008 My friendly neighbourhood witches Ken Russell In a heavily wooded hollow in the heart of... more

oahspe
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1 response

4 months ago

Man charged for practising witchcraft (in Dubai)

"9 July 2008 DUBAI — An Asian man M.A. has been referred to Public Prosecution for allegedly cheating and... more

oahspe
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0 responses

4 months ago

Wiccan couple wants Native American Ceremony - Gets married at Wawa instead

Is this weird?

oahspe
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0 responses

4 months ago

Religious Extremist Roomies - God Loves ME Best! - Volume 1

Extended trailer for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! The producers introduce the cast to their new home while ridiculing them... more

merkaba
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0 responses

5 months ago

Witches, Christian Porn, & Prayer-God Loves ME Best! - Vol 2

Extended promo for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! in which the cast members get to know each other a little bit. Volume 2... more

merkaba
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0 responses

5 months ago

Gay Preachers & Crystal Meth - God Loves ME Best! - Volume 7

Extended trailer for the new TV series God Loves ME Best! Starring Allegra Cohen, Khrystyne Haje, Eric Kirchberger, Nasry Malak,... more

merkaba
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0 responses

5 months ago

Illuminati, New World Order, and the Coming Age Beginning December 21, 2012

There is an Esoteric Agenda behind every facet of life that was once believed to be disconnected. There is an Elite faction... more

jubal
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27 responses

6 months ago

Vandals damage Stonehenge

Vandals take a hammer and a screwdriver to the ancient Stonehenge monument.

clemwilson
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35 responses

6 months ago

God Loves ME Best! - Intro Promo

God Loves ME Best! A New Television Satire. What happens when a Transvestite Muslim Extremist, a gun and porn Loving... more

merkaba
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1 response

7 months ago

Zeitgeist - The Movie

Have you ever wondered where Christianity really came from? Did you know that George W. Bush's Grandfather laundered Nazi... more

uroborus8
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9 responses

8 months ago

Ostara, The Pagan Equinox, And The Season To Shop

by Marisa
Our clocks are adjusted, and we're enjoying the perfectly balanced day and night of the spring equinox. Total coincidence that Easter is just around the corner, right? Well, not entirely...

While to Christians this weekend is most closely associated with Jesus' resurrection (well, that and chocolate-bearing rabbits, but more on them in a couple days), Easter traditions, like many contemporary religious holidays, have a rich Pagan history. Specifically, the struggles of various figures to return from the Underworld, be they Greek Mythology's Orpheus or Persephone, the Norse Odin, or Jesus Christ, have long been intertwined with the seasonal rebirth of trees and flowers at the Vernal Equinox, known to Pagans as Ostara.

Ostara gets its name from "Oestre" (which also morphs into "Easter"), the Teutonic Goddess of spring and dawn. Within the Pagan Wheel of the Year, in which the Goddess and God figures transition through the stages of life with each holiday, Ostara marks the Goddess in her maiden bloom, as she's courted by the now virile young God.

In ancient Greece and Rome, where seasonal lilies adorned the Ostara altar, young men mirrored their lusty springtime God by presenting the lilies to young women in courtship, which served as a symbol of commitment tantamount to an engagement ring today. Even the Easter bonnet is steeped in Ostara lore, as ancient Pagans considered it bad luck to wear new clothes before the Equinox. They therefore worked secretly through the winter months on the elegant finery they could parade on Ostara day.

Ostara isn't purely a springtime holiday, however, it is also inextricably tied with the Equinox, as represented by the Sun Wheel in its perfect balance of a cross within a circle. Having trouble drawing a mental image? Just think of the pattern atop a traditional Anglo hot cross bun, long a symbol of the Easter holiday.

So now that you have a sense of Ostara's history, how best to honor this year's Equinox? One ritual is to burn a list of Ostara aspirations, hopes you wish to birth in the coming season, by the light of a purple candle. Then bury the ashes in the ground with the springtime seeds, so your dreams may bloom with the flowers. Too much effort for your liking? There's always that proud tradition about new clothes and hats...

http://www.dailymantra.com
by Marisa Our clocks are adjusted, and we're enjoying the perfectly balanced day and night of the spring equinox. Total... more