Spoiler: It’s not good news. The modern 8 High Days of the Pagan calendar (or wheel of the year) comes from early Wicca, which based much of its traditions from Celtic and occult sources. Over nearly a century, we’ve become better at understanding the practices and beliefs of our pagan fore-bearers, but we can’t simplyContinue reading “The Real History of the Summer Solstice”
Author Archives: WorldTreeHeritage
Paganism and LGBTQ+ Pride
Happy Pride, y’all! I want to get down to how we can adapt Paganism to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. Let’s add some Queer Theory to our religious practices. I want to look at lore, phrasing, and especially concepts within Paganism that we should look at with a critical eye. Queering Pagan LoreContinue reading “Paganism and LGBTQ+ Pride”
How to Make Pagan Offerings: What to Say and What to Give in Ritual
We are finally on to the practical aspects of ritual! This is part three in a series of articles about Pagan offerings and ritual. Part 1 and Part 2 are focused on the reasoning behind why we do ritual. Now, we are looking at how we do ritual. Per previous parts of this series, thereContinue reading “How to Make Pagan Offerings: What to Say and What to Give in Ritual”
Connect to the Land This Summer
Ah, summertime! Warmth, flowers, fairies, what else do you need? I suspect a lot of us Pagans like to get out in nature in the summer, but how do we bring our spirituality with us? I’m a sucker for learning, so one of my tips is to “learn more,” but keep in mind that learningContinue reading “Connect to the Land This Summer”
Do Your Research! Pagan History and Lore
Back in January, I said I would do a book series, and I made a post about the different kinds of books a Pagan should read. In the meantime, I’ve realized that there is an ableist assumption in focusing so much on books and reading. Really, there’s an ableist assumption in demanding people learn throughContinue reading “Do Your Research! Pagan History and Lore”
Celebrating the Wonnezeit Season and Frau Holle
Frau Holle If you’re a Heathen, you may have heard about Frau Holle. She is most famous (even today in Germany) for a fairytale about her collected by the Brothers Grimm. Similar to figures like Baba Yaga, many people argue that in pre-Christian times she was a goddess. Many other-worldly beings in folktales have beenContinue reading “Celebrating the Wonnezeit Season and Frau Holle”
How to Make Pagan Offerings: Speaking to the Gods
The thing about polytheism is that there are many (poly) gods. And beyond the gods, there are spirits and ancestors. There are a lot of beings, and it can be overwhelming! So how do you approach the gods and other spirits? Who do you go to in a specific situation? When is a problem betterContinue reading “How to Make Pagan Offerings: Speaking to the Gods”
How to Make Pagan Offerings: Reciprocity and the Cosmos
These are the fundamental concepts behind how and why Pagans do ritual.
Thoughts on My Grandma’s First Deathday
I’m often told that a deathday sounds “morbid.” But memento mori, y’all. In all seriousness, I came up with the term while adding ancestor’s birthdays to my calendar. I am trying to start a more active ancestor practice, and I thought honoring them on their birthdays would be a great way to start. Then IContinue reading “Thoughts on My Grandma’s First Deathday”
Urglaawe (Germanic Paganism): Entschtanning and Groundhog Day
Entschtanning is one of several important holiday seasons in the Urglaawe calendar. The word “Entschtanning” means “emerging” and the season lasts for twelve days/nights. It is referred to as the single busiest of all holidays in Urglaawe, and it comes with layers of lore to understand. But much like other Neopagan traditions, it is centeredContinue reading “Urglaawe (Germanic Paganism): Entschtanning and Groundhog Day”
