Category: Miscellaneous Pagan
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Daily Devotions
From moonlitpriestess.com
The practice of acknowledging the deity in one’s life at least once a day. Method of devotions may differ based on tradition or individual preferences.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Kerfan
From moonlitpriestess.com
Another term for the white-handled knife as opposed to boline. More likely to be used in traditions where the boline is for garden-use only.
Happy Saturday my WOTC Family
How are you all doing today? As for me I feel exhausted even after a good night’s sleep. I have read and been told this is normal when recovering from the covid virus. I sure hope this and the bad cough with shortness of breathe goes away sooner than later. So the birthday horoscope and current Moon phase will go up for today at some point I am just not sure of when.
Besides not getting posts done I have watched way to much television. I first finished my binge of Chicago Med which led to a binge of Chicago Fire which led to the show I am binge watching now Chicago PD. Yes all three shows are interconnected. They are very interesting to me as I have lived all but about five years of my life either in the suburbs of or in Chicago, Illinois so with many outside scenes I can say, “I know where that is!”
I also have been sporadically reading “News Breaks” about the Rusdian – Ukraine War, earthquakes, wildfires, and drought that is happening worldwide. With all these horrible disasters I ask that all of us join together at 11:00 AM CDT tomorrow, Sunday for the northern hemisphere and Monday for the southern hemisphere, to light a white candle for complete cease fighting to occur in all wars everywhere, a red candle to bring strength and a blue candle for comfort for all people and animals effect by the wars and natural disasters.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Esbat
From moonlitpriestess.com
A lunar celebration honoring the Goddess. Most commonly full moons, although new and dark moons are also observed in some traditions. May also be used to refer to any ritual gathering of Witches or celebration scheduled between Sabbats.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Dabbler
From moonlitpriestess.com
Refers to a person who, without proper training and/or education, decides to practice any form of magick; generally considered as harmless in most cases, but can cause ill effects (typically in the dabbler’s own life) due to the lack of required knowledge, awareness, and/or skill depending upon the specifics dabbled in.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Blue Moon
From moonlitpriestess.com
The second full moon occurring in the same month. Originally referred to the third of four full moons occurring in one season.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Bioelectrical Energy
From moonlitpriestess.com
Energy naturally created by muscular contraction available for use during magick; replenished by basic life necessities such as food, air, sunlight, etc.
Wheel of the Year: The 8 Wiccan Holiday Festivals
For the Northern Hemisphere
For the Southern Hemisphere
In Wicca, we make it a point to honor both feminine and masculine energies, lunar and solar cycles. When we’re practicing our craft according to the lunar cycles, we honor the Moon Goddess with esbats. However, we also have eight solar festivals throughout the year, which are represented by the Wiccan Wheel of the Year.
The Wheel of the Year is a physical representation of the eight pagan festivals that celebrate nature’s life cycles. These eight Sabbats include four solar events — two solstices and two equinoxes — and four cross-quarter events. But how did this calendar come about in the first place?
The Origin of the Wheel of the Year Calendar
Many historians postulate that ancient pagans marked the passing of time by celebrating certain solar events. On top of that, some of their celebrations were a way to mark events that had agricultural significance. Even so, we can’t say that the seasonal festivals we’re about to discuss ever existed in their current forms. So how did we get to the Wheel of the Year we observe today?
Well, believe it or not, the Wiccan Sabbats are a result of decades, if not centuries, of modern interpretations of ancient rites. In fact, some pretty famous scholars unknowingly participated in the…
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Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Axis Mundi
From moonlitpriestess.com
Also referred to as the World Tree, the cosmic axis on which all connected realms are centered.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Aura
From moonlitpriestess.com
A single or multi-colored light produced by heat energy and electromagnetic energy that emanates from all objects. Some believe the ability to physically see an aura can be developed and used to help in understanding a person’s state of health and personality. Some schools of thought count several layers of auras, though only the one is currently backed by modern science.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Boline
From moonlitpriestess.com
A white-handled knife (sometimes curved, somewhat like a hand-held scythe) used for inscribing, harvesting herbs, etc. In some traditions, the boline is separate from the white-handled knife and used exclusively in the garden.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Archetype
From moonlitpriestess.com
Universal pattern, symbol, or figure believed to be of primordial origins; typically used as a form of language between the conscious and subconscious minds. The most famous theories and discussions of the role and importance of archetypes were first proposed by psychologist Carl Jung.
August 2022 Full and New Moon Esbats
From modernwellnesswitch.com
AUGUST 12TH
CORN MOON IN AQUARIUS
Magical Influence: A time of harvest, vitality and appreciation. Focus on health and friendships.
Moon Correspondences:
Plants: Bay, fennel, hazel, sunflower, St Johns wort, rue, cedar, hazel, orange, marigold, chamomile, & alder
Colors: Gold & yellow
Stones: Carnelian, fire agate, cat’s eye, & jasper
Animals: Dragon, crane, lion, phoenix, falcon, & eagle
AUGUST 27TH
NEW MOON IN VIRGO
Magical Influence: This New Moon in Virgo is the time to reset and start fresh. It’s also a good time to reassess your current path and try to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
AUGUST PAGAN CALENDAR OF OBSERVANCES
AUG. 1: LUGHNASSADH / LAMMAS SABBAT: First Harvest—Bread Harvest. First Harvest Festival of the Celtic Sun God Lugh.
AUG. 2: Feast of the Black Madonna – Gnostic celebration of the Dark Goddess
AUG. 3: Day of the Dryads – Greek celebration of the Macedonian maiden spirits of woods and water.
AUG. 3-4: Feast of Old Greek Goddess Artemis (Roman Diana) – Defender of rights and liberties, and punisher of rapists and oppressors.
AUG. 5: Celtic Tree Month of Hazel begins.
AUG. 6: Celtic Fire Festival of Tan Hill.
AUG. 9: Druid Feast of the Fire Spirits
– Roman Vinalia Rustica: wine festival of Venus and Pan
AUG. 11-13: Feast of Father Sky – Honoring God as Obatala (Yoruba/Santeria), Ouranos (Greek), Svarog (Slavic), Thor (Norse), Taranis (Celtic), Dyaus (Hindu).
– Celtic Puck Fair – Fertility Festival.
AUG. 12: The Lights of Isis, Festival of the Egyptian Goddess Isis.
AUG. 19: Roman Vinalia: Marriage of Bacchus
AUG. 20: Marriage of the God and Goddess—Sun God enters Earth Goddess and rules Underworld as Lord of the Shadows.
AUG. 21: Festival of Hecate—Invoking her to protect the harvests now that the God resides within her aspect as the Earth Goddess.
AUG. 21: Greek Festival of Hecate – To protect the harvest.
AUG. 24: Feast of Egyptian God Osiris – Partner and true love of Isis, and father of Horus; guide of all husbands, fathers, and judges.
AUG. 25: Norse God Odin receives knowledge.
– Roman Festival of Goddess Ops – Lady of the Cornucopia, Bounty of the Harvest and Sustainer of Life.
AUG.27: Feast of Egyptian Goddess Isis – Partner and true love of Osiris, and mother of Horus; guide of all wives, mothers, healers, advocates, and teachers.
AUG. 28: Norse Harvest Festival.
AUG. 29 -Sep 11: Return of Isis – Egyptian festival marking the return to Egypt of Goddess Isis (as the star of Sept/Sirius) and God Osiris (as the rising Nile River).
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Ankh
From moonlitpriestess.com
An ancient Egyptian symbol resembling a cross with a loop at the top. It symbolizes life and cosmic knowledge. Most Egyptian Gods and Goddess are shown carrying one. Also known as the crux ansata, the Ankh is used in modern craft for fertility and health.
Living Liminally: Discerning Good Source Material
One thing that’s important for anyone who relies, to any degree, on sources outside themselves for spirituality – or anything else – is being able to judge a good source from a bad one. So today I want to just run down a quick list of ways to vett sources of any type to decide how much weight you should give to something. Even if a source isn’t perfect it may have value – or it may be immediately tossed out. It depends on how it measures up.
- What sources does this source use? – One of the first things I do with any new source, be it written, video, in person, or what-have-you, is to try to look at what sources that source is using. Are they talking purely from personal gnosis? Are they using academic texts? Are they using other authors based in personal gnosis? Are they using well known and respected sources? Are they referencing conspiracy theorists or known white supremacists? Do they have no sources at all that they admit to? All of these things need to be taken into account. Something that’s entirely personal gnoses isn’t necessarily bad but needs to be understood in that context, while something from a deeply flawed or problematic source will be eliminated.
- Never once the Wikipedia – Okay this is bit ranty right here, but as soon as I see wikipedia listed as a source for anything I’m done with that source. There’s a very good reason that wikipedia can’t be used in college, university, or even high school classes: its notoriously unreliable and oddly biased. Anyone can and does edit wikipedia and while its true that wikipedia cites sources and includes references pretty much any print or online source can be used and there is no quality control. Let me repeat; there is no quality control. The entry on Baobhan Sithe was sourced mainly from modern vampire guides, themselves largely repeating modern urban legends, and from RPG guidebooks. No really. The entry on Finnbheara contained an assertion straight from a fiction novel (I removed it, because remember anyone can edit wikipedia). Please don’t trust anything on wikipedia or any article using wiki as a source. Just don’t.
- What is the author’s bias? – Every author or teacher has biases, that’s just human nature. Figuring out what to think of a source means understanding what that source’s biases are and …
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