Pagan Blog Project - Birthday

The first birthday I celebrated was my thirty-somethingth. I told my husband that I was really disappointed at not having a Sweet Sixteen so he got me a cake with 16 candles. Jehovah's Witnesses are quite hypocritical about birthdays. They celebrate wedding anniversaries yet the anniversary of one's birth is frowned upon. The reasons they cite have to do the Pagan trappings and the only two birthday celebrations mentioned in the bible, both of which called for beheadings. Many Christian sites tell of the Pagan origins of birthdays. Since Pagan is an umbrella term, it is difficult to tell just where these origins actually came from.

So for a long while I never cared much for my birthday. Not celebrating it was just a habit. A passage in the Satanic Bible changed my mind.

Aren’t you happier about the fact that you were born than you are about the birth of someone you have never even met? Or for that matter, aside from religious holidays, why pay higher tribute to the birthday of a president or to a date in history than we do to the day we were brought into this greatest of all worlds?

Despite the fact that some of us may not have been wanted, or at least were not particularly planned, we’re glad, even if no one else is, that we’re here! You should give yourself a pat on the back, buy yourself whatever you want, treat yourself like the king (or god) that you are, and generally celebrate your birthday with as much pomp and ceremony as possible.

Wow, how profound! Yes, it's okay to be selfish that one day out of a year. Do you, boo! 

Traditional birthdays usual consist of cake, candles, and gifts. The number of candles is equal to the age of the person. However, if Great Grand-Nana is turning 95, you may want to get number candles. After the birthday person is sung to, the candles on the cake are blown out. The birthday person makes a silent wish first. If she tells the wish or if all the candles aren't blown out on the first try, the wish may not come true.

Since we measure the tropical year by the sun, one's solar return is the correct marker to increment one's age. Solar return is when the sun appears at the same place in the sky at one's birth. This would solve the problem of when leap year babies should celebrate their birthdays.

How can you make your birthday more magical?

• Gift yourself some jewelry with your birthstone.
• Go to www.astro.com and generate a chart for your solar return.
• Create a special ritual to use only on your birthday.
• Every 19 years the sun and moon are in (roughly) the same place as they were at your birth. This birthday should be super special!

Pagan Blog Project - Akwaba

Akwaba is the Ashanti goddess of fertility and welcoming. Women who wanted to conceive would carry a small statue of Akwaba with them. It is unknown if she has a specific festival. Young girls would be given statues presumably on or shortly after their first menses.

Pagan Blog Project - X is for Xhosa

The culture of the Xhosa people include what is considered one of the traditional African religions. They have male and female initiations and revere their ancestors. Diviners are called sangoma and serve as healers and prophets for the community. Sadly, Christianity has influenced modern Xhosa. The religious practices are now a combination of traditional beliefs and those from the Bible. Witchcraft is given a negative connotation; people who practice it are thought to be in contact with malevolent spirits and familiars.

Pagan Blog Project - L is for Lunar sabbats

I was posting in one of my Facebook groups about the upcoming sabbat Samhain. A member said that she celebrates the lunar sabbat, in this case on the new moon closest to the solar sabbat. The term lunar sabbat seems to be an oxymoron. Sabbats refer to the days that divide the year (solar) into 8 equal parts and esbats are the divisions of the month (lunar) also known as the lunar phases. I suppose a lunar sabbat technically occurs when there is a lunar phase on the same night. I'm not sure how often that occurs.

Perhaps the sabbat can be celebrated on the closest corresponding esbat. With new moon = Yule, waxing crescent = Imbolc, etc., one can add sabbat themes to the lunar celebrations. By my calculations, lunar Samhain is Oct 30th and (solar) Samhain is Nov 6.

Pagan Blog Project - N is for Natural

It's been over a year since I've had any chemicals in my hair. In the Black community this is known as going natural. Why is this such a big thing for me? My first relaxer was at 9 yrs old. That's 30 years of my hair being treated with lye, the same chemical in drain cleaner. Part of being Pagan is being able to accept yourself, your true self. I never realized how "unacceptable" natural Black hair is until started learning how to better take care of my hair. For some reason the European standard of beauty is the norm and all races are supposed to conform to that standard.

Now, I'm not saying I'm against hair color, piercings, tattoos, etc. even though these things aren't natural. The thing with relaxed hair is that it cannot be undone. The process actually damages the hair strand. Remember, we are to harm none including ourselves.

Pagan Blog Project - H is for Holy Water

When one thinks of holy water, what comes to mind is water that has been blessed by a priest in a church. This water is then used for baptism, blessing others, healing, and exorcising demons. So why would a witch need holy water? Contrary to popular belief, Christians do not have a monopoly on holy water. Witches use it to bless their tools and altars, cast circles, bath, and other things. Some witches and Pagans avoid the term holy water because it's associated with the church.

How does one make Pagan holy water? Since all Pagans are priestesses or priests, they can bless the water themselves. Several different ways are documented online. Just pick one and go from there. I like using incorporating all elements into creating sacred water.

Sacred (Holy) Water
-water (filtered from tap, collected from a stream, rainwater, etc.)
-sea salt
-incense
-bottle

Mix a pinch or two of sea salt (earth) in the water (water). Pass your favorite burning incense (fire / air) over the uncovered bottle water. Say (air / spirit) your blessing of choice either in or out of a formal ritual. If possible set covered bottle outside during the night of the full moon (spirit). To harness extra power in your sacred water, set outside during a lunar eclipse.

Pagan Blog Project - F is for Fuck & Fornicate

Pagans aren't really prudes when it comes to sex. Ostara, Beltane, and Litha celebrate fertility. The full moon phase is equivalent to the child-bearing years of a woman. There are no commandments forbidding who to have sex with or when to have sex as long as no one is harmed. Some paths even have sex rituals which can be done alone, with a partner, partners, or in a group.

So what exactly is fornication? The PC term would be premarital sex and smacks of morality imposed by the  Big 3*. I'm not sure if homosexuality would be included. Adultery refers to a married person having sex with someone other than his/her spouse. Different religions may expand this definition. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses forbid anal and oral sex between married couples. To engage in this behavior would constitute committing fornication and they would get in trouble with the elders. How the elders would find out would be beyond me as what a couple does in their bedroom should be their own business.

Where did fuck come from? I could find no reliable source info. Once of my favorite stories is the one about how some king gave his nobles permission to have sex any woman they wanted to. This was known as fornicate under consent of the king.

Well, I tell you, I need no one's permission to fuck or fornicate except my spouse. The Rede applies to all areas of life including sex. So that means no rape, pedophilia, bestiality, or infidelity. Polyamory, swinging, prostitution, and homosexuality are acceptable. Of course, no one is forced to participate in any activity that s/he feels uncomfortable doing. Sex is enjoyable. Responsible adults practice this activity safely. Women should not feel guilty if pregnant before marriage. Couples live together all time as spouses.

You don't have to be Pagan to be free of the sexual restrictions of the bible but it helps. :)

Pagan Blog Project - C is for Chakra

In Eastern paths, chakras are the centers of life force. When chakras are blocked, a host of physical and emotional issues occur. There are 7 chakras and each is associated with a color. The following are brief descriptions of each.

Crown - top of head
Associated with Higher Self, spirituality, meditation and the nervous system

Brow - center of forehead
Psychic abilities, imagination

Throat
Thyroid, communication

Heart
Circulatory / Respiratory systems, love, forgiveness, self-control

Solar Plexus (above stomach but below ribs)
Personal power

Sacral (below navel)
Reproductive system, sensuality

Root - coccyx / perineum ("taint")
survival, individuality

Here is an awesome chart for the chakras.

The 8th chakra is not really a chakra at all. It's the aura and is colorless. We all radiate energy but most of us don't call it our aura, we say "personal bubble". It is important to heal the aura when doing chakra work else all the energy will flow away.

Pagan Blog Project - B is for Buddha

Buddha means "enlightened one" and most of the time refers to Siddartha Gautama (also known as Shakamuni), the founder of Buddhism. Buddha was not a god nor should he be worshipped as one. We all have the Buddha nature inside. Practicing meditation is one way to bring out the Buddha nature.

There are many Buddhas in the history of Buddhism. Different sects revere different ones. In Shin Buddhism, Amida Buddha is the way to the Pure Land. Yakushi is the Buddha of Healing and Medicine. He grants healing in this life and resides in the Eastern Pure Land. In some Nichiren Buddhist sects, Nichiren is said to be the Buddha of modern times.

Buddha should not be confused with bodhisattva. A bodhisattva delays his/her enlightenment to help others obtain Buddhahood. How selfless!

How did Buddha become Buddha?
Shakamuni was born a prince in India. He led a very sheltered life because his father didn't want him to see how cruel the world was. One day, Shakamuni snuck out of the palace and saw sickness, death, and poverty. Once he came back, he realized that all the riches and conforts did not bring happiness. Once again, he snuck out of the palace to find true peace. First, he tried deep mediation. When that didn't work, he tried a life of deep asceticism. Shakamuni nearly died since he was eating one grain of rice a day. He was revived by eating a meal of rice-mlk provided by a girl named Sujata.

Gaining much needed strength, Shakamuni realized that extremes are not the way to true peace. This is the Middle Way. He sat under a bodhi tree to mediate with a clear mind. What happens next is reminiscent of the Jesus temptation story. The demon Mara sent his daughters, riches, and lavish gifts to tempt Shakamuni. Then, he sent horrific monsters but Shakamuni held firm. Mara was defeated! Shakamuni finally had his a-ha! moment and became Buddha. Buddha's enlightenment is (correctly) celebrated on month 12 day 8 of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Pagan Blog Project - B is for Bible

Not what you expected on a Pagan blog!


The Bible is the holy book for the Christian religion. It is separated into two parts, the Old and New Testaments. (I shouldn't be surprised that Jehovah's Witnesses use Hebrew-Arabic and Christian Greek instead of Old and New respectively.) Total number of books are 66, although there are many books that didn't make the final cut. The Bible has been translated into over 400 languages. There are over 70 English versions.

Some of these rejected books are Gnostic gospels or included in the Apocrypha. I haven't read any of them yet but the History Channel did a special called Banned from the Bible. Speaking of rejected, just how did the Bible come to be? One version is that Pagan emperor Constantine called together the Council of Nicea because of the bickering between the various sects. How ironic, eh?

Christians differ in whether to take the Bible completely literal or figurative or a mix of both. Sounds like our Pagan myths, right? Now, I will admit, there's some good stuff in the Bible, stuff that should be taken literally like "bad association spoils useful habits" (1 Cor. 15:33). There's also stuff that shouldn't be like creating the world in 6 24-hr days. I haven't met a Pagan who swears that Zeus actually had sex with mortal women but there are Christians who believe that angels a.k.a God's sons had sex with mortal women.

As you know, I used to be Christian and tried to follow the Bible. I thought the Bible was the end-all be-all and thought that Jehovah's Witness was the only truth. Why the Bible though? Followers would say because the Bible is inspired. The King James Version says "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." (2 Tim 3:16). This, my gentle readers, is called circular reasoning.

The Bible saying that it is the word of God is like this napkin proclaiming to be the true religion. There is no proof who actually wrote the separate books and as pointed out earlier, a (Pagan) man was responsible for putting the Bible together as we know it today. Yet many use the Bible as a moral compass. Things like "don't steal" are universal and then still there are circumstances that may warrant theft like a poor person who is starving. But what of homosexuality or polygamy? People reject these things because the Bible says to reject them.

Now that I have eaten from "the tree of knowledge", I find it illogical to let one book dictate how you should live your life. Again, there are some good things contained therein. But why should one suspend his/her disbelief if this is a divine book? Why should families be torn apart? Why is there so much conflicting information in the Bible if God truly is its author? I admit, I haven't studied the Bible for myself; I wouldn't even know where to start. By reading some of the stories without the assistance of WBTS publications, I have a new understanding. The Bible, like all mythological stories, are fictional. Some places are real, some people are real, even some of the advice is good. However, to claim that the Bible is the one go-to book should make people cringe.

Pagan Blog Project - A is for Altar

I feel like I'm wimping out but I couldn't think of anything for A that I wanted to do. So altar it is. My altar is fairly simple. No offense, but I think that the altar template for Wiccans is too cluttered for my tastes. By studying Wicca, I got the idea to have an altar. It makes sense to have a special area to meditate although having an altar is not a mandate. Remember, everything in the physical world is just a tool to assist us in our practice.

My altar space is right next to my computer desk. When and if my son moves out (and if I don't have another kid), my main altar space will be the entire room. My current altar will become my seasonal altar. The table is wood and round - wood for a natural material and round because that's a feminine shape. The tablecloth is blue for my favorite color. The altar cloth has a pentacle. Since I have limited space my altar does not face north or east; I think it's northeast purely out of coincidence. There are tealights in each "corner". The color of the holder denotes the direction. In the center is an Isis candleholder. I honor the Divine Feminine so there are no gods. In front of Isis is an incense holder. To the side is a candle snuffer.

I have an athame I suppose. Never used it in ritual. It's a Klingon knife. No cauldron - I don't have a need for it at this time. I have a bell but it doesn't go on the altar.

I promise I'll post a picture.

Pagan Blog Project - Ankh

An ankh is the Egyptian symbol for life. Depends on how you look at it, it is either a purely feminine symbol with the crossbar representing the ovaries, the top loop the uterus, and the bottom stick the vagina; or a joining of the feminine and masculine with the bottom stick representing the penis. I like to think of the ankh as all feminine. Note the similarity to the universal female (Venus) symbol.

I don't like to call the ankh an Egyptian cross. The word cross invokes Christianity and this does not do justice to the meaning on the ankh. 

Pagan Blog Project - Z is for Zecora

Yeah, we knew Z would be difficult!

Zecora is a character in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. She is a zebra who lives in Ever Free Forest. What does she have to do with the pagan project, you may ask. Well, Zecora is a witch. I don't think the series comes out and says it but the inference is there. When Zecora is first introduced, the other ponies are afraid of her. She speaks in riddles with a Nigerian accent and her hut is filled with potion bottles. Her cutie mark (the symbol on each flank) is a stylized sun. Once the ponies get to know Zecora better, they come to her for all sorts of ailments and include her in the town's celebrations.

This portrayal of witches is a bit stereotypical but I don't think it's in a negative way. People are often afraid of others who isolate themselves and are different. None of the other ponies have accents. They all live in town - the main characters live in Ponyville - not in the forest like Zecora. Witches are more accepted today than in the past. However, there are still some of us who still have the need to stay in the broom closet.

MLP:FiM is a kids show that has a whole community of adult followers. I hope that by portraying witchcraft in a positive light, society can continue to accept us.

This is a video of the G4 cosplayers for the 2012 My Little Pony Fair. Being Zecora was a no-brainer!

Pagan Blog Project - Y is for Year & a Day

When searching for info on Paganism, you will come across the phrase year and a day. What exactly does this mean? In covens with a degree system, the student will need to spend at least a year and a day before moving up. Seekers must spend a year and a day before being formally admitted into the coven. Before I get to the meaning of YaaD, I will need to define year.

What is a year?
A year is a measure of time and space, specifically, the time that it takes for a heavenly body to move around a fixed point. In our case, this is the time it takes for the earth to complete a revolution around the sun.

Why YaaD?
Apparently the timeframe YaaD is rooted in medieval common law. I couldn't find anything that pointed to a specific pagan tradition.

Types of years
Most places on Earth use the Gregorian calendar which is based on the tropical year. The tropical or solar year measures the time it takes for sun to appear in the same position of the sky aligned with the seasons. For example, March equinox to March equinox is one tropical year. The tropical year is averaged at 365.25 days.

The lunar year is a little trickier. The moon revolves around the earth which revolves around the sun. If we define a lunar month as 29.5 days, then a lunar year would be 354 (12 * 29.5) days. In order to sync the lunar year with the solar year, every 2 or 3 years a leap month is necessary. So a lunar year can be 354, 383, or 384 days.

But wait! If we take the average women's menstruation cycle of 28 days, which is roughly a sidereal month, the lunar year is 364 (28*13) days. The ancients maybe figured this was the best way to fit the moonth with the solar year with 1 day left over. Today, our moon does not have anything to do with how the months are figured.

I like to believe that the pagans of old paid way more attention to the moon than today's society. For that reason, I posit that year and a day originally referred to the moonth of 28 days fitting into the solar year. Now, many of us who practice Paganism are Neo-Pagans. We benefit from today's scientific and technological advances. If  YaaD means a solar year + 1 day to you, who am I to argue?

When does the year begin?
Just pick your favorite:

• your personal year is your birthday. Since I'm into astrology, my personal year is marked by the sun's return to the exact place in the sky when I was born. This is called a solar return.
• The Gregorian calendar begins on 1/1. Seems arbitrary to me.
• Some refer to the Witch's New Year as beginning on Samhain which is 10/31 or 11/7 depending on your tradition. Other witches/pagans use other days. I like Yule / winter solstice.
• Cultures around the world use either the full or new moon before a solar event (solstice, equinox, quarter day) to mark the beginning of the year.

How does your tradition define year and a day?

pagan blog project - X is for Xochiquetzal

Xochiquetzal (shok ee KAY tsal) is the Aztec goddess of sex, love, marriage, prostitutes, and pleasure. Every 8 years a festival was held in her honor. Her name means feathered flower and she is usually depicted with gold ornaments and surrounded by flowers and butterflies. Xochiquetzal is always pictured as a young woman even though legends has her assisting with creating humans.

Pagan Blog Project - X is for Xiuhtecuhtli

Xiuhtecuhtli (Shee-u-teh-COO-tleh) is a fire god known to the Aztecs and Mayans. His name means Turquoise Lord and is associated with the number one. His symbols are the butterfly and the cotinga bird. Xiuhtecuhtli is pictured with the serpent of fire Xiuhcoatl on his back.

These ancient peoples considered Xiuhtecuhtli as the creator of all gods and goddesses. He is celebrated as the central deity in the fire ceremony held every 52 years. Minor festivals were held every year at the hottest and coldest point. He is the patron god of kings and warriors and is usually depicted with a crown.

According to myths, Xiuhtecuhtli arose from the underworld as a pillar of fire. By going through earth to get to heaven, he is said to be holding the realms together.