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Contrary to what some
people choose to believe, Paganism is a very peaceful, earth
based, spiritual and harmonious way of life. Yes
unfortunately there are those few who work on the 'dark side' ,
black magic or what ever you like to refer to it as. But
that doesn't just apply to Paganism. You will always get
those few people who see the dark and evil as something to
admire. Just as you find people who like to hurt, murder
and be a terrorist. But on the whole Paganism is a
religion of nature, which has roots going back as far as the
Neolithic times and before, which promotes a solitary awareness
with the divine and all that exists.
Unfortunately, much of
the way our ancestors lived and worshiped has been lost due to
the efforts of the medieval church, as it tried to eliminate all
forms of non-Christian beliefs from history. However,
archaeological discoveries have found origins of belief systems
worshiping a fertility Goddess and horned God, going back
further than the Palaeolithic times.
Pagans see the divine in
all things, all life, the trees, plants, flowers, animals, birds
and the whole universe. Everything to them is sacred.
Heritage is also very important;
they acknowledge the beliefs and values of the ancestors.
The ancestors being part of us and
us part of them. Humans, like the trees, plants, animals and
flowers, are just part of a never ending cycle of death and
rebirth.
They believe their soul/spirit
leaves the body at death, goes to a spiritual plain and is later
reincarnated into another life.
Pagans see the divine as both male
and female, they are equal; therefore to them there is a goddess
as well as a god. The god and goddess are in all things and are
within each and every one of us.
The goddess represents all that is
female, while the God in everything that is male. But because
nature is seen as female the Goddess has a wider meaning. Often
called Mother Earth.
They seek spiritual union
with Divinity by attuning with the tides of Nature and by
exploring their inner selves, seeing each of us reflected in the
other. Living their
lives attuned to the cycles of
nature, the seasons, death as well as life.
They celebrate the
turning of the wheel – the turning of the seasons, believing in
the spirit of one. The God and Goddess exist in all things.
They therefore treat all things upon the Earth as aspects of the
divine. Together with Earth, Air, Fire and Water, the elements
which are also part of nature. Without the elements nothing
would survive. Each element needs the other, just as we are
made from these same elements.
Pagan rites help them to
harmonise with the natural cycles, and so are often held at the
turning points of the seasons, at the phases of the moon and
sun, and at times of transition in our lives.
Sacred sites like
Stonehenge are important to pagans as they are often a way to
connect to the ancestors.
In the world as it is
today, with all the environmental concerns and eco-awareness,
they are often at the forefront of Green awareness. Pagans of
all paths respect the rights of every living soul, whether
human, animal, plant or mineral.
To sum it up: To be a
pagan is to appreciate what is around us, to be a teacher, a
healer and protector of life in all its form. Enjoy watching
the sunset and the phases of the moon. Feel of the summer breeze
and the winter snow. To appreciate the plants, trees and
flowers, with their beauty, many colours and perfumes, together
with the enjoyment of watching the animals and listening to the
songs of the birds.
We do not sacrifice
animals or humans, worship Satan or consort with any Demons.
Satanism is a Christian belief which pagans do not believe in.
They do however believe in right and wrong, good and evil.
Druids, Wicca, Aboriginals and
American Indians are among some that follow a nature based
religion.
Pagans
celebrate the changing seasons, which we call the turning of the
wheel. They are:- Samhain (31st October) Yule (21st
December) Imbolc (2nd February) Ostara (21st March)
Beltane (1st May) Summer Solstice (21st June) Lammas (1st
August) and Mabon, The Autumn equinox (21st September)
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