The Autumn Equinox is a harvest holiday that is also known as Mabon to many Pagans (Ellison 187). It is generally celebrated around the actual equinox date, usually September 21st. Although it was not an especially important time to the ancient Celts, there are traditions throughout the British Isles and Ireland. According to Mara Freeman, there was aContinue reading “Autumn Equinox”
Category Archives: Dedicant Program
Beltaine
Beltaine is a Celtic holiday traditionally celebrated around May 1st. It is a day to celebrate the return of fertility to the Earth as well as the beginning of summer. In regards to the etymology of the word, linguists are fairly certain that the “-tain” refers to the word tene, meaning “fire”. The “bel-” is less certain among linguists. SomeContinue reading “Beltaine”
The Spring Equinox
The end of March is hardly how I imagine spring. Never the less, the Spring Equinox generally falls around March 21st every year (Freeman 71). In Upstate New York, snow can cling to existence until mid April. It is chilly, mucky, and gray – hardly what one considers spring-like weather. Yet I’ve grown to shrug off this more cynicalContinue reading “The Spring Equinox”
Pagan To-Do List
1) Carrionmann got back to me about being a mentor for people working on their Dedicant Programs. I was informed that my DP was excellent and that I definitely qualify! Huzzah! I’m really excited about helping people and giving back to the religious community I love so dearly. I just need to complete the questionnaire.Continue reading “Pagan To-Do List”
Building Mental Discipline
What follows is the journal I started for the purposes of recording my experiences with developing mental discipline. I made a point to meditate as much as possible over a five month period as part of my Dedicant Program. Since it was a journal the language may at times seem informal or even grammatically incorrect. I read throughContinue reading “Building Mental Discipline”
Imbolc
Imbolc is a celebration of the Celtic Goddess Brighid. For this reason, the holiday was always a strange one for me before coming to Druidry. When I first started out on the path of Paganism, I considered myself Wiccan and tried my best to form relationships with Greek and Egyptian deities. I was reluctant to delve into CelticContinue reading “Imbolc”
Winter Solstice
When the stores begin to play holiday music and plaster their shelves with red and green ornaments, I can’t help but get excited. Of course I have to admit that the sensation is very much a carry-over from my Christian upbringing, but having learned a bit about the background of Christmas and the Winter Solstice, IContinue reading “Winter Solstice”
Samhain
What is Samhain? Samhain is one of my favorite holidays. Even when I was little and it was still Halloween to me, it was such fun. Dressing up was my favorite part. Little did I know I was taking part in an ancient tradition. Historically, Samhain is one of four Celtic holidays and was probably equivalent to aContinue reading “Samhain”
Sensuality
Upon examining the virtue of fertility, I came to the conclusion that fertility should not always be a virtue of modern Pagans in regards to our bodies. Instead, I believe that modern Pagans should adopt sensuality as a virtue as far as sex is concerned. Sensuality can and should be applied to other areas of our livesContinue reading “Sensuality”
Fertility
As I sit down to write about the final virtue, fertility, I realize that it is perhaps my favorite, and not because of the implied sexuality. When I think of fertility, I obviously think of sex and the resulting offspring, but I also think about food and art. The Oxford English Dictionary defines fertility as “ TheContinue reading “Fertility”
Author M. A. Phillips 