Many people have no IDEA what Paganism is, and many people think they know, but are way off. Paganism is a branch of religions that believe in multiple Dieties, worship nature, practice magick, and lead a peaceful life. Pagan is a very broad term for a number of religions, including Druidism, Wicca, and Witchcraft. The "official" Pagan symbol is a Pentagram, which is an intricate-looking star. Many people associate the Pentagram with Satanic beliefs, but knowing a bit about Satanism, I could tell you that this is not correct. The Pentagram is a symbol that represents protections, and the positive elements associated with white magic. However, an inverted Pentegram is something which Satanists are known to use. Being like an inverted cross, it basically means the opposite of the Pentagram. An inverted Pentagram has two points of the star pointing up, which is thought to represent the Devil's horns. The inverted Pentagram is usually a symbol branded onto the forehead of Blasphomet, a goat-like creature linked to Satan, but sometimes the brand is a regular pentagram.
Just like any other religion, Pagans have holidays. These holidays are called Sabbats, and and there are eight of them in a year. In some covens, it is customary to wear all black when a Sabbat comes around. While I do not belong to a coven, I do dress up in black when one comes around. The Sabbats are recognized as two levels, major Sabbats, and lesser Sabbats. A major Sabbat is known as a Fire Festival, and represents a quarter turn of the Wheel Of The Year, or one full season. The major Sabbats include: Yuletide, which happens around Christmas and is a time when the Sun God is reborn of the Goddess; Ostara, which falls on the first day of spring and represents the growing maturity of the Young God; Litha, which falls on the first day of summer and represents the first day of the Gathering of Herbs (June is also the "official" month for Handfastings and weddings); and Mabon which falls on the first day of fall and is the Second Harvest, much like Ostara. Lesser Sabbats represent cross quarters, or a half quarter turn. These lesser Sabbats are: Imbolc, which falls on February 2, and represents the hope of growth and bloom in the months to come; Beltane, which is on April 30 and May 1, and is the time when the Young God expresses his love for The Goddess, and the first flowers of the year are gathered intheir honor; Lammas, which is on August 1, and is known as the First Harvest, where we gather our fruit, and the seeds go to sleep for next year's cycle of life; and lastly, (my favorite) Samhain, this Sabbat falls on October 31, and is known as the Last Harvest, when the God is again dying, only to be reborn again by the Goddess, this is a time to think and Divine, while we realize our place in the Circle Of Life. Samhain is also Halloween, and is a time when the spirits are released to do their work on Earth. Each Sabbat represents a turn on the Wheel, and certain Sabbats also represent Birth, Death, and Rebirth. This leads me into life, and the afterlife.
The way that I have always interpreted the Christian faith (which I will use as a comparison only because it is what most people are most aware of), is that someone created you, and threw you into a life, while you had no say in it. Of course, we aren't taught to think this way. We are taught to think that God created us, and sent us to Earth to lead a full happy life, and then we will go up to Heaven if our hearts are true to him, otherwise we are Eternally Damned. This idea has always scared me to death. I have always been frightened by the way I was deserted (so to speak) here on Earth, but then I will be randomly picked at some unknown time to go up into Heaven, or down into Hell, for all Eternity. In the Pagan faith, it isn't like that. In Paganism, there is a cycle. A circle of life. You go to the Earth, after choosing your life all the way through, you live your life how you decided, and then you die when you had wanted to. But you don't have two choices depending on if your heart is true. This is a very big thing for me. I was very much afraid of death before I became a Pagan. I was afraid that it would be 'my time' long before I was ready. In Paganism, many believe that after you die you go to the Summerland, where you can relax, and think. During your time in the Summerland, you think of what was right and wrong with your past life, and you plan out your new life. Only when you are ready, you go back down to Earth, and live another life. Many Pagans believe that reincarnation is a way that you can keep living until you get it right, then you move on to another level of lives, be it Fairies, or Higher Beings. So in a way, you are constantly recycling your soul, and you continue to live.
In many religions, prayers are used to communicate with God, or other Beings of worship. In Paganism, there are prayers, but more often spells are used to communicate needs and desires to Gods, Goddesses, Faes, Fairies, and whoever/whatever you are wanting to reach. Paganism is a very open religion. There are many choices, so Paganism is sort of a 'customized' faith.
I mentioned in the beginning of this article, that I don't sacrifice humans or animals. I don't do it, because I think it wrong and truely disgustion, but other Pagans do it because they follow a 'Harm None' code. This means that they try as hard as they can not to hurt anyone, or anything.
By writing this article, I am not trying to convert you to Paganism. Pagans don't do that. This was just menat to let you in on what Paganism is all about, so that you can broaden your horizons a little bit, and so that I could tell you all about my religion. However, if you are truely interested in the ways of Paganism, I suggest tht you follow your heart. The only way that anyone can make themselves happy, and make a healthy decision, is to educate themselves, and then follow thier own heart. Blessed Be.
Kaite Gen S aka Jade (In the Pagan faith, I was given the name Jade from a coven that I once belonged to. I still use it in my faith.)
