Religion

post thumbnail

Celebrate Religious Freedom Day

Today is Religious Freedom Day.  This is a time to celebrate spiritual diversity and promote tolerance of other religions.  For more details, see the Bloggers Unite event page.

Click to continue reading “Celebrate Religious Freedom Day”

16Jan2010 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

The Wheel of the Year

Recently I finished this year’s set of sabbat posts covering the eight high holy days of the Pagan calendar.  For each sabbat, I wrote a post about its traditional themes and a post about suitable foods and decorations.  Here they all are.

Click to continue reading “The Wheel of the Year”

23Dec2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Yule Food and Decorations

Yule (along with comparative holidays such as Christmas) is coming up soon at the end of December.  Such holidays customarily feature big feasts, singing and festivities, and gift exchanges.  The mythology focuses on the depths of winter and the shift to lengthening days.   Consider what message you want to send, and choose foods and decorations that match your theme.

Click to continue reading “Yule Food and Decorations”

16Dec2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Preparing for Yule

The Pagan holiday of Yule is celebrated at the Winter Solstice on December 21 or 22.  Other names include Midwinter, Saturnalia, and Year’s Long Night.  This holiday marks the deepest part of winter, when people gather together to ward off the darkness.  They feast, make merry, and exchange gifts.

Prepare for Yule by planning your themes and activities.  This way you can design a fulfilling ritual and a fun celebration.  Good books include Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara, Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth, and Pagan Christmas: The Plants, Spirits, and Rituals at the Origins of Yuletide.  Play some seasonal music such as Firedance: Songs for Winter Solstice, Yule, and Beautiful Darkness: Celebrating the Winter Solstice. Guided meditations are also available, like Guided Rituals for the Turning of the Seasonal Wheel Volume 1: Samhain and Yule.

Click to continue reading “Preparing for Yule”

15Dec2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Samhain Food and Decorations

Samhain (and its parallel holidays, Halloween and Dia de los Muertos) is fast approaching at the end of October.  These holidays generally deal with death, the mystical, and late autumn motifs.  Think about what message you want to convey or explore. Then pick decorations and foods that support your theme.

Click to continue reading “Samhain Food and Decorations”

23Oct2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Preparing for Samhain

The Pagan holiday of Samhain falls on the night of October 31, overlapping similar holidays such as Halloween and the neighboring Dia de los Muertos on November 2.  Samhain is the third of three harvest festivals, when the last fruits and vegetables are brought in.  Traditionally, animals were also brought in from the pastures to the barns, and those kept for meat were butchered.

Plan ahead for Samhain by exploring themes and activities.  This will help you design a cohesive and effective ritual.  Good books include Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara, The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween: Celebrating the Dark Half of the Year, and Halloween: Customs, Recipes & Spells.  Play some seasonal music such as All Hallows Eve or 11-Samhain. Guided meditations are also available, like Shamanic Journey Volume 1 : Samhain and Guided Rituals for the Turning of the Seasonal Wheel Volume 1: Samhain and Yule.

Click to continue reading “Preparing for Samhain”

21Oct2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Mabon Food and Decorations

Mabon (also known as the Autumn Equinox) is just around the corner.  It’s a Pagan holiday honoring the balance of day and night at harvest time, falling on September 22 or 23.  Choose your decorations to match your theme. Plan your feast to take advantage of the season’s abundance.  Here are some ideas for you to consider.

Click to continue reading “Mabon Food and Decorations”

18Sep2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Preparing for Mabon

The autumn equinox falls on September 22 or 23 (in 2009 it’s 22), marking the Pagan holiday of Mabon.  It is also known as Alban Elfed, Second Harvest, or Harvest Home.  This is the second of the three harvest festivals. Now the ripe grain is being reaped from the fields.  Vegetable season is ending and the fall fruits, such as apples, are ready to pick.

Click to continue reading “Preparing for Mabon”

14Sep2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Lammas Food and Decorations

Lammas (also known as Lughnassadh) is coming soon.  This Pagan holiday opens the harvest season on August 1-2.  What plans have you made for Lammas this year?  You’ll want to choose feast foods and decorations that match your theme.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Click to continue reading “Lammas Food and Decorations”

26Jul2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Preparing for Lammas

August 1-2 is a traditional Pagan holiday, variously called Lammas or Lughnassadh.  ”Lammas” derives from Anglo-Saxon hlaf-maesse (”loaf-mass”) and indeed, this holiday is often celebrated as a festival of bread, beer, and other mysteries of the grain.  ”Lughnassadh” means “the commemoration of Lugh” and appears in variant spellings across the Celtic languages.  Other names include Elembiuos, Cornucopia (Strega), and Thingtide (Teutonic).  This is the first of three harvest festivals (the others being Mabon and Samhain) as the summer vegetables peak and grain approaches ripeness.

Click to continue reading “Preparing for Lammas”

23Jul2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
Older Entries