Blog: About Pagan / Wiccan Religion
Update: 2010/3/17 10:31:42 (Update)
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For the first time in about 1,600 years, Hadrian's Wall has been lit up with beacons, and the sight is an impressive one. The 83-mile long chain of lights, manned by 1,200 people chosen by lottery, "was designed to draw world attention and give an early spring to tourism as Britain struggles out of recession."
A series of 500 "illumination stations," spaced about 250 meters apart, were designated, and each lighting was timed and synchronized. And honestly, the video -- although short -- is pretty cool. It's a bit like watching the "beacon of Gondor" scene in LOTR, although with less snow.
The giant wall was built by the Roman Emporer Hadrian, and construction began around the year 122 c.e. It begins at Segedunum fort, Wallsend (near Newcastle), and travels west to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast. Originally, the wall was about 15 feet high and up to 10 feet thick, with mileposts and forts along its entire length. According to the official website, Hadrian's Wall was not built to keep out Scottish invaders, but more likely "as a form of border or customs post so that the Romans could keep track of population flow between the north and south of Britain."
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Hadrian's Wall Lights Up originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 11:31:42.
Back in January, we talked about the new Irish law that would make blasphemy punishable by a pretty hefty fine. The new law would be violated by anyone making statements that are "grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion."
Now, however, Ireland's Justice Minister has announced that the country will hold a referendum some time this year on removing the blasphemy ban from the constitution. Michael Nugent of the group Atheist Ireland, said: "We look forward to the referendum as part of our overall campaign for an ethical, secular Ireland. We ask all reasonable citizens to work together to ensure that the referendum is won... this law is both silly and dangerous."
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Irish Blasphemy Laws Face Vote originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 11:07:12.
I got an interesting email from a reader who says, "My grandmother grew up in the Ozarks, and I remember hearing her talk about "witch pegs." What on earth is this? And what are they for?"
There's not a lot of information out there about Witch Pegs, but according to Rosemary Guiley's Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, it's a carved piece of cedar with three prongs. The prongs are driven into the ground on the path to a home's front door, and it's believed to keep witches away from the house. Disturbing them or stepping on them apparently leads to great misfortune.
Although this is something I'm not personally familiar with, it seems like it would be a handy object to have on hand if you wanted to protect your home or property from magical attack. Readers, have any of you ever made or used a Witch Peg?
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Reader FAQ: Witch Pegs originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 11:02:01.
Celebrate with a snake wreath!
Image © Patti Wigington 2008
St. Patrick's Day is approaching, as you've probably noticed if you live in the US or one of the other countries that makes a big to-do about it. What most folks don't realize is that while St. Patrick is credited with driving the snakes out of Ireland, those snakes are actually a metaphor for early Celtic Paganism. Once St. Patrick arrived, he spread the gospel far and wide, effectively converting an entire race of people to the new religion. The story of St. Patrick is an interesting one, though, and he was credited with a miracle for his work in Ireland.
Now, I'm not Irish at all, and I'm certainly not Christian, so St. Patrick's Day celebrations have always been sort of outside my realm of interest. However, this time of year you really can't escape all the green shamrocks, leprechauns, and all the other hullaballoo that come along with the celebration. A few years ago, I decided to create my own St. Patrick's Day decoration, and put together a wreath to hang on my door featuring the banished serpents instead. Make one of your own, and get the neighbors wondering! Spring Snake Wreath
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Ostara Countdown: Make a Snake Wreath originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 06:52:19.
Plant new seeds for
your spring ritual
Image © Lorraine Shaw/
Getty Images
Spring is the season of rebirth and new life. It's the time of year when the cycle of life, death, and rebirth is complete. As plants bloom and new life returns, the theme of resurrection is ever present. As Ostara, the spring equinox, arrives, it's the season for that which has gone dormant to become revitalized, alive, and reborn. This ritual includes a symbolic rebirthing -- you can perform this rite either as a solitary, or as a part of a group ceremony: Ostara Rebirth Ritual.
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Ostara Countdown: Rebirth Ritual originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 06:45:28.
Here's an interesting story out of Louisiana. This is a legal brief from the case of two parents, identified only as DRS (the father) and LEK (the mother) in regards to the religious upbringing of their three-year-old daughter. Although they have joint custody, the child lives with the mother, and the father is granted visitation. Recently, DRS filed an appeal after a trial court determined that the mother, LEK, had "the sole authority to decide the religious preference of the child."
The circuit court has reversed this, saying, "Though the custodial or domiciliary parent may raise the child in a legitimate religion of his/her own choosing, that parent may not force that religion or religious affiliation upon the noncustodial parent or preclude the noncustodial parent from pursuing his/her own religious affiliation and sharing same with the child provided doing so does not negatively affect the best interests of the child."
Cases like this may set a worthy precedent, particularly for cases of Pagan parents involved in custody battles (I should point out that LEK and DRS do not appear to be Pagan, but that's not really relevant). I frequently hear tales of parents who have separated, who are told by their former spouse that they don't want their child "exposed to that Wiccan stuff." The case of LEK and DRS establishes that a court does not have the authority to determine the religious practices of a non-custodial parent. This puts Pagans involved in custody disputes into a whole new arena -- one in which their religious beliefs and practices become a non-issue.
Not sure what rights you have when it comes to your kids? You may want to read up on Your Legal Rights as a Pagan Parent
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Non-Custodial Parent Can't Be Denied Religious Rights originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 09:13:15.
Everything's bigger in Texas, including poor decision-making. Remember back in January, when we talked about how the state was looking at some changes to public school social studies curriculum, which would have brought in an increased look at Christianity in reference to government, and added a lot of highly conservative viewpoints? Well, they've approved it.
The New York Times (About.com's parent company) reports that the Texas Board of Education has approved a new curriculum that "will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Fathers' commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light."
So, let's say you live in one of the forty-nine states that isn't Texas. Does this effect you? You bet it does -- because Texas is one of the biggest purchasers of textbooks in this country, which means that their decision making process trickles down to other, smaller states' purchases.
Courses on sociology, economics, and history have all fallen under the conservative knife, with over 100 amendments to the current curriculum standards. Capitalism, for example, will no longer exist -- instead, it's called a "free enterprise system." Efforts to include more Latinos were defeated, so apparently Texas can't be bothered to acknowledge the contribution of their Hispanic population. Oh, and here's a fun one -- in a list of writers whose work inspired revoutions in the 18th century, Thomas Jefferson got cut out. Why? Because he's the guy responsible for all of this "separation of church and state" brouhaha.
Seriously, some of this stuff is amazing. Thanks, Texas, for rewriting history so the rest of us don't have to!
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Texas OKs Conservative Textbooks originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 08:48:18.
A soothsayer predicted Caesar's
death on March 15
Image © Peter Adams/Getty Images
March 15 is a date known as the "Ides", and has gained notoriety thanks in no small part to the assassination of Julius Caesar. William Shakespeare immortalized the date in his play about the Roman emperor, and features a soothsayer cautioning everyone to "Beware the Ides of March." The Ides are actually sacred to the god Jupiter, and so some members of Religio Romana still celebrate the Ides today: Beware the Ides of March.
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Ostara Countdown: The Ides of March originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 06:47:42.
Was Eostre a real goddess?
Image © Getty Images
Every year at Ostara, everyone begins chatting about a goddess of spring known as Eostre. According to the stories, she is a Teutonic goddess associated with flowers and springtime, and her name gives us the word "Easter", as well as the name of Ostara itself. However, if you dig around for information on Eostre, you'll find that much of it is the same. In fact, nearly all of it is Wiccan and Pagan authors who describe Eostre in a similar fashion. Very little is available on an academic level, or in the form of primary sources. So where does the Eostre story come from? Find out here: Eostre - Teutonic Goddess or NeoPagan Fancy?
Don't forget to sign up for the free Seven Day Ostara Class!
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Ostara Countdown: Who Was Eostre? originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 06:42:56.
In the spring, snakes begin to appear.
Image © Getty Images
Snakes are one of those critters that most people have a love/hate relationship with. However, whether you think they're cool or they give you the heebie-jeebies, snakes tend to appear in abundance once the weather warms up in some areas of the country. In many cultures, serpent mythology is strongly tied to the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Learn more about these magical and mystical creatures here: Serpent Magic and Folklore.
Don't forget to sign up for the free Seven Day Ostara Class!
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Ostara Countdown: Serpent Magic originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 06:37:00.
Are colored eggs Pagan or Christian?
Image © Getty Images
While there's a lot of discussion in the Pagan community about where the idea of coloring eggs actually came from, in scholarly circles things seem pretty clear. Despite the image of our pre-Christian European ancestors frolicking on an egg hunt in the forest -- and one well-known Wiccan author's tale about a frisky rabbit and the goddess Eostre -- it looks like in Europe, colored eggs didn't come along until after Christianity moved in. However, in Persia, eggs have been painted for thousands of years as part of the spring celebration of No Ruz, which is the Zoroastrian new year. Learn more about the origins of the Easter egg, and then color your own Ostara eggs with natural dyes!
Don't forget to sign up for the free Seven Day Ostara Class!
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Ostara Countdown: Are Easter Eggs Pagan? originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 06:40:29.
For those of you who dig archaeology as much as I do, there's a nifty find from the island of Crete. Last summer's excavation of a tomb at Orthi Petra has revealed, according to experts, the tomb of a high priestess of Zeus and three acolytes. Archaeologist Nicholas Stampolidis and his team date the graves to 2,700 years ago. Eti Bonn-Muller of Archaeology magazines says "People then may have considered them sorceresses, or intermediaries with the gods." What's really interesting, to me at least, is that these four women all appear to be related, and seem to be related to other women whose remains have been found at the site in graves spanning two centuries or more. This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "family tradition."
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Priestess' Tomb Unearthed in Crete originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 16:25:03.
Early spring blooms are associated
with rebirth
Image © Patti Wigington 2009
Ostara is the season of rebirth and new life, and in many cultures, a god or goddess is associated with these aspects. In fact, while the story of the resurrection is typically connected with Christianity, other deities such as Mithras and Attis are also tied to the theme of death followed by rebirth. Here are a few of the deities connected with the spring equinox: Deities of Ostara.
Don't forget to sign up for the free Seven Day Ostara Class!
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Ostara Countdown: Deities of the Season originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 06:28:16.
Thanks to Rowan for tipping me off to this one. A group of seven Muslim men who stopped to pray in a Henderson, Nevada, parking lot back in December have filed a complaint against the local police. According to reports, a resident called the police to say "seven Middle Eastern males were acting suspiciously by a gray minivan with California license plates." The caller also reported several of the men "were kissing the ground." Shortly afterwards, law enforcement officials showed up to question the men.
If you watch the cell phone video -- which is a bit grainy and blurry -- you can hear the officer saying that police were called because "someone saw you doing your prayers, and they were kind of weirded out by that." The officer makes reference to "indicents in the past," and says, "based on events that have happened around the world... can you fault people who don't understand things for being concerned?" You can also hear one of the Muslim men questioning whether or not just being Muslim is just cause for a police stop. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, has filed a formal complaint with the Henderson Police Department for what they believe to be an unlawful stop.
So, here's the big question -- IS it okay for police to question someone just because people think their behavior is a bit weird? What happens if I'm hosting circle in my back yard, and my neighbors peek over the fence to see a half dozen folks in robes, holding athames, and chanting around an altar? Can my local deputy pay a call just because it's odd behavior by suburban standards? Or is it only a problem if I'm a Muslim, rather than a Pagan? Definitely something worth thinking about.
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Complaint Filed in NV Prayer Stop originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 11:21:14.
Since the January earthquake that struck Haiti, leveling buildings and killing thousands, there has been an emerging battle between Christian groups and the country's many practitioners of Vodoun, or Voodoo. Last month, Vodoun high priest Max Beauvoir accused missionary groups of discriminating against those who practiced his religion, saying, "The evangelicals are in control and they take everything for themselves." He claimed that opponents of Vodoun have deliberately prevented medical assistance and food relief from reaching some of the more remote areas of the country.
In the past few weeks, things have gone from bad to worse, as Christian evangelical groups place the blame for the quake on the sinfulness of Haiti's Vodoun followers. Willer Jassaint, a houngan, or high priest, told reporters, "They say we're the ones who caused the earthquake. But we know ourselves that we didn't cause the quake, because it was a natural catastrophe."
On February 23, things got completely out of control when a group of Protestant evangelicals threw rocks at people holding a Vodoun ceremony. Max Beauvoir has encouraged his people to respond to such acts with aggression, although at this point it doesn't look as though there have been additional violent conflicts. Still, folks in Haiti have it bad enough right now, what with there being no real infrastructure to speak of, a lack of resources, and a crumbling socioeconomic strata. Add to this some violent dissention between religious groups, and you've got the makings of a civil war in an already damaged country.
Meanwhile, the houngans continue to plan ceremonies, so they can lay the dead to rest. They say they "owe the spirits of the dead that release... and they owe themselves that show of defiance."
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Christianity vs Vodoun in Haiti's Streets originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 10:21:18.