Pagan holidays in 2023 will offer a diverse range of celebrations and rituals throughout the year. These holidays, rooted in ancient traditions and beliefs, will provide practitioners with opportunities to connect with nature, honor deities, and mark important moments in the turning of the seasons. One of the first pagan holidays in 2023 will be Imbolc, which traditionally takes place on February 1st or 2nd. Imbolc celebrates the early signs of spring, such as the lengthening of daylight and the first stirrings of life in the natural world. It is a time for purification and renewal, and many pagans will light candles, make offerings, and perform rituals to welcome the coming season. In March, pagans will celebrate Ostara, which coincides with the spring equinox.
City of Katheer in Qadira has a "number of arcane colleges", of which the Mage of the Veil archetype is a product of.
The species has a large range, with populations predominantly found in eastern North America spanning from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Coast and as far south as northeastern Mexico and Florida. This is a fast-paced thriller of a story, with lots of good things going for it, including Onyeka, mysteries and plot twists though the plot twist seemed fairly obvious to me, it probably wouldn t to a younger reader.
In March, pagans will celebrate Ostara, which coincides with the spring equinox. This holiday honors the return of fertility and new beginnings, symbolized by the lengthening days and the awakening of plants and animals. Pagans may perform rituals involving eggs, flowers, and seeds to connect with the energy of growth and renewal.
Susie petite magical academy
As I mentioned earlier this week, I’m always excited for a good magical school story, and I’ve been so excited to see how many of them have been coming out this year, especially starring Black girls. You can take your pick between a school set in historic manor in Louisiana and one set at a futuristic school in Nigeria.
Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas. Abrams, 2022. ISBN 978-1419755613. Read from library copy.
New Orleans middle schooler Hassani has two main goals: to make it as a YouTuber with her channel “Makeup on the CheapCheap” to get her separated parents to reunite. So when her father takes her to meet his new partner, Sandy, after they’ve already bought a house together, Hassani is outraged. This leads to something that she only realizes is an outburst of magic after she is invited to attend Belles Demoiselles, a six-week-long magic academy/finishing school.
Of course Hassani is thrilled to go, but once there, finds the school filled with girls who’ve been practicing their magic for years and all have clothing and room decor to match their “signature flowers,” and look down on Hassani and her dollar store YouTube channel. The rules are unclear but the punishments are strict, leaving Hassani to wonder if she’s in the right place after all. But with a good deal of effort, she does learn more about her powers and her flaws, makes some friends – and perhaps most importantly to the child reader, learns to use her powers to attract adorable kittens.
I was a bit torn about this book. On the one hand, it’s grounded in Black New Orleans history with all-Black characters at the school, while Hassani’s best friend at home is Latina. I also liked that Hassani was able to recognize and address her own biases and work to fix problems she’s caused other people. On the other hand, this magic school had an emphasis on traditionally feminine etiquette that did not appeal to me at all. And the teachers didn’t seem to realize until almost the end of the book that they were punishing Hassani for not meeting expectations they’d never clarified to her, which seemed unnecessarily unkind. That being said, between the magic, the relatable friend and family dynamics, the quest for YouTube stardom, and of course, the kittens, I could see a lot of kids really enjoying this book.
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu. Read by Nneka Okogwu. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2022. ISBN 9781665912617. Listened to audiobook on Libby.
Onyeka and her mother have always just scraped by, moving from one cheap apartment to another. She’s never met her father, and her mother has never told her anything about him or why they moved to London from Nigeria. Onyeka’s always wondered, especially because her big, wild hair seems to set people in England on edge. But when her hair saves her best friend from drowning, she finally learns the truth: she is Solari, and called to go to a state-run school in Nigeria to learn how to use her powers. In this near-future story, Nigeria leads the world in technology, and the students have lots of high-tech help in their missions. defending the school from the Rogues. Onyeka makes friends and finds community, but also learns that not all is as it seems at the school that at first feels like a dream come true.
This is a fast-paced thriller of a story, with lots of good things going for it, including Onyeka, mysteries and plot twists (though the plot twist seemed fairly obvious to me, it probably wouldn’t to a younger reader.) I really enjoyed watching (or listening to) Onyeka learn to use her powers, and the audiobook version let me hear the accents in all their glory, from London to Lagos. My biggest problem is that while I wanted it to be empowering for the unruly Black hair to have actual magic powers, using the powers made her sick as a matter of course, and that undermined a lot of the Black hair positivity for me. Still, this is a valuable addition to the magical school roster.
What are your favorite magical school books?
The Acadamae in Korvosa
The Stone of the Seers in Magnimar
The Arcanamirium in Absalom
Beltane, celebrated on May 1st, marks the height of spring and the beginning of summer. This holiday is associated with fertility and abundance and is often celebrated with bonfires, dancing, and rituals to honor the union of the masculine and feminine energies in the natural world. Litha, or the summer solstice, falls on June 21st and is a celebration of the longest day of the year. Pagans will gather to honor the sun and the power of light, often by lighting bonfires, singing, and dancing. This is a time of celebration and joy, when pagans may also perform rituals to honor specific deities associated with the sun. As the year turns towards autumn, pagans will celebrate Lammas on August 1st. Lammas is a harvest festival, where the first grains and fruits of the season are offered in gratitude for the abundance of the earth. Pagans may bake bread, create harvest altars, or perform rituals to honor the cycles of life and death. Mabon, the autumn equinox, falls on September 21st and marks the second harvest of the year. Pagans will come together to give thanks for the fruits of their labor and to prepare for the coming winter. It is a time of balance and reflection, when pagans may perform rituals to honor their ancestors and seek guidance for the darkening months ahead. Finally, pagans will celebrate Samhain on October 31st, which is also known as Halloween. Samhain is a time to honor the dead and to reflect on the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. Pagans may hold ceremonies to remember their ancestors, to honor the spirits, and to mark the turning of the year. Overall, pagan holidays in 2023 will provide practitioners with opportunities to connect with the natural world and to honor the changing seasons. These celebrations will be marked by rituals, feasting, and gatherings, as pagans come together to honor their beliefs and to celebrate their connection to the cycles of life..
Reviews for "Unveiling Ancient Wisdom: Pagan Festivals in 2023"
- Jane - 1 star - I was really disappointed with "Pagan Holidys 2023". The whole premise of the book seemed intriguing, but I found the execution to be lackluster. The characters felt one-dimensional and the plot was predictable. Additionally, the writing style was not engaging and I struggled to stay interested throughout the book. Overall, I would not recommend it.
- Mark - 2 stars - "Pagan Holidys 2023" had so much potential, but it fell short for me. The concept was unique and the world-building was decent, but the pacing was extremely slow. It took too long to get to the main conflict, and even then, it didn't feel satisfying. The lack of character development also made it difficult for me to connect with the story. I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't consider it a standout in the genre.
- Sarah - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Pagan Holidys 2023" as I'm a fan of the author's previous works, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The plot felt disjointed and the transitions between scenes were abrupt, making it difficult to follow the story. The characters were also underdeveloped and I couldn't connect with any of them. It pains me to say this, but this book just wasn't for me.