Tonight, I am feeling quiet and somber.  Where are those I for whom I have opened my doors; those who stood at the windows of my soul and called me to come out to play?

So often in this life, we have those who hear our song and want to sing along, but they do not have the desire to know the entire song.  They flit in and out like hummingbirds; a piece here and there is enough to satisfy their curiosity.  And then they fade into black. They move along, forgetting they opened your windows, not to remember anymore.

I think we need to be more cautious with another's windows and doors.  When we leave, be courteous enough to shut them. Because if we do not, the one will be forever searching for the love that we found in that hummingbird.

The longing can be a deep hurt that struggles to heal.

DOMINIONISTS ARE TAKING OVER OUR COUNTRY

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/mike-pence-religious-freedom-bill-gay-rights/

This is a very sad day in America. There are a number of these discrimination bills out there waiting on votes and signatures. Gov. Pence had the opportunity to stand on the side of freedom and veto the bill on his desk. Instead, he held a very private signing. We, collective we as American citizens, have fought long, difficult battles to bring about equal rights in this country.

In effect, the governor has violated the US Constitution, Amendment 1, which says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Certainly, the mind of the authors and of the court to this point has been to stay out of religion. However, since the Dominionists of the Republican Party have literally by coup overtaken the party, we are seeing more and more of these attempts to subvert the US Constitution. But creating laws that allow people in very public jobs and other positions to simply say they won't serve you because being gay, or being black, or being Asian, is offensive to their religion, sets up a scary precedent. The slippery slope on this one could very easily lead to terrible consequences for being a minority in this country. Already, a California state senator submitted an amendment to their state constitution that allows for the murdering of gay people. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/lawyer-killing-gays-sodomit…} The direction in which this country is headed is very disconcerting. One pastor suggested lgbt people should be put in concentration camps and slowly left to die. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/north-carolina-pastor-gay-r…)

My dear friends, regardless of what you believe about the lgbt population, we are people who deserve equal rights and compassion. Regardless of what you think of us, we must all live in harmony with one another. And if you are a Christian, truly you know in your heart that your Savior would require of you compassion and love. Remember I Cor. 13:13 which says, "13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." These resolutions and amendments are NOT of God, not of the Spirit of the Christ, and certainly not loving in any way.

Regardless of your personal faith, certainly you cannot in your heart of hearts think that those simply by virtue of not being like you, deserve encampment, prejudice and death. I must believe in my heart that God, by whatever Name you address Him/Her, is a loving God. And if you believe in Jesus as Savior, there is no way to justify support of these policies.

This is a blog by a dear friend, Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge.  She is the pastor at Jubilee Circle UCC in Columbia, SC

(http://www.jubileecircleucc.com/index.shtml)

I've known Candace a number of years. (I won't say how many.)  She has been a light for gays and lesbians seeking love and acceptance in a world not so very nice to them.  Over the years, she has offered hope to those dangling in the inbetween place of wanting to have a relationship with God and knowing they are not accepted by their families nor church families.

I've often said to people who want to put labels on me, "No, I am not a sinnner. I was not born in 'original sin'. I was born in amazing grace."  If one truly believes in the saving power of Jesus, then one has no issue with original sin.  One only needs to feel the love of Grace.

Take a moment to read her blog.  And if you feel blessed, read her others.  She never fails to cause me to think.  And I always walk away feeling blessed.  If you're ever in Columbia, SC, check out Jubilee Circle UCC.  I promise you will enjoy yourself.



Spiritual Apocalypse

What I Mean When I Say: “We are not sinners”

When I say we are not sinners I don’t mean that we never mess up or are blameless for the mistakes we make. When I say we are not sinners, I mean that the Christ consciousness that resides within each of us, that true self, knows nothing about sin. It’s a foreign concept to our divine self.

So, why do we “sin” then? We sin because we get caught up in the lie that the ego is our true self. We play not just the ego’s game in our personal lives, but we play the ego’s larger, corporate game that has created a world of greed and inequality. In this illusory world, those who get ahead are the ones who have given in to the fear-based life of the ego – the fear that they don’t have enough, aren’t talented, beautiful or loved enough. This is the fear that tells us that others will take what we have and we’ll have nothing. This is the world the ego lives in — a world of fear, scarcity, anger, shame and greed.

In this ego-driven world, we are, indeed, sinners, but that word has become so loaded down with useless moralistic meanings. Instead, it’s better to say that we’re mistaken, we’re hoodwinked, brain-washed, by the cult of the ego — that cult that says we need more stuff outside of us, and that the only authority that means anything is outside of us in the form of governments, churches, institutions, bosses, parents, spouses or even total strangers.

Our divine self, however, is innocent. Sin isn’t known in this realm, and every mistake we make in service to the ego is already forgiven, washed away by the infinite love offered to us by the Holy.

The only salvation we need is awakening — that realization that the ego world is not the real world. That realization that collectively, we can create another world that is driven by love and compassion instead of fear and greed.

The only true sin we ever commit is the belief that we are separate from God. Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we ARE God, I’m saying we are one with the force of life that runs in, through and around this universe.  Just like a drop of water is not the ocean, it is still a part of the larger whole.

That is what we are, a drop of God in an ocean of holiness.

Moral Absolutes or Moral Relativism?

1. "Moral Absolutism is the ethical belief that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged, and that certain actions are right or wrong, regardless of the context of the act." 
2.  http://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_moral_absolutism.html
3. 
4. I like the picture above.  It's a start as a good example of our society's discarding of the wonderful lessons those of us of a certain age learned as children.  Of course, they were based in the Judeo/Christian basics:  Do not murder. Do not steal.  Don't go after your neighbor's wife/husband. Do not lie. As we grew as a nation, we added to those laws to include other rights and wrongs: Women and minorities can vote.  Women can own property.  We cannot exploit children for labor.  We had moral absolutes!
5. Let me give you an example from my childhood.  When I was around 7 or so, my father and I went to the neighborhood pharmacy.  Now back then, a pharmacy was really a small store of this and that, including penny candy and such.  We finished our business, returned home, and I pulled out this little box of rock candy that I had pilfered from the store.  I'm sure I was taught not to steal.  But in my child-mind, I really didn't understand the full concept of that rule.  Well, my dad saw what I had and asked me where I got it.  I hung my head (first clue) and I averted my eyes (second clue) and sheepishly owned up to taking it from the pharmacy.  My dad was livid!  He gave me a stern lecture on stealing.  At that point, the idea of "stealing" became very clear.  He took me and the box of rock candy back to the pharmacy.  He marched me to the pharmacist (who owned the store) and made me return it and apologize.  I did what he told me to do, with the same head hanging as before.  The pharmacist thanked me  for my honesty.  My dad paid for the box.  I thought it was over.  Oh no, it wasn't over.  My father positioned me at the door.  As I opened the door for everyone who entered, I had to apologize for stealing.  Let me tell you, that lesson in moral absolutes taught me a very deep and valuable lesson. You might think that was a horrible thing to do to a kid.  But I sure as hell never stole anything again.
6. Unfortunately, we've stopped teaching those lessons of moral absolutes to our children; the ones where our teachers, parents and ministers gave us lessons and encouragement to act with respect, compassion, and truth.  Now we have a society based on moral relativism.  Moral relativism says, "if it feels good, do it."  Moral relativism says, "If somebody disrespects you, shoot him."  Now we have a society which, quite frankly, is on its way toward anarchy.

1. So what is Anarchy?
   Anarchy is the type of government where there is no government at all. Every person is left to fight for themselves. People must continue to live through farming on their own land, find water, and build a home on their own. No one tells you what to do and there is no voting
2. 
   

Now, I can already hear the boo-birds on that one.  We will never have anarchy!  Friends, moral relativism will lead to anarchy.  Consider this: As we sit right now, what is happening with that fellow who is refusing to pay for the use of public land?  Cliven Bundy has his ranch surrounded by militiamen to keep the government out.  He refuses to pay what he owes.  He is an anarchist!  He does not recognize the government or their right to enforce a court order.  He will fight for himself, including the militia he has attracted (who believe as he does).  This is anarchy.

If we continue on this trajectory, where police shoot and kill with impunity, our prisons are filled to capacity,and people continue to take the law into their own hands, justify the end by the means,  we will be facing a very serious situation.  We already have one of the, if not the, highest violent crime problems in the world.  There are more guns than books. There are more people joining militia groups than joining prayer groups.

I would like to see our parents take the lead by teaching their children the rights and wrongs of living in a society.  I would like to see the school go back to the basics of read, writing, arithmetic, and not dumb down education and be forced, because of children's behavior, to become baby sitters instead of educators.  I would like to see the churches, synagogues and mosques return to the moral lessons of our religions and philosophies; the moral absolutes that give us a foundation to build a great society.  It would bring us closer to the society of mercy, compassion, and personal responsibility which is missing now.

Please, this day, make a decision to live by those great moral absolutes we knew.  When our internal dialogue says to think about what we are doing, we must stop and do so.  Is it kind?  Is it compassionate?  Is it encouraging?  Is it helpful?  These questions will lead us to be better people.

I had a campus minister many years ago who said something that, at the time, I thought was total heresy.  He said, "I've got enough of God. Now I need to learn to be human."  I did not get it.  Now that I am older, I get it.  We spout religious sayings.  We spout Jesus here and God there, but we don't align our behavior with what we say.  And those who act that way throwing their theologies on others, are no better than the Pharisees.  The Pharisees did what they wanted.  They made it up as they went along to take advantage of those who were basically powerless.  Oh they knew a lot about "God" but they acted with impunity.

I need to be human.  I need to care, be kind, encourage others, show compassion, and treat others with respect.  In doing these things, I touch the heart of God.  I live by moral absolutes.  Just take a moment to consider how much better our society would be if we actually taught our children personal responsibility and kindness?  Just think about it.

Blessings to you all, my gentle readers.

Cindi

1. 
   

New Year Reflections 2015

Happy New Year, dear readers...

The pictures added on this post reflect my mindset for the coming year.  I believe it is a time to shake off the old and welcome the new.  So, today I shake off the negative thoughts and feelings that I would allow to tie me to the past.  And, today I accept God/dess' highest and greatest good for my life.

What does that mean in every day terms?

Well, for one it means overcoming the fibromyalgia, OPCA and pain that has dominated my year.  These things I place in the burning bowl, seeking and expecting relief.  Now how does that play out in "real life?"  Patti and I have put our minds, hearts, spirits, and bodies toward improving our overall health this year.  I'm not talking about the usual "losing weight" goal, but if that is a result I certainly won't complain. :)   I'm talking about cutting our red meat intake and choosing chicken and fish instead.  We now have a bread maker so we can make our own healthy whole grain breads.  And even with that, it is necessary for me to cut starches.  I love my breads and pastas. Of course, that also means more veggies.  I want to find a source for healthy veggies and meats which are organic.   Moderation must become the mantra.

So there's the food component.  Now the body component.  This is the difficult one for me.  With the issues involved with the fibro and OPCA, there are limitations to which attention must be paid.  I have hopes that, with time and patience, I will see improvement.  Starters will include gentle walking, with knee supports, on flat surfaces.  Slow, steady and short distances.  Next will be some weight training with very light weights.  The Coast Guard base here has an excellent work out room.  Third will be swimming.  That will wait til May when weather is warmer since the pool at the base is outside.  I need the water to be warm.  That's the plan for the body.

What about the mind?  I'm going to read more.  Yes, there are the mystery novels I love so much.  However, I want to increase my understanding of politics, faith, social needs, etc.  Instead of planting myself in front of the "idiot box" I want to finish my back room ideas and have a place to relax, read, and study.  That will include my Bible, my Other Bible (which includes Gnostic writings about which I am very interested), as well as blogs and webzines on different subjects.  I put the Bible mentions here first because I want to examine them as interesting writings first.  My time will also be spent researching Christo-Pagan writings.

And now the Spirit.  This is a big one for me.  If you know me, you know I have a deep and abiding spirit life that influences all that I am.  Labels?  Christian. Pagan. (Yes, they can co-exist.) I enjoy reading the Bible for its life lessons.  I enjoy reading the Other Bible for its life lessons and twist on how to see spiritual things.  I enjoy reading the writings of the Dalai Lama, Buddha, Lao Tzu, etc.  I find them challenging and stirring to my Spirit.  I want to dig deeper, feel more, know more...and more importantly, be more of the spiritual person for which I was made.

Those are the basics, folks.  I know it's a tall order.  I pray I can make headway in all those areas.  And the reason is simple: They are all intertwined.  I am all those things.  To be my greatest, highest self, I must succeed in each area.  And to live my life in balance, I must succeed in each area.

There is one area I have only briefly mentioned.  That is my relationship with my beloved, Patti.  I kinda think it's pretty perfect.  We love and support each other in all things.  That includes each of the above-mentioned areas.  I know that we walk this journey together.  And I am blessed beyond words to be able to share my life with her.

These are my desires for 2015.

Great blessings to you, my dear readers, for your New Year.  May you find peace, joy, prosperity and joy.

"Why Conservative Christians Would Have Hated Jesus"

Greetings, Gentle Readers...

I've posted below an interesting article on how Jesus would be perceived in our day and age.  I must admit, I find it to be more than true.  Jesus was outside the status quo.  He fought against the legalism of the Pharisees.  He tried to show the people a new and better way to experience God.

Today we see the same.  The evangelical/fundamentalist Christians fail the humility test.  We see the religious right, especially as it is used in politics, damning the poor and hungry, calling poverty as if it was laziness, and slashing social programs that would help give those in difficult circumstances a hand up.  Jesus taught the very opposite!  Jesus taught that we should care for those who are poor, hungry, without shelter, elderly, widowed, etc.  He was very specific about it.  He expected it from the "church."  He expected it from those who governed.  He expected it from each and every one of us.  

Yet, now, we hear only about hand outs, calling out those in difficult circumstances.  And this should not be.  The church has gone from serving the people to only serving itself.  

Please take a moment to read the article below.  Open your heart to what Jesus calls true service.

cgb

MONDAY, NOV 3, 2014 03:55 PM CST

Why conservative Christians would have hated Jesus

Even as they profess to spread his word, fundamentalists are forgetting Jesus' most important message

FRANK SCHAEFFER, ALTERNET

TOPICS: ALTERNET, JESUS, RELIGION, CHRISTIANITY, EVANGELICALISM, NEWS, POLITICS NEWS

(Credit: Jaroslav74 via Shutterstock)

This article originally appeared on AlterNet.

Jesus never could have been the pastor of a contemporary evangelical church nor a conservative Roman Catholic bishop. Evangelicals and conservative Roman Catholics thrive on drawing distinctions between their “truth” and other people’s failings. Jesus by contrast, set off an empathy time bomb that obliterates difference.

Jesus’ empathy bomb explodes every time a former evangelical puts love ahead of what the “Bible says.” It goes off every time Pope Francis puts inclusion ahead of dogma. It goes off every time a gay couple are welcomed into a church. Jesus’ time bomb explodes whenever atheists follow Jesus better than most Christians.

Put it this way: Godless non-church-going Denmark mandates four weeks of maternity leave before childbirth and fourteen weeks afterward for mothers. Parents of newborn children are assisted with well-baby nurse-practitioner visits in their homes.

In the “pro-life” and allegedly “family friendly” American Bible belt, conservative political leaders slash programs designed to help women and children while creating a justifying mythology about handouts versus empowerment.

In “God-fearing America” the poor are now the “takers,” no longer the “least of these,” and many conservative evangelicals side with today’s Pharisees, attacking the poor in the name of following the Bible.

So who is following Jesus?

Confronted by the Bible cult called evangelicalism we have a choice: follow Jesus or follow a book cult. If Jesus is God as evangelicals and Roman Catholics claim he is, then the choice is clear. We have to read the book–including the New Testament–as he did, and Jesus didn’t like the “Bible” of his day.

Confronted by bishops protecting dogma and tradition against Pope Francis’ embrace of empathy for the “other” we have a choice: follow Jesus or protect the institution.

Every time Jesus mentioned the equivalent of a church tradition, the Torah, he qualified it with something like this: “The scriptures say thus and so, but I say…” Jesus undermined the scriptures and religious tradition in favor of empathy. Every time Jesus undermined the scriptures (Jewish “church tradition”) it was to err on the side of co-suffering love. Every time a former evangelical becomes an atheist in favor of empathy she draws closer to Jesus. Every time Pope Francis sides with those the Church casts out he is closer to Jesus. Every time conservative Roman Catholics try to stop the Pope from bringing change to the Church they are on the side to those who killed Jesus.

---

---

A leper came to Jesus and said, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” If Jesus had been a good religious Jew, he would have said, “Be healed,” and just walked away. Instead, he stretched out his hand and touched the leper, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean,” even though he was breaking the specific rules of Leviticus. Two chapters teach that anyone touching a person with leprosy is contaminated.

In evangelical and Roman Catholic fundamentalist terms, Jesus was a rule-breaking humanist who wasn’t “saved.” A conservative bishop would have refused Jesus the sacraments. Christianity Today magazine would have editorialized against him, called for his firing, banning and branded him a traitor to the cause of Christianity.

The message of Jesus’ life is an intervention in and an acceleration of the evolution of empathy. Consider this story from the book of Matthew: “A woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.”

Jesus recognized a bleeding woman touching him as a sign of faith. By complimenting rather than rebuking her, Jesus ignored another of his scripture’s rules: “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time her [period], or if she has a discharge beyond the time, all the days of her discharge she shall continue in uncleanness… Every bed on which she lies during all the days of her discharge shall be treated as [unclean]… Everything on which she sits shall be unclean … Whoever touches these things shall be unclean” (Leviticus 15:25).

Jesus’ un-first-century antics went beyond coddling lepers and welcoming the touch of a bleeding woman. Jesus’ embrace of a woman from an enemy tribe in a culture where tribal belonging was paramount distressed both his followers and enemies. His attitude to the “other” was as incomprehensible as if he’d blurted “ E=mc2 is the equation of mass–energy equivalence.” Even the Samaritan woman at the well knew that his actions were shocking. When Jesus stopped to talk to her, she said, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? For Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (John 4:9).

Jesus responded by attacking the preeminence of religion, tradition, dogma and group identity, offering an entirely new way of looking at spirituality by emphasizing basic human dignity above nation, state, gender or religion:

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:19–24).

“Worship in the Spirit and in truth,” is not about a book, let alone “salvation” through correct ideas or tradition. For people who call Jesus “the Son of God” you’d think they would also reject the veneration of the book he’s trapped in and church dogma that has crucified him again each time a gay man or divorced couple are refused the sacraments.

Evangelicals struggle to conform Jesus to a book, not the other way around. And the conservative bishops have aligned themselves with the American neoconservative wing of their church against not just the Pope Francis but against the emancipating logic of Jesus’ empathy time bomb. If Jesus isn’t the “lens” evangelicals and Roman Catholics read the Bible and their traditions through then whatever they say to the contrary they do not really believe Jesus is the son of God.

This article is largely excerpted from WHY I AM AN ATHEIST WHO BELIEVES IN GOD: How to give love, create beauty and find peace

Greetings, gentle readers...

Today I post an article on the Wheel of the Year as it coincides with the Christian calendar.  Many think that the idea of a Christian Witch is offensive.  I feel otherwise.  I think when one realizes how paganism was co-opted by Christianity, and looks at the seasons and festivals, it becomes obvious that the correlation can be found and celebrated.  I hope you will read with an open mind.  Again, feel free to comment below.  I do love good conversation.

I am a Christian Witch.

Christian Witchcraft - Wheel of the Year

Print this Article

The Christian Witch Wheel of the Year

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY ADELINA ST. CLAIR
POSTED UNDER PAGANISM

The merging of Christianity and Paganism is a relatively new concept, one rarely talked about and one that stirs much controversy. As more and more people speak out about their love of both Christ and of the Goddess, it becomes apparent that the practice of Christian Witchcraft is no myth. It is real and it makes sense most in the celebrations that both Christians and Wiccans share. The feast days of the Christian and Wiccan calendars are closely linked both in date and meaning, which gives the Christian Witch the greatest of gifts: a way to honor her Christian tradition in the light of a Pagan practice. I offer you here a little bit of history on the development of the feasts that Pagans and Christians both share and how these celebrations can become the focal point of a beautiful and loving spiritual practice. The interaction between Pagan and Christian philosophies really began following the "conversion" of the Emperor Constantine. As Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and of its elite, the legislation and the religious practices began to reflect this change. The establishment of Christianity as the official religion brought on the need to organize and regulate its doctrine into a coherentmonotheistic philosophy that contrasted quite drastically with the eclectic reality of the pagan practices of the time. The unregimented pagan cults, multiple gods, rites, and celebrations came to be considered unfounded from an intellectual point of view, criticized as superstitious, and open to constant re-interpretation. By the fourth century, it had become common practice to re-interpret pagan shrines and festivals from a Christian perspective. The Romans had done the same thing to the religious practices of the Celts and Germanic tribes it had conquered. The practice of assimilation of the religion of the conquered is as old as the history of war, conquest, and submission. The conversion of Europe to Christianity followed two opposing philosophies. Boniface (c.675-754) abolished the religions he encountered on his missionary journeys and destroyed pagan holy sites in order to build new Christian ones. Pope Gregory the Great (c.540-604), on the other hand, instructed missionaries to sprinkle holy water and build altars containing holy relics on the site of pagan temples. Whichever method was used, it is clear that most pagan religious practices were transformed in order to teach the Christian message in a way that was culturally relevant and easy to understand. In fact, "modern Christianity is in many ways as much the heir of European paganism as it is of first-century Judaism1." Such a statement clearly demonstrates the important role of paganism in the development of Christian practices. This pagan heritage is most obvious in the feasts and celebrations we both share. The eight WiccanSabbats are closely linked both in date and intent to the feasts of the Christian calendar. This makes merging the two faiths extremely easy for someone who wishes to practice Christian Witchcraft. Practicing Christian Witchcraft does not mean you have to merge all celebrations; you can choose to focus on the Pagan aspects or on the Christian ones, or you can choose to celebrate both! Let’s take a look at each one and discover the Christian Witch Wheel of the Year. You’ll find here each Sabbat listed with its Christian equivalent, along with the common themes they share. I’ve also included a ritual practice or tradition that can be used to build a celebration that truly honors both the Christian and Pagan aspect of the feast day. Samhain: October 31 All Saints and All Souls Days: November 1st and 2nd, respectively The Christian celebration dates to the fourth century. It commemorates the lives of the saints and the people who have passed on. It was moved to November 1st by Pope Gregory III to coincide with Pagan celebrations. Common theme: Remembrance of our ancestors Ritual practice: The dumb supper is one way to acknowledge the presence of our ancestors on the night of Samhain. It is believed that on this night, the veil between the realm of the living and of the dead is extremely thin and that our ancestors can come back to visit. The dumb supper consists of setting an extra place at the dinner table to welcome them back and to share in their company as we used to when they were living amongst us. It is a great family ritual that teaches that death is a passage and that the ones who have passed on are never really forgotten. Yule: December 21 Christmas: December 25 Yule is celebrated on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. The date for Christmas was chosen by the roman Emperor Aurelian in the third century, to coincide with the feast of the Unconquered Sun. So, for both these feasts, we see a strong association with the power of the sun. Many pagan traditions were incorporated in the Christmas feast. Boniface introduced the Christmas tree, which was a Germanic tradition. Also, Santa Claus is an amalgamation of St. Nikolas and the godOdin. Common theme: Encouraging light in times of darkness. This light is represented in various ways: the unconquered sun, the star of Bethlehem, Jesus as the light of the world, or simply by the ritual use of candles. Ritual practice: Burning candles throughout the night is a practice of both Pagans and Christians. Christians still perform a midnight mass on this night, a symbol of keeping the light burning in the darkest of the night. Pagans let candles burn all night long to give strength to the sun on the longest night of the year. Imbolc: February 2nd Candlemas: February 2nd Imbolc celebrates the efforts of the God to woo the Goddess out of her wintry sleep. For Christians, this date also honors the sacred feminine in the person of the Virgin Mary. It is called Candlemas because it is customary to burn candles in a procession on this date. Common theme: Devotion to the Goddess Ritual practice: Imbolc or Candlemas is a great day to honor the Sacred Feminine. It can be done in a traditional way, like burning candles and offering flowers at a shrine in Her honor. This date also coincides with the feast of St. Brigid, a Druid whose life work was to tend to women’s health, particularly in childbirth. What better way, then, to honor this special day by volunteering or making a donation to your local women’s shelter. Ostara: March 21st Easter: First Sunday after the full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox Common theme: Rebirth Ostara celebrates the coming of spring and return of life after the dead of winter. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ after his descent into the realm of the dead. Ritual practice: There are so many ways to celebrate life. One way that I find links both the Pagan and the Christian philosophy is by the blessing of the elements. This is done at the Easter vigil service every year, and I find that there is no better connection between Pagan and Christian rites than this. There is the blessing of the fire and of the water, and the burning of incense to sanctify the altar. Flowers are all around the altar. It really is a great representation of all the elements Wiccans work with regularly. You can perform the blessing of the elements in your own home with your own personalized ritual. You can then take this holy water to bless yourself and your home in a commitment to bringing forth life everywhere you go. Beltane: May 1st May Day: May 1st May Day is a festival that has been somewhat lost. It used to feature young girls walking in procession behind the statue of the Virgin Mary. It seemed to indicate that these girls were of age to get married.Beltane is a fertility festival with the May Pole dance an obvious symbol of the Great Rite. Common theme: Fertility Ritual practice: A way to commemorate fertility is through a symbolic Great Rite, representing the copulation of the God and Goddess to bring life back on earth. You can use any two items that represent feminine receptivity and male virility and unite them into a state of completeness. It is a day to be a little frivolous and let you hair down, go out on the town with a significant other or go on the prowl for that special someone… Litha: June 21st St. John the Baptist: June 24th These feasts commemorate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and the beginning of the harvest season. Common theme: The link between the two feasts is thin, but the importance of St. John’s day in many parts of the world is a testimony to the importance of this day. It is a time where the solar energy is at its highest. It is a time to commemorate that strength by soaking up this great gift. Ritual practice: A common practice is the lighting of bonfires. It brings back this theme of energy and strength that this day is all about. Lammas: August 1st Loaf Mass: August 1st Loaf mass is not celebrated anymore in the regular Church calendar. It dates back to the early Church, when it was common to make an offering of the first fruits of the harvest as a sign of thanksgiving. Particularly, on August 1st, people brought bread that was baked with the new wheat to be blessed during the church service. Lammas celebrates the wheat harvest and the blessing of livestock. Common theme: Giving thanks for the wheat harvest Ritual practice: Baking and sharing bread is a ritual both Pagans and Christians can relate to. It is especially relevant to Christians as a commemoration of the Eucharist. Mabon: September 21st Thanksgiving: Variable date (Canadian Thanksgiving coincides more closely in date with Mabon) Common theme: Giving thanks for the harvest Ritual practice: There is no greater ritual than preparing a meal with the fruits of the harvest and giving thanks for all our blessings. That is communing with nature and the divine in the most fundamentally human way! I hope that this quick turn of the Wheel of the Year has given you a new way of looking at the celebrations Pagans and Christians share. If you are looking towards a practice in Christian Witchcraft, I hope this has inspired you to find new ways of expressing your own special tradition. For those of you who are strictly Pagan, I hope that this overview also helps in linking with family members and friends who may be of Christian upbringing. Seeing the elements that unite rather than divide is a great way to continue to participate in celebrations and to educate others on the fact that we are not that different. Now, what of the Esbats, the full moon rituals? I am happy to say that the night still belongs to the Goddess. By night, one way, by day, another. It is the beauty of our spiritual path that we find such balance within it and around us. The days belong to the sun, the virile God in his countless manifestations. The nights belong to the Goddess, under the nightly orb, reminding us of the cyclical nature of our lives in her manifestation as maiden, mother, and crone. What beauty in this balance! By honoring both manifestations of the divine, we have come full circle in our celebration of life! May your year be filled with the sounds of celebration and merriment! References: 1Bowden, Hugh. Christianity: A Complete Guide. Novalis. 2005. Cantrell, Gary. Wiccan Beliefs and Practices. Llewellyn Worldwide, 2001. Cunningham, Scott. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Llewellyn Worldwide, 2002. St. Clair, Adelina. The Path of a Christian Witch. Llewellyn Worldwide, 2010.

Adelina St. Clair Adelina St. Clair (Quebec) has studied fields as varied as microbiology, bioethics, Reiki, somatics, shamanism, theology, and herbalism. She works as an occupational therapist in a Cree community in northern James Bay, Canada, where she lives with her...  Read more