Category: Holy Days
Autumn Equinox Traditions
The Autumn Equinox has been called the Witches’ Thanksgiving. It is the second (middle) of the three harvest festivals, beginning with the First Harvest and ending with Samhain, or the Last Harvest. The first harvest marked the beginning of the grain and small fruit harvest as well as the cutting and replanting of cool weather […]
Continue Reading...First Harvest Reflections
The feast of the First Harvest is a feast of little bits. The garden is full of promise, but not full of ripe produce. We have some zucchini, an eggplant, maybe even a tomato, but hardly enough of anything to make a meal, but together, with a handful of herbs, couple eggs from the hens […]
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Entertaining at Midwinter
The Winter Solstice occurs sometime between December 20th and 22nd and is the shortest day and longest night of the year and the official start of winter, though some folks will feel that winter has set in long before its arrival and some of us are saying “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”. This time of […]
Continue Reading...Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is an American secular (semi-Christian) holiday that celebrates the first harvest of some of the earliest settlers in North America which was shared by the indigenous people of the immediate area. Thanksgiving is not a Pagan holiday, and it is a contentious holiday for those who support indigenous rights, but it’s also an American […]
Continue Reading...Taking Out the Garbage
Lots of people hate the holidays. For me hate isn’t the right word. For me, the holidays are a struggle. And they are toxic. From Thanksgiving to Christmas it’s like one big anxiety attack. Not to mention every food trigger of my migraines (flashy lights, blinding sun shining off of snow) and fibromyalgia (ham, damp […]
Continue Reading...Feast of Sacrifice
The Feast of Sacrifice celebrates the sacrifice that other living things- plant and animal- make so that we may live. An effigy is made out of materials on hand and stuffed with good things to eat. It is then “sacrificed” and the food is taken from it and made part of a ritual feast. There […]
Continue Reading...The February Fast
Tomorrow is our February Eve celebration. It’s easy enough to call it Imbolc if you like because it’s similar. But a little different. Now I have heard that Samhain is the Witches New Year, but this is not true for our family. We celebrate the Feast of the Dead then but February Eve is our […]
Continue Reading...Cross Burning Rite
Although I am a Neo-Hellenic Pagan, I still perform this rite every Imbolc because it holds a special place in my heart. It was featured at the first public Pagan event I ever attended, one hosted by Celtic Druids. It is just so meaningful and I really do love it. For me it isn’t so […]
Continue Reading...Spring Equinox with the Kids
This is a ritual in that you do it every year to mark the change of season. It’s basically an Easter egg hunt with a bit of spirituality thrown in. It is not a ceremony. I have found that kids don’t stand much on ceremony. This is an at-home activity you can do with your […]
Continue Reading...Midwinter Musings
I’ve been pretty grumpy lately, frustrated with the fact that I miss the Sun’s whole show since it rises as I walk into work and sets before I walk out the door. A few days ago, however, it snowed. Oh, I griped and I moaned as I made my way to work behind the salt […]
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