Pagan interest thread

[MoonFaceMama]

Hello,

As a pagan who practices alone i sometimes find it difficult to mark the passing of the wheel of the year in a secular society which largely ignores there things (ie, i sometimes forget special days ) I get the feeling there might be others on here who feel the same, or who do remember, and that maybe we could support each other in reminders and suggestions for celebrations...

Personally i tend to mark the seasons in ways that feel appropriate and are informal, i'm not big into ritual (but willing to discuss this with those who are). Now that i have a ds i think i'm more concious of helping him to have structure to his year (when i was little i had this through the church) and am considering joining a local pagan group so that i have a community of support in this, which might, in time, be available to him should he wish to access it.

So...a place to discuss pagan celebrations, ideas etc... Any takers?

Hi jolly! Welcome!

what is priestess of avalon training? i am northern and very informal (that's my excuse!)

I love lights too! We're getting our tree this weekend and then off to the Forest to hunt for a Yule Log.

just popping in to say hi again.

With a small child in the house excited about Christmas and Santa we do that here too, but in an understated way.

I observe Yule, i usually bring greenery in from the garden to decorate the house the day before and will have a nice meal and some time to myself to reflect on the past year and what is yet to come. DP doesn't really observe but will join me in candle lighting. DS is at his dad's half the week so not always here on the actual day, but I do include him if he is.....usually in the kitchen with food prep/cake making
Our beautiful pear tree lost a big bough this autumn and so we have put the wood from that aside to season for next year, so this year it will just be a choice log from the existing wood pile, but next year I will be using the pear log for Yule.

DP and I have had a good chuckle at the DM article, it's just really bad journalism. DP did laugh at the first picture and say 'now why don't you do that? I might be more interested if there was more nudity in your observance'

It has come up in discussion a few times with friends just lately about how grey and depressing this time of year is, and I realised that since embracing the Wheel of the Year more I haven't been nearly as low during the winter months as i used to. I think that seeing the beauty of nature in her dormancy, waiting to burst forth in the spring and actually noticing how the lack of light casts a different kind of beauty over all around me, is actually keeping those low feelings at bay. Has anyone else found this?

QUeenrollo I completely agree about the pleasures of winter!

I see it as a time to indulge in crunching grass, pikelets toasted on fires, wooly jumpers, misty walks, feeling "the bennefit", dark nights, christmas cake with wensleydale and mulled wine etc etc... I would be bereft without it.
Of course I love summer too..and spring...and autumn

Grockle we have a tree in a pot that we have a had a few years 9called englebert [hmmm] ) that will migrate inside with us again this year...despite being a little patchy!

Priestess of Avalon trainign is basically a Goddess trainign run by Kathy Jones in Glastonbury. It's mainly weekend based approx once a month/6 weekly with stuff in between. It's pricy though which is why I've never tackled it before. Having now met someone who has done it though I am more confident that it is the way forward for me.
There is a website here

Hi, I'm relatively new to MN, I'm delighted to find so many open minded people here. I've been pagan for 2o odd years now. I was part of a group but it all went pear-shaped, there are megalomaniacs in every part of society. Unfortunately having an intimate relationship with nature and your own deity is no bar to being power hungry. I am a Priestess of Isis, I was called by Isis during one of the festivals, I'd previously had a less intimate relationship with a generic earth Goddess. For me the whole point of paganism is the free-form of worship and ritual. The rituals I do are all written by me and others I work with occasionally. Now I have dd4 I don't really have the time for inspiration to get thro, fortunately I've got quite a full book of shadows to work from. If anyone wanted help with forms of worship, protections etc I'd be more than happy to help.

Welcome ChildofIsis

Any of you watching Rick Stein... Interesting bit on Pagan celebration.

Hi ChildofIsis, so glad you found us

Grockle I recorded Rick Stein, I loved his attitude to the Pagan celebrations, and what a very Green, Green man!

I am feeling rotten at the moment, can't seem to shake off a virus or something and it's making me a bit tearful and bleurgh about Yule and Christmas. I'm just tired I guess.

So if you have any ideas about healing I would appreciate it .

Say Aargh!!

We are all trimmed up - love this time of year - we have holly and ivy and nice suitable green Father Christmasses (as well as tacky red ones obviously).

Our house is shining in the dark and you can really see how a 'festival of light and feasting' was needed in the past before electricity etc. - in all cultures...to get folk through the winter.

What other preparations are you making for yule? I have Frankincense crackling away on my burner too - bliss.

I cannot find a green father christmas anywhere

Blame the coca-cola company. They're the reason our green Father christmas turned red.
I haven't seev any this year, sometimes they can be found in independent gift shops.

Hi Everyone,

Happy Yule Eve!

I jave been so busy lately i've barel hadtime to sit still...never mind MN and still have my halloween name

I hope you are feeling better Earthy! How is the new grandson?

Welcome Isis

We are fully dec'ed too Penny! bar a wreat that I'll collect stuff for tommorow.

YULE!!

I am planning three walks...one to greet the rising sun... one in the afternooon to collect wreath materials and other greenery to "Dec the Halls" and one as the sun sets. With any luck the moonrise will be as beautifull as this evning.

Then a lovely onion tart for tea. Maybee I'll take a dram of green ginger wine out on the evening walk

owever....I have no cake planned! I have a total mind block..suggestions gratefully recieved!

Anyone else still around and celebrating?

nearly the solstice. Am looking forward to the peace it brings. Will no doubt have a glass of champs tomorrow night to welcome back the light!

Hello, may I join? Just found this thread... lovely timing!

A Happy Solstice to All, and blessed with a Lunar Eclipse too.

A quiet Yule here, due to the weather. We will make our table centrepiece today, and go for a lovely walk in the local woods.

Finished off with a lovely yummy dinner and cake

WElcome Sis!

Hello Funny, good on you with the champers!

Moonmother, what cake are yu having?

We have lentil soup for lunch later...the little red lentils remind me off the sun at this time of year.

We saw part of the lunar eclipse earlier, it was lovely till it faded and dropped below the fuzz of the horizon.

And the sunrise oppostie was glorious!

Happy Yule to all!

Hello all,

I have a wonderful feeling about today - it all feels rather magical. Yesterday was my birthday and on the way home from a lovely day out, we drove past Stonehenge which looked amazing under the glorious full moon. I was tempted to return there today but couldn't face hoards of tourists so I have walked to the sea instead. It was very peaceful and grounding. It was too cloudy to see the eclipse this morning but I did go out and look (with mad bed hair and pyjamas) and said a little prayer stolen from a FB friend. This morning I have been finishing my fruit cakes for tonight/ christmas. I was going to make what I call mooncakes (almondy crescent biscuits) but i have no almonds so I shall paint DS's bedroom instead

Solstice blessings to you all

Hope everyones enjoying heir day.

Sadly we couldn't see the eclipse as our sky is full of snow cloud but we did watch it online.

Had a lovely walk this morning and has a lovely lunch of butternut and red onion soup.

We picked some lovely foilage to go with the holly and ivy from the garden to make our table centre piece , and are just waiting for it to dry out before creating.

I have a lovely shoulder of lamb slow roasting in the oven, this will be our last 'big' meal before xmas , so it's Roast Lamb and all the trimmings followed by a yummy lightly spiced fruit cake and custard for pudding.

Oh and mulled wine this evening

Happy Solstice/ Yule everyone. Had a glass or two of champs and went outside to welcome the return of the light. Then retreated inside to have lovely lamb rogan josh and a glass of pinotage and toast the solstice. Yum, but am very full now

Just found this thread! Epic timing.

Happy Solstice/Yule everybody :)

Just wanted to say hello. haven't got time to read the whole thread at mo.

Happy Solstice for everyone for yesterday

Blessed be

xx

Hope you all had a lovely day.

We did!

Welcome toria and insolsticecat.

Grockle i am very of your moonlit stonehenge...i've never been.

Hi Blessings Everyone, I'm sorry I missed you all. I left to go on holiday in a rush because of the snow and I had promised myself a break from t'int whilst away.

We had a wonderful Yule in Glastonbury in the snow, Meditation and Yule celebrations with the Green Man carrying a Yule log for us to fill with blessings, fears, dreams etc. Then singing around the Yule Fire.

An evening Solstice celebration in the Goddess Temple and a lovely meal completed our day.

I hope you all had lovely Yuletide and Christmas celebrations, I missed my family but we've had lovely times since we got home and I have had many cuddles with my newest baby boy, (who is a delight, thanks, MFM! )

PS I did smile at the ruck on the thread that asked if we celebrate Christmas.....chilling!!