Paganism

There are two schools of thought:

Lucky - as a gift to an infant a pearl is said to guarantee the child a long life. - it is the birthstone for June - it is a spiritual link to the sea - placed beneath a pillow it is said to increase a couple's chances of conceiving -

Unlucky - a bride will shed tears for each pearl she wears to the wedding - pearls will loose their luster in the presence of ill health -

Magically speaking pearl is most potent magically at night. It's properties and uses include: Anti-nightmare; Astral protection; Courage; Dissipates anger; Divination; Dreams; Fertility; Happy marriage; Health; Meditation; Money; Physical strength; Protection from sea creatures; Psychic work; Soothing.

PEARL, Black/Blue: Luck.

PEARL, Pink: To manifest an easy, comfortable life.

PEARL, Yellow: Wealth.

PEARL, Red: Intelligence.

There is some evidence of Phantom Hunting Dogs. these Phantom Hounds are quite loud, and their baying or barking is claimed to be audible in the mountains for great distances. The subject irks of the supernatural, but is briefly hinted at in William Corliss book on unusual natural phenomena and it is unexplained. May have someting to do with the so-called Wild Hunt, as dogs are used in hunting.

How to celebrate the summer solstice depends on what religious tradition you follow. Some pagan traditions do not celebrate the summer solstice, while others consider it to have utmost importance. If you do not find the answer you seek here, try asking your question by including a specific path (e.g. "How do ______ celebrate the summer solstice?") for a more specific answer.

Summer solstice is also know as Litha, Midsummer's Eve, and Alban Heruin in Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Wiccan tradition.

Below you will find a sample ritual from a summer solstice celebration:

We gather now at this sacred time, and join ourselves to the powers and forces of this mystical season. This is the time of the rose, blossom and thorn, fragrance and blood. It is the longest day of the year, when Light triumphs, and yet begins the decline into dark. Once again the Veil has thinned between the realms of the Sidhe and the world of mortals. On this day who knows what may happen or what may be granted...and take special care where you walk this night, for the Faerie Folk are abroad with you.

We started our day at about noon:30 with a family style pot-luck picnic for the 30 folks (members, family and friends) who attended. There was Bocci, & Croquet, crafts and games for those inclined, followed by a teaching story (in the native American tradition) of "the Sea Turtle & the Helium Balloon" Just before the ritual the Holly King strode into the playing field and challenged the Oak King. This year we had our younger members taking the roles in circle so the two thirteen year olds played the parts with strong WWF overtones. It was great fun, with all the posturing, and costumes and play fighting. The Holly King triumphed as he should, and the two lead all of us to the circle.

Again the parts were all taken by our younger members. the High Priest ( a 16 year old boy) and High Priestess ( a 16 year old girl) anointed us as we filed into the circle while the Squire passed out helium balloons (this is why we had the teaching story). The circle was consecrated by the High Priestess with an Athame, then the elements were called. A six year old boy sprinkled sand and herbs around the circle while an adult member called Earth, an eight year old carried a "personal" fan around the circle, while an adult called Air, an eleven year old with a giant sparkler walked the circle as her aunt called Fire, a three year old girl with a squirt gun (and instructions only to shoot the rocks and plants) walked the circle, being very careful to get as much wet as she could, while her mother walked behind her calling Water and keeping the wee one moving. Finally a two year old boy, in his mother's arms, blew bubbles while his mom called Spirit.

Of necessity the ritual was short, but the Teacher (another 16 year old girl) read the explanation of Litha, the High Priestess lit the candles of blessing (one each for physical healing, spiritual healing, prosperity, relationships and special wishes). Next came the small feast. Our Squire passed out the chalices (each member has their own, and the guest got plastic stemmed glasses) the High Priestess blessed the wine (pink lemonade), the High Priest blessed the cakes (fresh picked strawberries) and the Teacher blessed the tokens (empowered stones). The high Priestess started at the north of the circle, pouring a bit of "wine into each participant's chalice, followed by the High Priest with the plate of "cakes" the Squire followed with a bowl of dark chocolate dipping sauce for an added bit of fun, then the Teacher gave each person a token.

The circle ended with the farewells to the Deities, then the adults saying the thank yous and goodbyes to the elements. Our High Priestess opened the circle and grounded the power which allowed us to disperse and continue our games and socializing not to mention visiting the dessert table. There was a sheet tacked by the dessert table with the types of stones passed out as tokens and their magical uses so everyone could find out what message the gods had for them.

Our very youngest guests tended to wind down and fall asleep, their parents packed them into car seats and quiet goodbyes were made. The older children and adults stayed long over desert and coffees. As the sun started to set we all gathered on the highest point of the property to wish the sun farewell and sing him to rest ending with the traditional "merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again".

The fire pit was a favorite gathering place long into the night, with marshmallows and tall tales all around. It was after midnight before we headed back to the house, with a couple of die-hards staying to tend the coals and be sure the fire was all the way out.

Those who were not working the next day, stayed over to help with the clean up and to get things back in order for every day life. Although this was not a "typical" ritual we had a wonderful time and we will gather again at Lammas.

The athame or witch's dagger in tradition represents fire but after Rider-Waite tarot some people choose to use the athame for air. So basically a witch can choose whether to use the athame to represent Fire or Air and can be used interchangeably with the wand. I personally choose the element to be Fire.

Well the Pagans considered the egg (and the hare) a symbol of fertility (the earths fertility as the plants and seeds began growing in spring). So you decide if you believe hunting for Rabbit laid eggs in spring a pagan practice.

Stonehendge is the main gathering point

No because "shadow people" do not exist in any pagan tradition.

There are, a variety of rituals and practices against shadow people in other mystical traditions (mostly wiccan derived) which do believe in shadow people.

There are pagan charms against malevolent spirits, but ghosts don't fall under that category.

Pagans don't believe in any version of Satan or any type of supreme evil.

There is no single holy book for Pagans. Pagans read many books, books written by other pagans.

One can say that the Holy book of Pagans is the Nature, Mother Earth.

A Widow's Peak is a style of hair, where the hairline recedes at the temples, as depicted by Bela Lugosi's Dracula. It has no bearing on, or relation to, Wiccan beliefs.

There is no actually means of accurately numbering how many can be in a city. Most Wiccans and Pagans often live in places where they are simple more comfortable, while others remain in the familial because of sentimental values and memories. Some seek out locations that have a natural and strong elemental affinity to that particular person. The city size and economy also assist in the choosing of where we rest our brooms. Basically we are the same as everyone else, so trying to gauge the number of Wiccans and/or Pagans in a city is similar to gauging African-americans, Asian, Caucasian or even Hispanic citizen. A census would give and marginally accurate number but rarely do these incorporate each individual religious background, grouping Wiccans and Pagans as New Age or Spiritual.

The 2 basic tenets of Paganism are that everything in the universe (animate & inanimate) is sacred, and that everything in the universe is in some way interconnected. One of my favorite quotes on the subject of interconnectedness is this:

"What befalls the Earth befalls the people on the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. What he does to the web, he does to himself." Chief Seattle (1854)

It is said that no one converts to Paganism, that one day you realize it's how you have always felt, and you thereafter decide to identify yourself as Pagan.

All living things have discernible vibrations. Try connecting to the vibrations of stone.

The lowest level is the conscious self which is also known as the talkative self. This is the level you are at during the day when your logical mind is working.

The middle point is the subconscious self or the point where you follow your intuition by shutting off the talkative self.

The highest level is the divine self where you are connected to the spiritual messages of the universe.

unfortunately you must go through the lowest level to get to the middle and the divine comes through the subconscious which is why Wiccans practice meditation regularly. Keep in mind however that meditation takes much practice.

There is no pagan god for the astrological sign of Sagittarius. Sagittarius is commonly pictured as an archer, and frequently that archer is a centaur. Centaurs are common in Greek mythology but are not gods.

That is a complicated question because there are many pagan deities from around the globe who have "died" and in some circumstances one could argue the symbolic meaning of the death as it relates to the people of the time was a death for the people.

A more simplified answer and example would be the "death" of the Horned God in the winter season to make room for the birth of the Sun God at the Winter Solstice as it is often viewed in Wicca and modern day witchcraft and paganism.

I'm not sure if this is the one that you are looking for. However, whenever I pray to Hecate - I use this one.

A Prayer to Hecate:

Triformis Goddess of the moon, of crossroads, of the underworld, of the secret powers of nature, and patron of witches.

Grant that my quest for knowledge, both exoteric and esoteric, shall be safe and fulfilling; that I be able to endure and succeed in all trials of faith and spirituality; that I be true to myself and my faith.

All the best. :)

There are not very many proven ways to know someone is using magic. You need to be secure in your own life, grounding your own powers and cleansing yourself properly. You need to be aware of what is going on in your life and in the world around you. In this way, you can avoid having harmful magic attach to you; your shields will protect you.

If you have odd things going on and cannot find a logical reason for them to happen, you might consider someone trying to use magic against you. You might also consider that karma exists - perhaps you are just getting back something that you put out before.

If you keep your personal shields strong and keep yourself and your spirit clean, it is very unlikely that anyone will be able to harm you by using magic.

"Voodoo" or Voudoun magic is a mixture of Catholicism and African tribal Paganism brought to the Western hemisphere by African slaves. It is primarily practiced in Central America and the southern United States by solitary practitioners and small groups.

Pagans are people, it is impossible to say that all pagans eat one specific diet.

There are no strict dietary regulation or requirements in paganism. We are basically omnivorous, however, some but not all are vegetarian, some but not all are vegan.

Pagan Kingdom ended in 1298.

The worst curse of all curses is believing that you're cursed. Experienced Witches know this... which is why we work hard to keep our minds sharp, and focused on more positive things. When you truly believe that a curse has a hold over you, your mind will act as though it does... which will affect your outer world. If you believe that the curse has power over you, then you will fall prey to its defeat. But, if you believe that you have the power to control your beliefs, you can nip into the bud. I'm also going to let you in on a little secret... "If you take contol of what goes on inside your head, you take control of what goes on outside it." This means, that if you take control of your beliefs, you can shift them toward understanding that "curses are only as real as you want them to be." I'm not saying evil doesn't exist. What I am saying is that if you believe that evil has power over you, you will find yourself incapable of defeating it. You will always be worried, afraid, or upset. And depending on how potent your mental activities are, strange and weird terrible things might occur in your reality. But if you take control, you will learn to understand that you are the primary source controlling whether or not you are cursed. If you take control, you will find that you will have already lifted the curse. While chants, prayers or spells, are fancy, and esoteric... they are really just a way of spicing things up a bit... to connect with spiritual forces on a deeper level. With that said, I like the ambiance of chants and prayers, anyway, so I'm going to give you one:

Dear (God/Great Spirit/ Lord and Lady/Jesus/ Virgin Mary whichever one you pray to...), I pray that you will help me focus my mind, that you will clear of it clutter. I pray that you will let me thinking clearly and accurately, and to know that I am capable, with your help, of removing any curse, by understanding that I don't have to allow any curse to overcome me. This is my will. So mote it be. Amen.

No, although the Druids did revere their ancestors they did not "worship" the dead.

Martin Luther encouraged using trees to symbolize the ever presence of God and the lights of the stars.




Christianity has always incorporated pagan elements so as to make it easier for non-jews to convert to Christianity. It makes sense if you consider that Christianity and Judaism were competing for converts in the first few centuries after Christianity arose.
Christmas trees are not really pagan any more. They have become a Christian symbol due to association.

It could mean that someone have (accidently or intentionally) put chicked bones on your car window. Probably you have parked the car near a fried chicken outlet.

Also there is a possibility that a chicken was died or killed on your car window and only now you have noticed.

Anyway, don't tuch those bones if you think it would be a bad thing, just put them away with a stick and wash.