What is Paganism?
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I really hope I can find a way to compress the vast amount of information on Paganism into this Hub. My hope is that for those people who don't really know what Paganism is all about, this article will at least make it a little bit clearer and dispel many popular misconceptions about Paganism in general.
Modern Day Paganism
I discovered Paganism when I was in my mid-twenties, and felt very comfortable with the religion and it's ideals. Having been sent to Catholic Convent Schools, whilst living in a Church of England home, it was at first difficult to get over the fear of wondering if by changing religion I would 'be in trouble with God'. It took me a few weeks to become relaxed with the idea of this new religion. Eventually the fact my sister had already changed to Paganism some years before, and experienced all the same worries, made me feel more okay about it, plus my logic told me that the ideals of Paganism were surely what any God of creation would want from his followers.
So what is Paganism? Well, a vast subject to say the least. There are many sects in Paganism, although most of them seem to happily converse together, e.g. Wiccans (white witches), Druids etc.
My understanding and experience of Paganism in all of it's forms is that it is essentially a nature loving religion, where we believe that there is a supreme God/Goddess, or Great Spirit, and that he/she exists in everything around us, the trees, the plants, the rocks, the water etc.
Pagans respect the planet, and believe in doing no harm to other creatures or wildlife wherever possible.
Pagans never try to convert others to their religion, and believe that Paganism, and what it stands for, has to be discovered by the individual for themselves.
Pagans will try wherever possible to save any of God's creatures, whether it is a butterfly or a snake, and many Pagans do opt to go down the vegetarian route also.
Most Pagans that I have come across still believe in Christ, although opinion differs as to whether or not he was the 'Son of God' or simply 'A Great Prophet'. Some will dispute whether or not he ever existed, but I am not one of those, I only have doubts as to the authenticity of many of the Bible quotes due to mis-translations and manipulation over the centuries.
Wiccans, (White Witches), believe in the threefold return law, in other words any spell you cast on someone will come back on you with three times the power. This is always a great incentive not to cast spells that harm another, as the repercussions can be very serious, likewise helpful spells can bring good karma back to the Wiccan in question. Most Wiccans tend to stick to love spells and healing spells rather than revenge spells.
There are also Hedge-witches, who spend their time utilising the plants in nature to create healing ointments etc.
Pagans do generally believe in either reincarnation or life after death, and also that animals have a place in heaven as one of God's creations, be them wild animals or domesticated pets.
The History of Paganism
Paganism began in about 10,000 BC at a time when people were nomadic and had to hunt for their food. The men would then worship the God of the Hunt, the Sun, the horned Stag God and the language of the animals. During these hunts they would wear animal skins and antlers to make it easier to approach a herd of bison or antelope. (The image of the Horned God that developed from this was severely bastardized by the Roman Catholic Church into the evil entity known as the Devil or Satan).
During this time the women discovered their bodies were in tune with the lunar phases, and so they worshipped the moon and the Goddess deity. At this time women were the ones who led the rituals and were considered as having more power than the men because they were the givers of life.
Men who were either sick or elderly and unable to hunt would stay behind with the women during hunting trips, and this was when the women shared with them their lunar mysteries, which led to these men becoming priests in the lunar cult.
Around 8000 BC the tribes accidentally discovered agriculture and the need to be nomadic ceased because they now understood the role of males and females in reproduction, and the men now knew their input was essential. Once the tribes ceased to be nomadic and began to grow their own crops and breed their own livestock, they became known as 'Pagans', meaning 'country dweller'.
It was around this time that the image of 'The Green Man' came into existence, in the form of a male face surrounded by foliage. This image is still well known in Britain to this day.
The antlers of the Horned God were replaced with goats horns and this later led to such God-forms as the Greco- Roman Horned God 'Pan'.
As time went on many people from various places migrated to live in Rome, bringing their own Gods and Goddesses with them. The nomadic Eutruscans from Asia Minor brought knowledge of magic and divinations. The British (now known as Celts), arrived, as did the Mediranian Cult of the Dead. These people had great knowledge of spirituality and the theories of death and reincarnation. As they spread out they shared this knowledge with the Celts, and these people then became the Druids who oversaw all of the rights of the Pagan People.
The Druids, the Wice and the Pagans
Druids were mostly men. From 6500-4500 there were still remnants of the solar/lunar cults that dealt with animals, herbs and the mysteries that intertwined with the pagan communities. These people were known as the 'wice' , and they were the people who knew of the mysteries and the power of understanding life and earth.
Three major groups of people developed, the Druids who held the men's secrets of the Cult of the Dead, the Wice who held the teachings of the solar/lunar cults which remained mostly made up of women who worshipped the Goddess, and the Pagans, who were common folk, balanced and polaric and who sought out the knowledge of the other two groups.
Christianity
After the death of Christ the people from the Middle East spread out across the land, teaching the word of Christianity. Eventually they made it to Rome, and this is where the mass conversion began. They began with the leaders, Kings and Queens, first by using money and bribery. This way the country dwellers would have to convert as they depended on their leaders for survival.
Pagan temples were destroyed and Christian churches were built upon Pagan holy grounds. The Pagans were naturally not happy about this forcible conversion, so when they were made to build the churches they incorporated many of their symbols into the buildings that can still be seen today.
The Roman Catholic Church perverted the meaning of the name Pagan (from the Latin 'Paganus') and claimed it meant anti-Christian and an 'unbeliever'. Many people today still believe that Pagans are atheists or have no belief in a Deity or deities of any kind, and a total rejection of all aspects of Spirituality.
The Goddess was excised from the masses to reappear later to the Roman Catholics in the subordinate form of the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ himself was deified , and his image transformed into the Son of God. He became the Christian equivalent of the Sun God, an old Pagan tradition of a beloved male deity born to the Mother Goddess who is killed and resurrected after death. The Pagan horned God was transformed into the visualised form of 'Satan' or the 'Devil', the evil being who was the enemy of the Christian God, who only 'evil' people (non-Christians) worshipped, and who had dedicated his existence to to totally undermining and destroying the moral turpitude of loyal Christians.
Pagan ideals such as the openness of sex and reverence for women were attacked in order to control the masses by the Church Clergy. Now sex and nudity were considered sinful and abhorrent to the new God image, and women became little more than the property of their menfolk, losing all their property rights and unable to serve in the clergy until the 20th century.
During this time the first Pagan scriptures emerged and were held by two Celts.
In 1100 the Dark Ages began, and no further writing took place. The Pagan scriptures vanished, and the Christian conversion continued to spread, and the Holy Wars began.
When the Christians decided their teachings were not catching on fast enough with the Pagans, the Christian leaders began claiming the Pagans worshipped and consorted with the Devil, and so the inquisition began.
Malleus Maleficarum (The Witches Hammer)
In 1494 two Dominican Monks who were the inquisitors of Papal Bull of Innocent VIII, by the names of Kramer and Springer produced the book the Malleus Maleficarum (The Witches Hammer). This laid the groundwork for the reign of terror that swept through Europe well into the v18th century.
This period was known as 'The Burning Times', where it is estimated some 9 million men, women and children were held captive, stripped, starved, deprived of sleep and horribly tortured to obtain confessions of witchcraft, only then to be either burnt at the stake or strangled.
The last Witch to be executed under the laws of the Malleus Maleficarum was in 1747 in Australia.
Those involved in Paganism went into hiding until 1951 when the last of anti-witchcraft laws were abolished in England.
In 1952 Gerald Gardner published a book called 'High Magicks Aid', before publishing a further book in 1952 called 'Witchcraft Today' and so began the New Age Religion of Wicca.
In 1985 Wicca became a legalized religion and has grown at an incredible pace ever since. The approximate number of Pagans in North America alone surpasses 250,000, and is believed to actually be much higher because many lie on their census forms to avoid persecution.
This is clearly an enormous subject to try and cover in one hub, so I may well continue in further hubs where I explain more about modern Pagansim, Wiccan Altars, Rituals etc.
A quote I found whilst writing this that I really liked was that 'Pagans are not anti-Christianity, they are prior to Christianity'.
In the links section below you will find a list of sites I found very useful as a research tool when writing this hub, and if you do have the interest in this subject I highly recommend them.
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Comments
Very interesting hub Misty, I look forward to more on this topic.
Thanks Rodney and Sixty, I shall no doubt write more on the topic once I get a bit more feedback on this one to gauge interest :)
Great job, Misty! And thanks for writing this. I never realized anti-witchcraft laws lasted until the 1950's in England! It's terribly disheartening to look back on all the torture and suffering that took place because of fear and intolerance, and I'm glad that Pagan and Wiccan traditions persisted despite these cruelties.
I've always been interested in hearing about the ways that Christianity has borrowed from Paganism--is it true that Christmas and Easter coincide with traditional Pagan holidays?
Great hub, very well writen and researched. You have done an excellent job.
Great hub Cindy, eagerly waiting for more :)
Melissa, I believe Jenny (Inspirepub) has a hub on Christian holidays converted from Pagan ones. Let me see if I can find it.
very good hub You have done an excellent job.
Thanks to all of you for your lovely and kind comments.
Melissa, yes, it is true that Christmas and Easter coincide with Pagan 'Holidays'.
Christmas was an ancient Babylon Feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) and was celebrated on December 25th. It is unlikely Jesus was born on Dec 25th as Shepherds would have been slightly mad to tend their flocks during a cold Judean Winter. It is more likely Christ was born in September approx 6 months after passover.
In Rome the 'Winter Solstice' was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ.
In Northern Europe many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before participants had ever heard of Christ. This time was known as 'Yule', and was significant of the Sun God Mithras being born.
In 350 Pope Julius declared that Christ's birthday would be celebrated on Dec 25th. There is little doubt he was trying to make it more painless for Pagan Romans, (who remained the majority at the time), to convert to Christianity. The new feast went down a little easier because the Pagans knew their feast was not being taken away from them.
Easter, the very name is derived from several different names (estre, eastre) for a Spring festival celebrated with a feast at the Spring Equinox, and also for the names of the Goddesses (Eastre and Ishtar) of dawn and heaven. The word estrogen is also derived from these names, so the connection with fertility is also evident.
The Easter rabbit comes from the fact that rabbits have always been a symbol of fertility, and were sacrificed to the Goddess Ishtar which is pronounced 'Easter' in her honour.
Eggs are also another symbol of fertility and rebirth. The Goddess Astarte (Syrian for Ishtar) was believed to have hatched from a huge egg that dropped from the sky into the Euphrates River. When Astarte (Ishtar's) husband Bel or Baal, (Tammuzz) died, the people were ordered to fast for forty days and nights, abstaining from meat and eggs , which were considered sacred to the Goddess. From this fable comes the traditional observence of Lent.
The followers of Ishtar also bakes cakes decorated with a cross, a symbol that in Egyptian Hieroglyphics represented life. Today we have hot cross buns.
I hope this helps to clarify the history of these celebrations :)
Thanks Guys and Gals :)
Thanks for explaining in a entertaining way. I would love to put the love spells and get 3 times love in return. Nothing like the feeling of loving and being loved... Are their books on such spells?
Yes there are books available, plus spells on the Internet, but the love spells usually relate to relationships, and there can be a fine line between these being acceptable, and them attempting to 'force' the other person into loving you, e.g. binding spells, which are really hard to get out of if you tire of the relationship for some reason. Truly this is a complicated and in depth subject :)
Dearest Misty!!
I am delighted you took the time to write such a lovely, loving, insightful, educational and in-depth Hub!! You go girl!!
There is just too, too much misinformation out there and I applaud you for shedding light on a subject that remains too much underground and therefore feared!! You go girl!!
This is a delightful Hub for all those who are brave enough to keep an open heart and smart enough to keep an open mind!!
I look soooooooooooo forward to many more Hubs related to this one!!
Blessings always, Earth Angel!!
P.S. Any book reviews on the Mists of Avalon series developing??
I will aim to do more hubs on this subject.
Not sure about the Mists of Avalon series, but I would like to know more as I was recently told I was a Priestess of Avalon in a former life, and that I was murdered along with many of them in that lifetime. My quest is to find out more about this and to understand how this may link to why I never wanted children up until a year or so ago. I have been told it was because at the time I was murdered I decided I no longer wanted committment, and that once I get over this long term belief I will find myself able to have children.
I love the connection between christianity and the ancient pagans. I also like the Clun Green Man. Great hub, I am a Christian but am always fascianted by ancient religion, this type especially.
Thanks t.keeley, really glad you enjoyed the hub :)
Blessings to you this morning Misty!!
The Mists of Avalon, first published in the 1980's, became a series of 5+ books!! They are a bit daunting in weight and length - yet after getting into them, I never wanted them to end!!?? As an author and publisher myself, I read 60+ books a year!! The Mists of Avalon (and series) are still in my top 10 books of all times!! Marion Bradley spent years doing research and her writing style is compelling!! I can't recommend these books highly enough!!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_2_15?url=searc
Blessings always, Earth Angel!!
Thanks for the information about the holidays, Misty! Very interesting.
Although in India we have a lots of nature/Goddess Worshiping.. Also lots of spells.. Called mantra (by words) and tantra (by objects/rituals) of binding but I don't know in this day and age their effectiveness. Do these binding spells work for love? Surely, women can use this to bind their husbands to love them forever. I am curious if it's the faith that it works binds or these spells actually do have some power...
P.S: I am not doubting your statements just curious about this subject.
This is a great overview! Lots of information and a great place for people to get their first knowledge of paganism. Thanks for writing it!
Misty, you've been a great "hub pal" and so supportive of my stuff for a long time. I've enjoyed your work too. But, this is a really awesome work. You've tackled a deep and really important conversation here that swells in the modern psyche obviously. While I could spend time pointing out stuff you missed (cthonic foundations and Greek mythology) I see you probably just skimmed it rather than typing it in. This was a huge project and I'm glad you put this out. "Pagan" is still almost a dirty word, and, the great vindication of so many centuries of persecution, is that it's all proving true.
The power-coveting psuedo faiths that for a few stacked centuries managed to vanquish everyone else's religions are still strong, but their opressive dogma fails horribly in the light of global conversation. The pagans of Europe join with the reason and observation of African faiths, South American faiths, Native American faiths.... basically teh whole world outside of the men with the sharpest swords... to prove there is actually a religion spawned by the planet and, perhaps, it's god.
I've bookmarked your hub as a reference source. I regard Paganism as an integral part of our history and especially spiritual history. So much can be sourced from the teachings, rituals, apirations and ceremonies of Pagans back to more ancient times. There is still a marked imprint in our being, both good and not so good from the 'old days' when this way of life was the norm. I believe Paganism had 'feeling' down pat and a massive knowing of forces. It is that feeling subconsciously we want to experience again.
I'm beyond impressed -- not only did you pull this together in record time (wasn't it just last week we were clammoring for a hub on Paganism?), but did a SUPER job! You could and should develop sub-hubs on the different sects and periods of Pagan evolution.
I hope you get widespread interest and make beaucoup $$$ as the Pagan goddess you are! Thanks, Ms. Misty (I just can't call you Cindy, sorry:-). MM
This is a really good hub, and a great over-view of Paganism I loved the illustrations, especially the Green Man (I've always had a soft spot for those!).
Wow, thanks for all the truly positive comments everyone. I was a bit worried this topic might cause a flood of comments from disgruntled Christians, but touch wood, so far there have been none.
countrywomen, interesting question. I have heard of cases where a binding spell has worked so much so, that when the person who cast the spell finally did want to get out of the relationship, they simply couldn't get rid of the person they had cast it on. There is also the karmic repercussions of such a spell, as you are interfering with another's 'free will' by imposing your own over theirs. So in essence, yes I believe they can work as long as they are done correctly, but I do not think we should use these spells from a moral point of view. I also believe that you have to believe in any spell working 100% for it to be fully successful.
Christoph, thanks for commenting. I am glad you enjoyed this hub and found the info contained in it interesting :)
Shades, thank you for such a complimentary response, it always means so much more coming from you because of the absolute respect I hold for your writing talents. As you noticed I had to miss out certain elements such as the Greek Mythology, but I intend to do further hubs now and cover other Pagan races, Gods and beliefs more specifically. I didn't want this hub to end up being so long that people were bored before they reached the end of it. I love the idea that the planet spawned a religion that is God. Thank you.
Jewels Thanks for stopping by and commenting so kindly. I too believe Paganism had 'feeling' down pat, and a massive knowledge of forces. Truly we should all be lucky to experience this feeling ourselves.
Mighty Mom, thank you too for your wonderful feedback. Yes, it took me a couple of days to pull all the info together and check out my facts and do the research, but I am pleased with the end result and will write more hubs on the topic concentrating on certain areas and races. Please feel free to call me Misty or Cindy, but whichever you are comfortable with so am I :)
Amanda, thanks for commenting, and I am very pleased you enjoyed the hub. I kind of like the Green Man images too :)
I never really mentioned that druidism, Historical issue of pagan festivals being Christianised and the fact that these religions pre-date Christianity by some serious time spans have always been subjects in which I have an interested. As I said earlier more please. BTW even the comment from Christoph above "touch wood" for luck or good fortune has its roots in paganism!
Thanks sixtyorso, good points, and I hope you will read the hubs I follow up on this subject with :)
Blessings on you, Mistyhorizon. Thank you for your helpful, enlightened article -- I look forward to reading more from you!
Misty I certainly intend to!
This is very nicely told. You've given us an excellent introduction. I suspect some of the very early history you present especially from nomadic times must be pretty speculative, but that's true of every religion's birth.
A great read Misty, and I look forward to your future thoughts on the subject.
Thank you to all of you for your kind comments. I am sorry to not to have come back to you sooner, but had a dreadful day yesterday (Sunday) as I had to help put my Mum's dog to sleep. She was a greyhound and very special to all of us, so I didn't go near my computer all day needless to say. Bear with me and I shall work on these follow-up hubs as soon as I can.
Cindy,
About the earlier comment on love spells you did raise couple of good issues:
1) About not getting rid of the spell even after the relationship is over?
If we can do a spell can't we undo a spell.
2) About interfering with free will?
If somebody's free will is not strong enough to stay on track with their commitments (like marrital vows or alcohol\tobacoo addictions) then is it wrong to put a spell to keep him\her from improving in the right direction.
3) Karmic backlash?
If we genuinely wish the good of others then only good will return to us then it is good to have the good karma isn't it.
P.S: I do respect pagan religion, and these questions are more out of personal curiousity.
Hi countrywomen, good questions.
1) I believe it is possible to undo a binding spell, but incredibly hard and may take a far more advanced Witch/Wiccan to achieve this than the person who cast the spell originally, and even then there are no guarantees they will be successful.
2) If somebody's free will is not strong enough to stay on track with their marital vows then you are best off without them anyway. The decision as to whether a spell is a good idea to help them with their willpower with regards to fidelity or addictions should be theirs. If they decide they want a spell cast to help themselves, then they should be the ones to act on this, using their own free will, and not the desires of someone else.
3) I do believe karma will be effected by your ultimate intentions, so if you genuinely wanted the best for the other person, then the karma would be good.
However, I would also advise anyone thinking of casting a spell on another, to at least seek their permission first, as otherwise what you are doing is treating them as a pawn for you to alter to fit your ideals, and which may not match their ideals. I mean, how would you like it if someone chose to cast a binding spell on you, (especially if you weren't even all that keen on them in the first place), and then at a later date, decided they no longer wanted you, so arranged for the spell to be lifted? Wouldn't you feel just a little bit like a piece on a chess board that they were manipulating to suit their own wants and desires at any one time?
Hope this has helped :)
Very well researched and explained hub, Cindy! I am not surprised you are getting very well deserved high scores here!
Thank you Steve, that is high praise coming from one with your writing experience. Glad you enjoyed the Hub :)
I appreciate this hub although I am christian I sincerely respect that you wrote this article and I hope that this will open many minds. Great Hub!!!!
Thank you AEvans, it is so lovely to meet a Christian who has an open mind, and I truly respect you for it :)
Thanks Cindy for the explanation. I am not married yet but having heard from my married friends that some men may lose interest soon. Hence maybe this is also an option...Never know??? What life has in store?
Hi Countrywomen, if a man is likely to lose interest in you soon, he is the wrong man for you. I know we must have a culture difference, but I do believe unless the man wants to love you forever you should wait until you find one that will. I have made these mistakes, but when the relationship has ended I have ultimately been relieved. Try to trust in fate, destiny and karma, and life will send you the right partner eventually, even if not immediately, but don't be in a rush to get married until you really trust your partner.
MistyHorizon, We should all be open minded and respect each others beliefs , I do not believe in pushing our own religions down each other I believe in learning from one another although I have experiences with my beliefs I always value others thoughts ,comments and understanding and this article was wonderful!!! Thank you for the respect and likewise to you. :)
Thank you AEvans, I agree with you that we need to all respect each other's beliefs and learn from each other. I really appreciate your compliment on the quality of my Hub, Thank you again. :)
Hi Mistyhorizon2003,
Thank you for this very well presented introduction to Paganism, my friend. It is indeed a fascinating hub and a good source of knowledge and future reference.
Knowledge broadens our horizons and helps us to understand each other better. Keep up the good work, my friend.
*smiles*
Thanks Terence, glad you enjoyed it and I shall be writing more I promise :)
Very interesting and well done. You did a good job of addressing all the major points in a limited space.
Thanks Suzanne, great to have your feedback :)
Wonderful explanation of Paganism in a nutshell! As a baptised Methodist who finally found her way to Wicca by way of a book called "Druids" and a Native American book called "Seven Arrows", I have no problem believing in the *idea* of Christ and his teachings. They mirror many of the pacifist beliefs of Paganism. That he was THE Savior of Mankind, no. Only a prophet who got a lot more publicity than the rest.
I'm also sure the 250,000 figure for Pagans, Wiccans, etc is but a fraction of the true number, because we're *everywhere*. Because of the "devil worship" stigma, we dare not declare ourselves as such to co-workers and employers like Catholics, Baptists and members of other "acceptable" religions can.
But perhaps hubs like this one and pgrundy's will help remove that stigma by educating the masses that Paganism is NOT devil worship, pre-dates all forms of Christianity by several thousand years, and the Golden Rule was originally our "An Ye Harm None".
Thanks JamaGenee, great comment and I totally agree with every word of it. I am sure people like Pam will be a great asset to getting the truth about Paganism out there.
PS. I always am happy to admit I am a Pagan to anyone, and I explain what it means. It would feel wrong to me to hide it in the same way it no doubt would feel wrong to a devout Christian to deny their beliefs or keep them quiet. I am comfortable with the fact that Pagans love and protect the planet in a way most Christians seem not to. Just an afterthought :)
Missed this one - Beautifully written Hub.
A few years ago, my friends had a handfasting at the Rollright stones, and asked me to open and close the North Quarter. It was a real honour and a beautiful ceremony.
Great hub Misty. I consider myself a pagan with a little 'p' on the few occasions I consider such subjects. In my case it's more of a familial, natural thing, not so much the Neo-Pagan revivalism that took expresses itself in modern covens and so forth. I also look forward to more hubs from you on this. Great work, thank you.
Thanks Sufi, glad you found it in the end and that you enjoyed it :)
Thanks Pam, I guess I am similar to you as I have never been a part of a Coven, but simply appreciate and love the environment and treat is all as part of the Great Spirit. I believe we are meant to look after it and nurture it, and I always feel at my most spiritual when I am in the depths of the countryside watching nature and the trees, flowing streams etc.
Loved and enjoyed your hub very much... I will pass this on to all those that need this kind of awareness....
Thanks BabaSixto, I am pleased you enjoyed this and hope it can help to educate others with any doubts about what Paganism is all about.
There are 16 images on this page, but only 15 are visible in a bigger version in the slide show. Image #12, titled "Pagan Horned God" was omitted from the slide show. Can you please include it there? Thanks.
A summary of the main points to make about pagan religions, in my view:
1. Almost all of the thousands of religions in the history of the Earth have been pagan religions. Only a small handful of religions have not been pagan. . (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha'i, Sikhism, maybe a few more.)
2. Pagan religions are generally: pantheistic (reverence or worship of Nature); polytheistic (worshipping many Gods and Goddesses); and animistic (seeing an animating life force in all things in Nature).
3. Pagan religions were brutally oppressed by both Christianity and Islam for centuries. Monotheism in general is a statement of opposition to polytheistic paganism; and the Christians and the Muslims did their best to destroy pagan religions. They burned our holy books, destroyed our sacred pagan temples and built churches and mosques over them, desecrated iconic statues of pagan Gods, and tortured and killed millions of pagans.
4. Pagan religions today are undergoing a massive resurgence. Now that the oppression has lifted, the natural pagan religiosity of many people is reawakening.
5. Wicca is only one of many pagan religions; it's unique in that it's mostly duotheistic, focusing worship on a Horned God and a Moon Goddess, who are seen as lovers.
6. The Horned God is not "the devil." Some of the earliest pagan gods wore horns or antlers; they're a symbol of male virility and a connection to Nature and to the wild spirit of animals.
Hi Dee, I shall see what I can do, but I am not sure why that image is being excluded from the slideshow. Thanks for your informative comment.
Just_Rodney says:
14 months ago
Brilliant, a very well researched, not that I have prior knowledge of Wicca, but I can see/feel that an enourmous amount of energy has gone into this hub.
When I was writting my hub for halloween, I saw the links to wicca, and only glanced through them, as my hub thread was the Irish/druidish angle. I realise that it is all a single yarn in the fabric of where we are today.