A few questions for Pagans?

Question

1) What are the important holidays and traditions of Paganism?

2) How has Paganism shaped your life?

3) What are the challenges, if any, to practicing Paganism?

I would like to Thank you all for answering and I really appreciate each of you for sharing your beliefs with me.

Answer 1

I'm a naturalistic pantheist which means that "I believe in God/dess but spell it N-A-T-U-R-E." It is sort of like a nontheistic and rational "pagan". It's paganism for the 21st century and is even more earth-centered than "mainstream" paganism which focuses on magic. It is very eco-centered and Green in focus.

Knowing of the interdependence of nature (food cycle, etc.) as well as the interdependence of actions (ancestors' past actions affect my current circumstances and my actions will affect the circumstances of my descendents) fills me with a sense of gratefulness which I demonstrate both through my actions as well as concrete actions of respect and honor.

We celebrate the solstices and equinoxes. Some of us even do rituals - for myself I have developed offeratory rituals to honor Nature and the ancestors, Sacred Meal ritual, and chanting and meditation practices. These are available in the files section of the public pantheist groups here on Yahoo and on Beliefnet.

Check the links below for more information on pantheism:

Answer 2

Unfortunately that is a very broad topic when you generalize asking Pagans. You have to remember that pagan is an umbrella term for religions that do not follow the teachings of Abraham. There would be the same difficulty with asking those that do follow the teachings of Abraham what holidays and traditions they hold dear. Christians would have one set of answers, followers of the Jewish faith would have another, and Muslims would have another set, Not to mention some that are just outside these three.

Most pagan paths that I have seen all celebrate the passing of the seasons, be that usually the Solstices, Equinoxes, and the days directly in between these.

Wicca in general (the Pagan path I follow) has brought me peace of mind and made me a more peaceful person. Additionally I feel a lot more connected with Mother Earth and also Nature as well as more connected to everyone.

The only challenge to practicing Wicca would be dealing with the prejudices of others. This can rarely include dealing with other Wiccans as a few of them have (mostly incorrect) notions of what Wicca is and what Wiccans are really all about.

Blessed Be )O(

Answer 3

1) This depends largely on which path of Paganism you practice.

Wicca has eight major sabbats, or holy days, four coinciding with the solstices and equinoxes, and four spaced between them. Starting with Oct 30, Samhain, we then have Yule, Imbolc, Oestara, Beltane, Lughnassah, Lammas, and Mabon. There is also the tradition of the "esbat," a monthly gathering (usually during the full moon,) where a coven will discuss any serious business and work any group magic. Sabbats may be open to others who attend with love and respect; esbats usually are not.

2) Wicca has taught me that spiritualality is not something to be reserved for an hour a week. rather, it is an attitude that one takes everywhere, and which colors every aspect of life. I'm considerably more integrated, and happier as a result, since I started following a pagan path.

3) The main challenges are societal. It's hard to bring one's children up in a path that values personal responsibility and honors our sexuality when they are constantly being given opposite messages from the world around them. And many people still view various pagan practices as "wrong" or "evil"; this makes it very difficult for them when they often cannot openly talk about the religion practiced at home.

Answer 4

1) What are the important holidays and traditions of Paganism?

Hi, I'm a polytheist who worships the pantheons of ancient Anatolia (Turkey). If you don't mind I can only speak for my own beliefs, since there are so many different traditions falling under "Paganism." I'm sure much of what I believe and practice is similar to other Pagans.

The most important holidays I observe are a solar seasonal cycle (solstices and equinoxes) and monthly lunar cycle (phases of the moon). Dawn and Dusk are also daily minor observances.

My holidays primarily center around seasonal myths involving various gods and goddesses of nature, but also our ancestors who have passed on. I offer my prayers and libations to them at my altar during these times. I ask for their blessings and goodwill throughout the year. In the winter time the Sun and Earth spirits are weakened by the powers of cold and darkness so much of my prayers during this time of year are wishes for warm weather and springtime to return once again.


2) How has Paganism shaped your life?

A close connection with mother nature. These cycles and celebrations teach me many things. The divine and mundane worlds are intertwined together, all the forces which sustain us and our mother earth are sacred. The divine is not far off, it is here, the spirits are here, all around us at every moment.

3) What are the challenges, if any, to practicing Paganism?

Practicing my faith is simple since I do it either alone or with friends but it is challenging discussing it to those unaware of Paganism because of the obscurity and differences that has to the major religions. Everyone will have a different opinion and feelings about Pagan practices, but really most of the time its okay to talk about with others who are open minded and interested.

Answer 5

What you have to understand is that paganism is not a religion in itself (well... I guess you could be an eclectic pagan if you so chose...), it is a category of religions. The only way you could have been more general was if you asked what are the important holidays of all religions lol...

I'll answer for my specific branch of paganism, Wicca.

1) There are 8 holidays in Wicca, called sabbats. I'm way too lazy to explain them all, however there are four major sabbats and four minor ones. The four minors fall of the equinoxes and solstices, and the major ones fall in between them- usually on the last day of a month. They celebrate the changing of the seasons.

2) Well to be honest my day-to-day life hasn't changed a whole lot. However, I've found that I'm a bit more aware of the different cycles of nature, and more at peace with them, and with myself.

3) Probably the biggest challenges are people who are prejudiced against paganism- it makes it somewhat more difficult to be open about one's spirituality when people like them are constantly reminding you how you'll never be accepted by them. There's also the misleading information about paganism in general, supplied by "pagans" who don't know what they're talking about (and there's plenty of them, too...).

Answer 6

As there are many varieties of Pagan religions, I can only give you a small taste of the religion that I practice.

1) I use the Athenian Festival calendar for my religious celebrations although I do personal devotions to my Gods daily. Learning, Right Living and Community Service are part of the important traditions of my religion.

2) The religion that I practice is so much a part of my life that I would find it difficult to even begin to discuss how it has shaped it.

3) Being a member of a minority religion is difficult at the best of times, but is made even more difficult by the misunderstandings about what I believe and do not believe. I have unfortunately faced religious discrimination and have even been warned by people to not reveal my religion publicly......

Answer 7

1) What are the important holidays and traditions of Paganism? (you will get alot of responses as their is alot of Pagan religions) My personal Favorite are

Yule that is coming up now maybe not the most important for other Pagans but Certainly most Important to me

Samhain is also a very important holiday It is a feast in the rememberence of our departed It is celebrated around Halloween time

2) How has Paganism shaped your life?

It has shaped my life alot like in what friends I had in high school and what carreer paths I would take If it wasnt for Paganism I would Probably not be living In where I live now and Probably have never met my wonderful friends that I have now

3) What are the challenges, if any, to practicing Paganism?
No just the Words and threats I have gotten picked on called Satans Servant by alot of people have gotten beaten up by people who Supposedly serve God and really that is probably my only Challenge everything else is great!

Best of luck,
Imapagan

Answer 8

Pagan holidays are too numerous to count although some are shared in common. The quarter and cross-quarter days or Sabbats and also Full (and occasionally New) Moons are celebrated by people in countless "traditions" (a word used in a manner analogous to that of denominations in Christianity).

I practice a few paths within the overall Pagan path and therefore celebrate ancient Roman, Levantine, and Mesopotamian holidays such as the Roman winter festival called the Saturnalia (December 13 - 17) and Ashuru Aru (a Canaanite holiday).

I would be loath to say that Paganism shaped my life. Paganism is my life. Pagan isn't something you become. Being Pagan is awakening to who you are as a natural being. So being Pagan is simply being, existing, following the rhythms of nature.

Having said that, in being Pagan, I find that I am more in tune with the ways and seasons of nature than my non-Pagan friends. It is, after all, a nature based spiritual path. I also find that I am more open to people from various walks of life rather than condemning them for natural inclinations or personal choices viewed as sinful in other spiritual traditions.

For instance, Pagans do not subscribe to the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people are living sinfully. They are just being themselves. Pagans generally have no problem with that.

Most importantly, Pagans are dogmatically anti-dogmatic. We think for us. We have no Pope or panel of clerics or book telling us what or how to think. We own what we do. The basis of modern Pagan ethics is personal responsibility. Pagans are called upon to "harm none." There is nothing morally relativistic about such a broad mandate to live ethically.

One might think that the greatest challenge would come from outsiders who fear and revile Pagans and Paganism, but honestly, the greatest problems seem to come from within the Pagan community itself. People at liberty to think for themselves do not always agree. Disagreements can get pretty acrimonious. The community has yet to reach a state of maturity in which disagreement is not always viewed as an immediate provocation for ad hominem attacks, but it's getting there.

Answer 9

Heathenism

1) Yule - December - 12 days and 12 nights
Disting - pre-spring
Summer Finding/Ostara/Easter
Walpurgisnacht - May Eve
Midsummer Day - summer equinox
Winter Finding/Harvest - fall

The Northern European/Anglo-Saxon pantheon. A belief in an afterlife * 9 realms (one of which is Midgard - Earth) * No belief in reincarnation * a Sun goddess * a Moon god * a cosmic battle and rebirth of the world

2) It was like "coming home" and has given me a balance. My life hasn't gotten better because of my religion but it does give me strength. The religion matches what I feel is my basic nature: a need for honor, loyalty, courage, family, and the gods.

3) Everyone assuming that you're Christian if you're white and in the United States. Job discrimination, housing discrimination, being run off the road. Having neighbors refusing to talk with us. Being preached at and told we're going to hell.

Answer 10

Paganism isn't a religion. It's a large group of religions. Every Pagan religion has its own holidays and its own traditions, and detailing all of them for even one Pagan religion is rather broad for Y!A. If you are looking for encyclopedic information, I would suggest an encyclopedia (Wikipedia is very good on Pagan religions)