Pagans, also known as neo-pagans or contemporary pagans, hold a diverse range of beliefs and practices that are centered around nature, ancient traditions, and personal spiritual experiences. While there is no single set of beliefs that all pagans adhere to, there are some common themes that can be found among many pagan beliefs. Nature plays a central role in pagan beliefs, with many pagans seeing the natural world as sacred and interconnected. They may hold a belief in a divine or spiritual presence within the natural world, whether that is seen as a pantheon of gods and goddesses, spirits, or an overarching life force known as the divine or the universe. This belief in the sacredness of nature often leads pagans to engage in rituals, ceremonies, and practices that honor and connect with the natural world. Ancient traditions, myths, and legends are also significant in pagan beliefs, as pagans often draw inspiration from the practices and stories of pre-Christian societies around the world.
There was no ancient religion adhered to en masse in the British isles. There was no pagan religion standing opposed to encroaching Christians. Instead you had many religions based on an individual community’s needs, changeable at particular times, worshipping gods which we might not even recognize as gods today. When we find evidence of commonly recognized gods in ancient Britain, they tend to be northern European, not celtic.
There is no evidence that a thousand years after it was begun, the people finishing the job had any clue about what those who started it were trying to accomplish. Her concept involved a branch of witchcraft which had gone pretty much unchanged and undetected throughout the centuries, and that a careful reading of the transcripts of the witch trials made it possible to understand their belief system.
Ancient traditions, myths, and legends are also significant in pagan beliefs, as pagans often draw inspiration from the practices and stories of pre-Christian societies around the world. They may seek to revive and reinterpret these ancient ways of living and worshiping, adapting them to fit modern times. This can take the form of reconstructing ancient rituals, practicing divination, or working with ancient deities.
Happy Solstice! Let’s Talk About How Christmas Is Pagan.
Merry Solstice, the day where we recognize that the war on Christmas was won before it even started because all the good stuff about Christmas comes from pagan traditions. Actually we’re here to talk about all the winter traditions that celebrate this, the shortest day.
First, let’s talk about the date and the actual Solstice and why there are festivals of light in all sorts of cultures and faiths thing time of year: it’s dark. The winter solstice is the longest night and shortest day of the year and so a lot of cultures have winter festivals of light: Channukah is certainly one, the Chinese celebrate the Dongzhi festival at the solstice, and so is Diwali in India. The pagan, neolithic Britons built Stonehenge to mark the solstice and look for the light to return and be reborn.
The solstice is primal and having a celebration at this, the literal darkest time of the year to celebrate light is not only logical, in its way, but a natural human response to the world. The date of Christmas as we know it was probably moved to coincide with the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Within that big winter party was a celebration of a sun god, including an assimilated Persian god of light, Mithras or just the sun in general. Romans adopted Christianity and probably moved the date, as with many things. But it makes sense to celebrate the birth of god/light in the darkest time because of the solstice.
This is why there’s Christmas at Hogwarts.
So the date and even the nature of Christmas is not exclusively Christian, but the trimmings and trappings of the holiday are definitely pagan. The tradition of the Christmas tree comes from, yes, solstice traditions, where pagans would bring evergreen branches into their homes as a symbol of life persevering through the Yuletide. The same symbolism applied to holly and mistletoe. The yule log was an actual tree that german pagans cut down and burned through the night (and longer) to keep light alive.
Traditions have a way of evolving and changing of course. The Christmas tree came into popularity in Germany in the 17th century, and made its way over to England in the Victorian era – in fact it was Victoria that popularized it. And now, we don’t burn yule logs but we still keep the light alive in this season…with Christmas lights.
Presents and bounty at Christmas? That’s a long complicated path too. The magi brought gifts, yes, but again it’s about celebrating life and bounty in the darkest, dead season. Also, the solstice has a long association with children. If we go back to that Roman festival of Mithralia, it was part of a larger monthlong solstice adjacent party called Saturnalia. One of the sub-festivals was Juvenalia – a festival of children. So Christmas has always been there…
Which brings us to…Santa.
Saint Nicholas was a fourth-century saint, based on a possibly real Turkish or Greek bishop and a patron of beggars, prostitutes, and children. Santa passed down the years and took on characteristics of various Pagan figures, like, and old man Odin who rides a flying horse and leaves gifts for children in their boots. This is much like the Swedish folk legend of the Tomten – a cute little gnome in red that leaves treats in shoes.
Shoes became stockings, Odin and St. Nick and Tomten merged. Things grow and change. Santa also bears some resemblance to the Holly King, one of two aspects of Celtic pagan god that rules half of the year and then succumbs to the oak king. It’s another story of death and rebirth, of light retuning that resonates through the years. Sadly, we can’t find a pagan origin for the little guy that poops in nativities in Spain, but he’s great.
It’s ironic that the Fox News crowd yells so much about the “War on Christmas” because most of what makes the season what it is has decidedly un-Christian origins. From caroling that came from wassailing to decking the halls, it’s all older than they think, and far more about the longest night than what happened away in a manger. But it’s still about life, and giving, and warmth.
To close out, I want to share one last blending of traditions, new and old. In the 70s a show began in Hartford Connecticut called “The Christmas Revels” which blended music and traditions of Christmas and the solstice to create a community experience that celebrates specific cultures and stories of the winter. The revels now happen in cities across the country and at each performance, no matter what, the read the poem “The Shortest Day” by Susan Cooper.
And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us – listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
(image: Radu Andrei Razvan from Pexels)
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In Ancient Rome, the mythical age of Saturn's kingship was a golden age of happiness for all men, without theft or servitude, and without private property. Saturn, dethroned by his son Jupiter, had joined Janus as ruler in Italy, but when his time as earthly king was up, he disappeared. “It is said that to this day He lies in a magic sleep on a secret island near Britain, and at some future time . He will return to inaugurate another Golden Age.”
Another key aspect of paganism is the emphasis on personal spiritual experiences and individual journey towards truth, meaning, and connection. Pagans often believe in personal autonomy and the ability to have direct experiences with the divine or spiritual aspects of reality. This can involve practices such as meditation, trance work, and ritual that aim to cultivate these connections and experiences. It is important to note that paganism is a highly diverse and decentralized spiritual path, encompassing a wide range of beliefs and practices. There is no single authority or dogma governing pagan beliefs, and individual pagans may have widely different understandings and interpretations of what it means to be pagan. In summary, pagans hold a variety of beliefs and practices that are centered around nature, ancient traditions, and personal spiritual experiences. They see the natural world as sacred, draw inspiration from ancient ways of living and worshiping, and emphasize personal autonomy and individual spiritual journeys. While there is no single set of beliefs that all pagans share, these themes are often present in pagan beliefs and traditions..
Reviews for "The Intersection of Paganism and Ecology"
1. John - 1/5 - I found "What pagans hold as true" to be extremely disappointing. The author seemed to generalize and stereotype the entire pagan community, which I found offensive. It was clear that the author did not do enough research and instead relied on preconceived notions and misinformation. I was hoping for a more nuanced and informative book, but all I got was a shallow and biased view of paganism.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - As someone who has studied and practiced paganism for years, I was excited to read "What pagans hold as true" as I thought it would provide insight and expand my understanding of different pagan beliefs. However, I was ultimately let down by the book. The writing was dry and lacking in depth, and the information presented was often oversimplified and inaccurate. It felt like the author was attempting to generalize a diverse and complex belief system into a one-size-fits-all narrative, which did not do justice to paganism. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive and accurate understanding of paganism.
3. Emma - 1/5 - I found "What pagans hold as true" to be incredibly biased and disrespectful towards pagan beliefs. The author seemed to have a predetermined agenda and was not interested in presenting a balanced view of paganism. Instead, it felt like a thinly veiled attempt to delegitimize pagan practices and beliefs. I expected a more open-minded and informative book, but unfortunately, this was not the case. I would highly discourage anyone from reading this book if they are looking for a fair and objective exploration of paganism.
4. James - 2/5 - While "What pagans hold as true" touched on some interesting aspects of paganism, I felt that it lacked depth and nuance. The information presented was surface-level and did not provide a comprehensive understanding of pagan beliefs and practices. Additionally, the author seemed to focus on the more sensationalized aspects of paganism and overlooked the diversity and complexity within the pagan community. Overall, I was left wanting more from this book and would not recommend it to those seeking a thorough exploration of paganism.