Brynne Valla--Outside Reading #1

My freshman seminar class was about witchcraft with a study on pagan beliefs. I remembered that there was a strong emphasis on nature and paganism, an earth based religion, so I decided to further investigate the beliefs. Specifically, I examined pagan holidays. Apparently there are 8 main holidays celebrated in a pagan's "wheel of the year." Many of those holidays are based off of the times of day and night (i.e. spring equinox, summer solstice, fall equinox and winter solstice). Furthermore, there are holidays which celebrate the Sun god, Mother Earth and other mythical deities. In these holidays, there is a celebration of nature. For example, gardening or herb gathering can be employed to celebrate certain holidays. A particular emphasis is placed upon balance and harmony within nature, which I find interesting to apply to a spiritual belief. Typically one does not find it necessary to commune with nature to achieve spiritual significance. In all, these pagan holidays reveal a unique way of life and set of beliefs.