Author: A Solitary Pagan
EARTH FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS
Each of the four cardinal elements – earth, air, fire and water – can be incorporated into magical practice and ritual. Depending on your needs and intent, you may find yourself drawn to one of these elements more so that the others. Connected to the North, Earth is considered the ultimate feminine element. The Earth is fertile and stable, associated with the Goddess. The planet itself is a b...
THE FOUR ELEMENTS
In many modern-day Pagan belief systems, there is a good deal of focus on the four elements – Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. A few traditions of Wicca also include a fifth element, which is Spirit or Self, but that is not universal among all Pagan paths. The concept is hardly a new one. A Greek philosopher named Empedocles is credited with the cosmogenic theory of these four elements being the root ...
An Introduction to Candle Magick
Candle magic is one of the simplest forms of spell casting. Considered sympathetic magic, it’s a method which doesn’t require a lot of fancy ritual or expensive ceremonial artifacts. In other words, anyone with a candle can cast a spell. After all, remember when you were a child and you made a wish before you blew out the candles on your birthday cake? Same theory, only now instead of just ho...
Magical Colours of Yule
When it comes to doing Yuletime magic, there’s a lot to be said for colour correspondences. Look around you, and think about the colours of the season. Some of the most traditional seasonal colours have their roots in age-old customs, and can be adapted to suit your magical needs. Red: Shades of Prosperity and Passion Red is the color of poinsettias, of holly berries, and even Santa Claus...
How to Come Out of the Broom Closet
At some point, you may have decided that you’re comfortable enough in your spiritual path that you’re ready to “come out of the broom closet.” Chances are it’s not a decision you’ve made lightly, because it’s a pretty big step. After all, once you’ve “come out”, you don’t get to take it back if people don’t like it. Certainly,...
The Legend of the Holly King and the Oak King
In many Celtic-based traditions of neopaganism, there is the enduring legend of the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King. These two mighty rulers fight for supremacy as the Wheel of the Year turns each season. At the Winter Solstice, or Yule, the Oak King conquers the Holly King, and then reigns until Midsummer, or Litha. Once the Summer Solstice arrives, the Holly King returns to do bat...
Beware the Krampus!
If you live in Bavaria or some parts of Germany, you may be very familiar with the scary Christmas creature known as the Krampus. Let’s take a look at the Krampus–and just as importantly, the huge annual celebration in his honor called Krampusnacht. BEWARE THE KRAMPUS! The word Krampus means “claw,” and certain Alpine villages have big parties featuring this scary clawed incubus ...
Ten Christmas Customs with Pagan Roots
During the winter solstice season, we hear all kinds of cool stuff about candy canes, Santa Claus, reindeer and other traditions. But did you know that many Christmas customs can trace their roots back to Pagan origins? Here are ten little-known bits of trivia about the Yule season that you might be unaware of. 1. Christmas Caroling The tradition of Christmas caroling actually began as the traditi...
History of Yule
The Pagan holiday called Yule takes place on the day of the winter solstice, around December 21 in the northern hemisphere (below the equator, the winter solstice falls around June 21). On that day (or close to it), an amazing thing happens in the sky. The earth’s axis tilts away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and the sun reaches its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. Man...
Deities of the Winter Solstice
While it may be mostly Pagans who celebrate the Yule holiday today, nearly all cultures and faiths have held some sort of winter solstice celebration or festival. Because of the theme of endless birth, life, death, and rebirth, the time of the solstice is often associated with deity and other legendary figures. No matter which path you follow, chances are good that one of your gods or goddesses ha...
Blessed Be
The phrase “blessed be” is found in many modern magical traditions. Although it appears in some Pagan paths, it’s typically more likely to be used in a NeoWiccan context. It’s often used as a greeting, and to say “Blessed be” to someone indicates that you wish good and positive things upon them. The phrase’s origins are a bit more murky. It is part of a longer ritual which is included in some Gard...
What is an Animal Familiar?
In some traditions of modern Paganism, including the various Wiccan paths, the concept of an animal familiar is incorporated into practice. Today, a familiar is often defined as an animal with whom we have a magical connection, but in truth, the concept is a bit more complex than this. HISTORY OF THE FAMILIAR During the days of the European witch hunts, familiars were “said to be given to wit...