In 2022, there are several pagan holidays that are celebrated in the United States. These holidays are rooted in ancient cultures and traditions and are observed by many modern pagans and witches. One of the pagan holidays celebrated in 2022 is Imbolc, which falls on February 2nd. Imbolc is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring and the end of winter. It is associated with the goddess Brigid and is a time for purification and new beginnings. Many pagans celebrate Imbolc by making offerings to Brigid, performing divination rituals, and lighting candles.
As a child, Maleficent lived a peaceful life in an enchanted forest known as the Moors and had a close friendship with the young Stefan until one day he betrayed her and stole her wings as proof he killed her so he could become king. Maleficent becomes enraged over his treachery and as her heart of gold turns to stone she becomes the most evil being in the land.
However, when determined enough, Maleficent was able to snap an iron chain holding a chandelier with her wings, proving that even iron could barely slow her down when she was at her most dangerous. The Broadway play Wicked recast the Wicked Witch of the West as a misunderstood victim of prejudice, while George Lucas Star Wars prequels revealed the fearsome Darth Vader as a tragic figure who is manipulated into sacrificing his humanity in order to save his wife and unborn children.
Many pagans celebrate Imbolc by making offerings to Brigid, performing divination rituals, and lighting candles. Another pagan holiday celebrated in 2022 is Beltane, which takes place on May 1st. Beltane is a Celtic festival welcoming the arrival of summer.
Maleficent a modern classic
Maleficent is Disney revisiting its own Sleeping Beauty.
Maleficent was the villain of the piece in the 1959 original. She was the archetypal evil witch, who casts the spell that sends the virtuous princess off to the land of nod. In Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent's "evil" goes pretty much unexplained. We know that she was excluded from the young princess's christening, but that always did seem like scant reason for going quite as troppo as she does. She's just "bad" says Sleeping Beauty,and the various fairy tales that film drew from, and that's all the audience were ever to know.
Maleficent, via a quite beautifully fashioned back-story, posits her as a woman much wronged. Once the most powerful of the fairies, tasked with protecting the natural world from too much human incursion, she challenged the human king, and was cruelly robbed of her wings. She is, quite literally, cast down.
Butchered, betrayed, embittered; this is the woman who vows revenge on the king by cursing his daughter. Even then she gives the princess an escape clause: The curse can be broken by "true love's kiss", but this is poetic justice for the king, who once promised exactly that kiss to the young Maleficent.
There is so much be said about the cleverness, the boldness, and the wit of Linda Woolverton's (The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland) screenplay. It rigorously and perfectly does everything we might expect a Disney epic to do. There are laughs, terrifically engaging characters, some stunning set pieces, and an utterly satisfying resolution. At that level, Maleficent is vintage Disney, equal to any of the studio's recent best work.
But Maleficent does something else, and it's this that makes the film so admirable: I've sat through a decade and more of Tolkien adaptations for which the filmmakers had to invent female characters, just to conform to some spurious studio need for a "love interest", and every week I watch films - for kids and adults - in which the female characters are nothing but accessories or objects for the male characters to chase, fight over, or belittle. Maleficent turns it all on its head.
Here nearly all the significant characters are women.
Maleficent reclaims the "evil witch" archetype, and rewrites her as the wise woman struggling against the stupidity of greedy men. It's overdue, it's deftly done, and it happens within a film that still ticks every box an audience of littlies could ask for.
I turned up at Maleficent expecting good story-telling, spectacular visuals, a performance of dark and fiery pulchritude from Angelina Jolie, and I got all that. This is a gorgeous looking film, only slightly let down by a typically dark 3D transfer, while Jolie is truly fantastic, and her co-stars all do their work like good'uns.
What I wasn't expecting to see was a feminist reclamation of an entire fairytale tradition, all the way back to that one set in the Garden of Eden.
Maleficent is a dazzling and engaging film. I honestly believe it is a modern classic.
What I wasn't expecting to see was a feminist reclamation of an entire fairytale tradition, all the way back to that one set in the Garden of Eden.
It is a time for fertility, abundance, and celebrating the earth's renewal. People often celebrate Beltane by dancing around a maypole, lighting bonfires, and participating in rituals that honor the union of the god and goddess. Litha, also known as Midsummer, is another pagan holiday observed in 2022. It occurs on June 21st and marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Litha is a time to honor the sun, embrace the warmth and light, and celebrate the abundant harvest to come. Pagans often celebrate Litha by lighting bonfires, performing rituals to promote growth and vitality, and spending time outdoors in nature. Samhain is a pagan holiday celebrated on October 31st, which coincides with Halloween. It is a time to honor ancestors, remember the dead, and reflect on the cycle of life and death. Many pagans celebrate Samhain by setting up altars to honor their ancestors, divining the future, and engaging in rituals that involve the merging of the spiritual and physical realms. Yule, or the Winter Solstice, is another pagan holiday observed in 2022. It occurs on December 21st and marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. Yule is a time to celebrate the returning of the light and the rebirth of the sun. Pagans often celebrate Yule by lighting candles, feasting, exchanging gifts, and performing rituals to bring warmth and light into the darkness of winter. These pagan holidays provide an opportunity for people to connect with nature, honor their spiritual beliefs, and celebrate the cycles of life. While these holidays may not be widely recognized or observed by the general population, they hold great significance for those who follow pagan traditions. In 2022, pagans in the United States will come together to celebrate these ancient holidays and honor the wisdom and traditions of their ancestors..
Reviews for "Pagan Holidays in the US: A Journey through Time and Nature"
1. John - 1 star - "Pagan holidays 2022 us" was not what I expected at all. The format was confusing and hard to follow. It felt like the author was just throwing random information at me without any clear structure or organization. Additionally, the information provided was very basic and lacked depth. I was hoping for a more detailed exploration of pagan holidays in the US, but I was left feeling unsatisfied and disappointed. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive and well-written guide to pagan holidays.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - I found "Pagan holidays 2022 us" to be quite underwhelming. The writing style was dry and unengaging, making it difficult to stay interested in the content. The book also lacked the necessary depth, leaving many topics feeling superficially covered. I was hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the history and significance of pagan holidays in the US, but this book fell short of my expectations. I would suggest looking for alternative resources if you're looking for a more comprehensive and engaging exploration of pagan holidays.