Today is a significant day in the pagan calendar. It is the celebration of Samhain, which marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Samhain, also known as Halloween, is a time when the veil between the world of the living and the spirit world is believed to be thinnest, allowing for communication with the dead. This ancient Celtic festival is filled with various rituals and traditions, such as lighting bonfires, wearing costumes to ward off evil spirits, and carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns. It is a time of reflection, remembrance, and honoring the ancestors. On this day, pagans believe that the spirits of loved ones can return to visit, and it is common to set up an ancestral altar or participate in divination practices to connect with the other realm.
On this day, pagans believe that the spirits of loved ones can return to visit, and it is common to set up an ancestral altar or participate in divination practices to connect with the other realm. While Halloween has become a commercialized holiday in modern society, for pagans, it holds deep spiritual significance and serves as a time for communing with nature, honoring the cycles of life and death, and embracing the mysteries of the unseen world. So, on this pagan holiday of Samhain, take a moment to remember and honor the ancient traditions that have been passed down through generations.
20 - Kronos and the Titans as Powerful Ancestors: A Case Study of the Greek Gods in Later Magical Spells
There are some obvious and therefore less interesting ways in which the Greek gods show up in the magical texts of later antiquity. Sometimes the process involves shrinking a large-scale communal sanctuary down to the size of a personal shrine that can be placed in a house or even on top of a table. Thus Eitrem showed long ago how a series of divination spells in the Greek magical handbooks invoke Apollo by traditional cult names and require various implements and images associated with his oracular sites in Delphi, Klaros and Didyma. Indeed, one spell instructs us how to assemble a miniature temple for the god, replete with a small Delphic tripod and a laurel-bedecked cult statue. In addition to expropriating and miniaturizing Apollo's shrine, the hymns embedded in the recipe equate the god himself with Helios, the Jewish angels Gabriel and Michael, and the Egyptian sun god Re. Another unremarkable kind of survival is when chthonic deities like Hermes or Persephone continue to be invoked in cursing rituals that have clearly evolved from much earlier Greek defixiones , as in this archetype of a popular binding spell reconstructed from a recipe in PGM IV 335–406 and five lead curse-tablets, all of which were found in Egypt and date to the fourth century AD:
I deposit (παϱακατατίθεμαί) this binding charm (κατάδεσμος) with you, chthonic gods, Plouton uesemigadôn and Kore Persephone Ereschigal and Adonis also called barbaritha , and Hermes Katachthonios Thoth phôkensepseu arektathou misonktaik and mighty Anubis psêriphtha , who holds the keys of the gates to Hades, and chthonic demons, gods, men and women who suffered untimely death, youths and maidens.
The belief in a deity or multiple deities is often described as theism. However, theism can also refer to a specific religious proposition that all worldly things depend on the existence of a single supreme deity that is personally involved in the world. It can be contrasted with deism, the belief in a creator deity that is not involved in the world created, or pantheism, in which the deity is synonymous with the universe rather than supreme over it.
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Reviews for "Winter Solstice: How Pagan Traditions Influence Modern Celebrations"
1. Megan - 1 star
I really did not enjoy "What pagan holiday is today". The storyline felt forced and the characters were one-dimensional. The author seemed to be trying too hard to make the story intriguing, but it fell flat for me. Additionally, the pacing was off, with slow-moving scenes and abrupt, rushed resolutions. Overall, this book did not live up to my expectations and I would not recommend it.
2. Jason - 2 stars
I found "What pagan holiday is today" to be quite disappointing. The writing style was convoluted and hard to follow. It felt like the author was more focused on demonstrating their vocabulary prowess rather than creating an engaging and coherent story. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult to connect with them. While the premise had potential, the execution was subpar. I would not recommend this book to others.
3. Sophie - 2.5 stars
"What pagan holiday is today" was not my cup of tea. Although the concept seemed intriguing, it quickly became confusing and hard to follow. The narrative jumps between different timelines and perspectives without clear transitions, leaving me feeling disoriented. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it hard for me to invest in the story. While some elements of the book were interesting, overall, it failed to captivate me. I would advise others to approach this book with caution.