Today is the vernal (spring) equinox*. It is the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Wiccans, Heathens, and various modern Pagans celebrate this day as Ostara, Lady Day, or simply the spring equinox (autumnal equinox for our Australian friends). Several current secular Easter traditions including the Easter Bunny, and dying/decorating eggs are considered remnants of pre-Christian spring celebrations. It is a time for the celebration of the renewal of life.

“Eostre” by Thalia Took

Here are some quotes from the press (and Pagans) on this day.

“The Spring Equinox has long been observed as the start of a new year throughout much of the world, which only makes sense. New life. New beginnings. New season. New Year. It is such a natural correlation. The spring, when birds lay their eggs, when plants and animals are born, when all of nature is refreshed, replenished, renewed, is a perfect time to begin a new year. March 25 was celebrated as New Year’s Day in America as late as 1752 when Great Britain and her colonies adopted the new Gregorian calendar, which declared that, henceforth, January 1 would be the new New Year.” – Donna Henes, The Huffington Post

“It’s a lovely holiday for children,” [Wiccan Priestess Byron] Ballard said. “The first chance to get out and see what’s growing, to welcome baby chicks and lambs, to taste the first little green bits of chickweed. All pagan and wiccan holidays are family-friendly. Many Earth religionists choose to honor their spiritual traditions as a family group.” – Carole Terrell, Asheville Citizen-Times

“After almost a week of St Patrick’s festivals the spring equinox brings the chance to get in touch with our more ancient ancestors and wonder at their mastery of the heavens. All weekend, members of the public can experience the equinox illumination of the Cairn T chamber at Loughcrew, Co Meath. The cairns at Loughcrew form the largest complex of passage graves in Ireland, and twice a year the chamber is illuminated by the rays of the rising sun.” – Luke Cassidy, Irish Times

“Many cultures mark the first full moon after the equinox, for example, the festival of Dionysus in Greece lands on the first full moon following equinox … The old name for April was Eosturmonath, named after Eostre, the Goddess of spring and dawn. It also gives us the word eostrogen, associated with female fertility … Hares were sacred in pre-Christian times. They are renowned for being fertile – there are even stories of them being able to become pregnant while they are pregnant, of them sleeping during the day with their eyes open, coming out at night, leaping and so on. When Queen Boadicea faced the Roman army, she let a hare out before her army to rally them, so potent a symbol were they.” - Stephen Sayers, head of social sciences at Leeds Metropolitan University, Yorkshire Evening Post

“High Feast of Ostara: This is the Spring Equinox. The end of Winter and the beginning of the season of rebirth. Today we honor Frigga, Freya and Nerthus with blot and feast. Pour a libation of mead onto the Earth; celebrate the rebirth of nature, Asatru, and the new hopes of our Folk.” – Asatru Holidays, The Asatru Alliance

“Naturally, this is the season to celebrate the victory of life over death, as any nature lover will affirm. And the Christian religion was not misguided by celebrating Christ’s victory over death at this same season. Nor is Christ the only solar hero to journey into the Underworld. King Arthur, for example, does the same thing when he sets sail in his magical ship, Prydwen, to bring back precious gifts (i.e., the gifts of life) from the Land of the Dead, as we are told in The Mabinogi. Welsh triads allude to Gwydion and Amaethon doing much the same thing. In fact, this theme is so universal that mythologists refer to it by a common phrase, “the harrowing of hell”.” – Mike Nichols, The Witches’ Sabbats

May you enjoy a fruitful and blessed spring!

* Technically speaking, the 2010 March Equinox happens at March 20th 17:32 UTC. In my neck of the woods, that means that the equinox actually happens around 10:32am. If you live in the United Kingdom then it’s happening at 5:32 PM. In Australia the equinox (though not the “spring” equinox) will be quite early on the 21st. Check your time zone for exact calculations.

Tonight and tomorrow is when most modern Pagans celebrate the fire festival of Imbolc sacred to the goddess Brigid, patroness of poets, healers, and smiths. Today is also the feast day of Saint Brigid of Ireland patron saint of poets, dairymaids, blacksmiths, healers, cattle, fugitives, Irish nuns, midwives, and new-born babies.

Brigid: Saint and Goddess.

In Kildare, Ireland’s town square, a perpetual flame is kept lit and housed in a statue that pays homage to the Pagan and Christian conceptions of Brigid. Festivities for La Feile Bride in Kildare started on January 31st and will continue through February 7th.

Here are a collection of quotes on this holiday.

“The earliest whisperings of Springtide are heard now as the Goddess nurtures Her Young Son. As a time of the year associated with beginning growth, Imbolc is an initiatory period for many. Here we plant the “seeds” of our hopes and dreams for the coming summer months.” – Witchvox

“Imbolc is associated in Ireland and Scotland with Bríd the mythological woman whose nineteen nuns tend the eternal fire at Cill Dara. The sacred fire is associated with Uisneach, the omphalos or spiritual bellybutton of Ireland-as-goddess, and it was there that Bríd is said to have taken the veil. Imbolc is one of four seasonal holidays in the Celtic world with Halloween (Samhain), Bealtaine and Lughnasadh.” – Brendan Patrick Keane, Irish Central

“It seems crazy that a fire Goddess be the alternative name for Imbolc.  But at least for coastal Caifornia, She might be the perfect patron for what this season signifies.  Looking around at the rushing streams, moss growing everywhere, and leaden skies, one could scarcely guess that much of California’s landscape is dominated by fire, by the fact it burns regularly, and that dousing the burns simply guarantees they will be all the worse when they come again.  As they will.” – Gus diZerega, Beliefnet

“One of the nicest folk customs still practiced in many countries, and especially by Witches in the British Isles and parts of the U.S., is to place a lighted candle in each and every window of the house (or at least the windows that face the street), beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (February 1), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise. Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded from nearby curtains, etc. What a cheery sight it is on this cold, bleak, and dreary night to see house after house with candlelit windows! And, of course, if you are your coven’s chandler, or if you just happen to like making candles, Candlemas Day is the day for doing it. Some covens hold candle-making parties and try to make and bless all the candles they’ll be using for the whole year on this day.” – Mike Nichols, The Witches’ Sabbats

“I’d sit with the men, the women of God, There by the lake of beer, We’d be drinking good health forever, And every drop would be a prayer.” – Saint Brigid’s Prayer

Many blessings to you this holiday! Be sure to check out the fifth annual Brigid in Cyperspace Poetry Reading in your travels around the web tomorrow, I’ll see you by the lake of beer!

While my daily blogging routine entails quite a lot of me sitting on my butt behind a desk, I do get out now and then to talk to folks about issues and topics related to the work I do here at The Wild Hunt. So if you are interested in seeing me speak, I have a couple of important engagements scheduled in 2010 that I thought you might like to know about. First, I’ll be attending and presenting at Pantheacon in San Jose, California, this coming February. Pantheacon is the largest indoor gathering of modern Pagans in America, and I’m honored to have been selected as a presenter (I’ll post the schedule once it becomes publicly available). This year’s theme is “Back To Basics”.

“This year’s Theme is Back to Basics — As energy and economics implode we look for more simple ways of life. Our pagan ethics and worship of our Earth Mother help us forge new sustainable lifestyles as we honor the old ways. What we know about the old ways of life, others now acknowledge as new imperatives to be the custodians of our earth. What is the bottom line when it comes to our lives and our spirits? What living skills of our traditions are especially needed for the future?”

I’ll be giving a talk on Pagans and the new media, and while that may not sound very “back to basics” on its surface, I think it certainly covers “living skills” that our interconnected religious communities need for the future. Since the hotel has wireless Internet, I’ll also be blogging from the event, and hopefully conducting interviews with some notable and prominent Pagans while I’m there. So stay tuned for that!

Then, later this year, I’ll be one of the presenters (along with T. Thorn Coyle) at this year’s Pagan Spirit Gathering in Missouri. PSG, which is organized and run by Circle Sanctuary, is one of the oldest and largest Pagan festivals. This year is the event’s 30th anniversary, and I’m truly honored to have been asked to present there.

“At PSG 2010, there will be presentations by a variety of authors including T. Thorn Coyle, Jason Pitz-Waters, and Selena Fox. In addition there will be workshops and performances by musicians including Coyote Run and Damh the Bard. Additional presenters and performers will be announced in coming weeks. As in past years, PSG’s spiritual community begins emerging as participants arrive on opening day, set up camp, meet and greet others, and create a Pagan Town together which will last the entire week of the Gathering. The Sacred Fire is lit during the Opening Ritual and is kept burning throughout the Gathering to symbolize the Solstice Sun and Spirit of the PSG community.”

PSG runs from June 20 – 27, and there is apparently no Internet, or cell coverage, at Camp Zoe, so I’ll be unable to report from the event directly, or access the blog. So expect  to have a whole week of wonderful Wild Hunt guest bloggers!

In addition to my formal talks at these events, I’m hoping to have informal discussions with folks about the importance of building a robust Pagan journalism, along with meeting some of my awesome readers! So if you see me in San Jose or Missouri, don’t be shy, say hi!

Today* is the Winter Solstice (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, then it’s the Summer Solstice), the longest night and shortest day of the year.

Sun Halo at Winter Solstice

This time of year is held sacred by many modern Pagan and Heathen traditions, and has a rich history in ancient pagan religion.

The solstice time was marked as special by pre-historic peoples in both Ireland and England. While there is scant evidence of specific celebrations, it is generally thought that the pagan Celts did mark the solstice time.

Germanic pagans and modern Heathens celebrate Yule at this time. During this holiday the god Freyr was honored. Several traditions we associate with Christmas (eating a ham, hanging holly, mistletoe) come from Yule.

The ancient pagan Romans celebrated Saturnalia which typically ran from December 17th through the 23rd. The festival honored the god Saturn and featured lavish parties and role-reversals. From Saturnalia we can see the traditions of exchanging gifts and decorating evergreen trees indoors that would be adopted as Christmas traditions. Following Saturnalia were the birth celebrations in honor of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) and Mithras both held on December 25th.

Many modern Pagans, including Wiccans, Witches, several Druidic traditions, and their many off-shoots hold this time as one of the eight Sabbats/holy days. Usually called Winter Solstice or Yule. It is a time when many of these traditions celebrate the re-birth of the god by the mother goddess.

Here are some quotes on our winter observances.

“Our Christian friends are often quite surprised at how enthusiastically we Pagans celebrate the ‘Christmas’ season. Even though we prefer to use the word “Yule”, and our celebrations may peak a few days before the twenty-fifth, we nonetheless follow many of the traditional customs of the season: decorated trees, caroling, presents, Yule logs, and mistletoe. We might even go so far as putting up a ‘Nativity set’, though for us the three central characters are likely to be interpreted as Mother Nature, Father Time, and the baby Sun God. None of this will come as a surprise to anyone who knows the true history of the holiday, of course.” – Mike Nichols, The Witches’ Sabbats

“Many modern pagans attempt to observe the solstice in the traditional manner of the ancients. “There is a resurgent interest in more traditional religious groups that is often driven by ecological motives,” said Harry Yeide, a professor of religion at George Washington University. “These people do celebrate the solstice itself.” Pagans aren’t alone in commemorating the winter solstice in modern times. In a number of U.S. cities a Watertown, Massachusetts-based production called The Christmas Revels honors the winter solstice with an annually changing menu of traditional music and dance from around the world.” – Brian Handwerk, National Geographic

“Ancient and not-so-ancient cultures were keenly aware of the sun’s annual cycle and many of them worshiped the sun. In fact, there was a lot of sun worshipping going on in Northern Europe. Ancient observatories like Stonehenge in Great Britain and the cavelike Newgrange in Ireland are examples of this. It’s no accident that the early Catholic Church established Dec. 25 as the day that Christ was born. No one really knows the exact date of Christ’s birth, but one of the reasons the church chose Dec. 25 was to battle against the great pagan celebrations that occurred around the time of the winter solstice, when the sun was “reborn” and started its upward climb into the sky.” - Mike Lynch, HeraldNet

“Celebrate Yule with a series of rituals, feasts, and other activities. In most ancient cultures, the celebration lasted more than a day. The ancient Roman Saturnalia festival sometimes went on for a week. Have Winter Solstice Eve and Day be the central focus for your household, and conceptualize other holiday festivities, including New Year’s office parties and Christmas visits with Christian relatives, as part of your Solstice celebration. By adopting this perspective, Pagan parents can help their children develop an understanding of the multicultural and interfaith aspects of this holiday time and view “Christmas” as just another form of Solstice. Have gift exchanges and feasts over the course of several days and nights as was done of old. Party hearty on New Year’s Eve not just to welcome in the new calendar year, but also to welcome the new solar year.” – Selena Fox, Circle Sanctuary

“‘Tis the season to be merry, and for some adherents of Pagan and earth-based religions, that means celebrating time-honored traditions that center on the Winter Solstice, which occurs on Monday. “The Winter Solstice, or Yule, has always been a time of celebration,” said Jim Mosher, of Topeka, high priest of the MoonShadow Coven, an earth-based religious group. “It is the return of the sun, the promise of the evergreen boughs and the birth of the midwinter — or sun — king.” The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year for those living north of the equator. Mosher noted the sun on the Winter Solstice is at its lowest point of the year in the sky. In Topeka, the sun is above the horizon less than 10 hours. In Yule celebrations, which Mosher said date back thousands of years, people conduct rituals designed to welcome back the sun and longer days of light.” - Phil Anderson, The Topeka Capital-Journal

No matter what your religion or tradition, may this year’s winter celebrations and observances bring you peace and joy!

* The Winter Solstice happens on December 21st at 17:47 UTC. Which means that it happened at approximately 09:47 AM PST for me. You can calculate the time for your own neck of the woods, here.

Assuming that all went well yesterday with my flights, by the time you read this I’ll be enjoying my first day at the 2009 Samhain Florida Pagan Gathering! During the three-day event I’ll be giving talks, and enjoying presentations and performances by festival co-headliners Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone, Donald Michael Kraig, and musical guests Kellianna & Coyote Run. The event runs from November 5-8th (the theme being “Hail the Honored Dead”), and has gotten positive reviews from former presenters  Thorn Coyle and Chas Clifton.

Here are the talks/discussions I’ll be giving:

Emerging Trends and the Pagan Movement: Reflections and predictions from reading and reporting the Pagan news.

As the Pagan movement grows and enters the mainstream, what can we expect in the coming years? Jason Pitzl-Waters, author of The Wild Hunt blog, will share some thoughts on emerging trends and possible outcomes gleaned from reading, investigating, and reporting the Pagan news on a daily basis for the last five years. Topics explored during the talk will include the ongoing growth in Pagan numbers, how the coverage and treatment of Santeria and other minority faiths will affect our rights, and moving into a post-Christian society.

Pagans and The New Media: How blogging, podcasting, twitter, and other technologies are changing the way we do things.

Modern Paganism once relied on handwritten personal correspondence and small newsletters to connect like-minded souls. Now, in an age of instant information and social networking, blogs, podcasts, and services like Facebook and Twitter have come to dominate how many of us communicate. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these new technologies? How will new media affect book and magazine publishing in the Pagan world? How can we utilize these advances in a way that benefits us? Join us as we explore these and other issues. (Depending on who else is at event, this might make this a panel discussion.)

A Darker Shade of Pagan: A brief (alternate) history of Pagan and occult music.

Many of you know the common circle chants, or have heard of well-regarded Pagan musicians like Gwydion Pennderwen, Isaac Bonewits, and Selena Fox, but did you know there was a parallel development of Pagan and occult music gestating deep in the musical underground? Join us on a trip through the “darker shade of Pagan” as we explore a variety of artists from the Industrial music pioneers of the late seventies to the psych-folk resurgence of today. Plus, we’ll also spend some time on some common ancestors linking these two worlds together.

If you’re in the area, or wanting an excuse to go to Florida for a Pagan festival, I hope I’ll see you there. This will be my very first proper festival experience, as well as my first time out doing talks of this sort, so wish me luck! Needless to say, I’m honored that the organizers of FPG wanted me to speak to them, and hope the resulting experience is rich and rewarding for all involved.

As for the blog, I may not have any access to the Internet while I’m in Ocala National Forest, so I’ve prepared some “greatest hits” for the blog to tide you over. If I do happen to get on-line, I’ll post festival updates and other news as I’m able. Normal daily blogging activity will resume on Monday, November 9th.

Tonight and tomorrow is when most modern Pagans celebrate Samhain. Samhain is the start of winter and of the new year in the old Celtic calendar. This is a time when the ancestors are honored, divinations for the new year are performed, and festivals are held in honor of the gods. It is a time of final harvest before the long winter ahead. It is perhaps the best-known and most widely celebrated of the modern Pagan holidays.

©photo by Michael Rauner Spiral Dance 2008, Kezar Pavilion, San Francisco, CA

It is a time when some communities acknowledge the Mighty Dead.

“The Mighty Dead are said to be those practitioners of our religion who are on the Other Side now, but who still take great interest in the activities of Witches on this side of the Veil. They have pledged to watch, to help and to teach. It is those Mighty Dead who stand behind us, or with us, in circle so frequently.”

Many who have been dear to our communities have crossed the veil this past year, joining the ranks of the Mighty Dead, including Ted Andrews, Marion Weinstein, Leonard Shlain, Lady Urania, Hans Holzer, John Michell, and Suzanne Wenger (aka Adunni Olorisa).

“I love that story about Susan Anthony that Zsuzsanna Budapest tells in her book. Some journalist asked Susan Anthony, because she didn’t believe in orthodox religion, I suppose, “Where do you think you’re to go when you die?” She said, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to stay around and help the women’s movement.” So even if I don’t live long enough to see these things, I’ll be around to make a nuisance of myself.” – Doreen Valiente, the Mother of Modern Witchcraft.

Below you’ll find an assortment of quotes from the media and from fellow Pagans on the holiday.

“Death is part of the life cycle. This time of year we say farewell to the garden, to the crops and to our ancestors. We welcome and celebrate the coming of the dark half of the year. It’s at this time of year we communicate with the spirit world and we honor the spirit world.” – Patti Wigington, ABC World News

“Here in San Francisco, our Reclaiming tradition of Wicca (another term for the religion of the Witches) creates a big, public ritual, with art, music, poetry and dance weaving together to create sacred space. We name those who have died this year, and offer a chance for mourners to grieve with the support of our community. For us, death is a natural part of life. We acknowledge the sadness of our losses, but death itself is not something to fear. It’s simply one stage in the great cycles of birth, growth, death and rebirth that to us are sacred. The heart of our ritual is the spiral dance, when over a thousand people dance together in a double spiral that symbolizes rebirth and regeneration. Moving together, passing one face after another, we enter together into a state of deep connection and ecstasy.” – Starhawk, On Faith, The Washington Post

The Apple Branch Protogrove of Champaign-Urbana, a sect of the international Pagan group called A Druid Fellowship, will hold a ritual for Samhain in honor of deceased loved ones, said Cindy Westfall [a super-cool friend of mind - Jason], head Pagan of the organization. “It’s nice to acknowledge them,” she said about the deceased. “Their continued presence and their influence is important.” – Nora Ibrahim, The Daily Illini

“Verin-Shapiro, who isn’t a pagan, says Samhain means various things to Wiccans and others depending on their traditions. “In addition to the new year, it’s a harvest festival, a time of celebration and reflection,” she says. “If they choose to, they can think about loved ones or call upon them, but not everybody does that.” Many perform rituals that free themselves from negative things that occurred in their lives in the past year — and welcome into their lives the positive things that they want to see happen in the coming year.” – Ron Orozco, The Detroit Free Press

“While facing the altar, if past practice holds, [Michael] York will invoke the names of the ancestors and loved ones who have died. He will often write down their names, too, and keep that piece of paper in the cabinet. One can mourn on any day, as Mr. York put it recently, but on this occasion, “the veil between the worlds is understood to be thinnest.” The day that most Americans know as Halloween, a commercial bonanza and secular holiday with only the faintest remnants of its pantheistic origins, Mr. York celebrates as Samhain, the autumnal new year for Pagans. And for Mr. York, Paganism is indeed a proper noun, connoting a specific religion that he has observed for decades.” – Samuel Freedman, The New York Times

May you all have a blessed Samhain, blessings to you, and your beloved dead on this season. Let this new cycle be one of great blessings for all of you. Also, in recognition of the holiday, I’ve created a special early edition of my podcast chock-full of Halloween and Samhain-themed music! Just in time for the coming celebrations. Enjoy!

A very happy Diwali to all my Hindu and IndoPagan readers. Diwali, the festival of lights, is a major Indian holiday representing a spiritual new year, and a triumph of good over evil. Depending on the region and tradition, this day commemorates the return of Lord Rama, the birth of Lakshmi, and the Austerities of Shakti (among other events). Celebrants usually light lamps, set off fireworks, play cards, and will occasionally pray to computers to commemorate the day. Of special note this year is that Barack Obama became the first US president to participate in the White House Diwali ceremony.

Hindu puja on the eve of Diwali.

“Obama became the first US president to personally take part in a White House ceremony for the festival of lights, lighting a “diya” oil lamp inside the executive mansion and bowing respectfully before a Hindu priest. “While this is a time of rejoicing, it’s also a time for reflection, when we remember those who are less fortunate and renew our commitment to reach out to those in need,” Obama said.”

Not to be outdone, the British Prime Minister held a “historic” Diwali celebration at 10 Downing Street. For more information on Diwali and its traditions, check out the informative Hindu Blog.

May you experience happiness and good fortune on this day, and in the year to come.

Today is the Autumnal Equinox (21:18 UTC) which signals the beginning of Fall in the northern hemisphere. On this day there will be an equal amount of light and darkness, and after this day the nights grow longer and we head towards Winter. In many modern Pagan traditions this is the second of three harvest festivals (the first being Lughnasadh, the third being Samhain).

Pagan circle at Autumn Equinox.
Photo by Chris John Beckett (CC)

The holiday is also known as “Harvest Home” or “Mabon” by Wiccans and Witches, “Mid-Harvest” and “Alban Elfed” by some Druidic and Celtic-oriented groups, and “Winter Finding” by modern-day Asatru. Most modern Pagans simply call it the Autumn Equinox. Here are some media quotes and excerpts from modern Pagans on the holiday.

“It’s the twilight of the changing seasons, that gray area in between summer and fall where anything goes as far as weather is concerned. It’s a sort of purgatory. Nothing is for certain. The verdict is out; nature is in the midst of deliberating.” - Tom Ragan, The Christian Science Monitor

“Mabon has become a time of celebration of reflection, grace, and balance. We may hold a seasonal rite at our “beautiful corners,” giving thanks for home and finance, school and knowledge, careers and accomplishment, and balance and relationships.” – Terry Smith, Alexandria Town Talk

“…celebrating Harvest Festival in church is a relatively recent practice. It was originally a pagan festival celebrated by those who had enough food and spare time to have a knees-up when the full moon – the Harvest Moon – was nearest the autumnal equinox. It was only in 1843 that the Rev Robert Hawker, from Cornwall, started the trend of holding a service, offering communion bread made from the first cut of corn.” – Charlie Brooks, The Telegraph

“It is sometimes called Mabon (in most Wiccan traditions) but I always think of the Autumnal Equinox as Harvest Home. It’s the middle harvest–the harvest of apples, eggplant, the young and tender fall kale. It’s the time to get some canning done–like you haven’t been doing that all summer long.” – Byron Ballard, The Village Witch, Asheville Citizen-Times

“In the rhythm of the year, Harvest Home marks a time of rest after hard work. The crops are gathered in, and winter is still a month and a half away! Although the nights are getting cooler, the days are still warm, and there is something magical in the sunlight, for it seems silvery and indirect. As we pursue our gentle hobbies of making corn dollies (those tiny vegetation spirits) and wheat weaving, our attention is suddenly arrested by the sound of baying from the skies (the “Hounds of Annwn” passing?), as lines of geese cut silhouettes across a harvest moon. And we move closer to the hearth, the longer evening hours giving us time to catch up on our reading, munching on popcorn balls and caramel apples and sipping home-brewed mead or ale. What a wonderful time Harvest Home is!” – Mike Nichols, The Witches’ Sabbats

May you all enjoy the fruits of your harvest this season.

The jester or holy fool is an oft-necessary role within religious communities. It is far too easy at times to get over-serious and forget the inherent joy and playfulness that can come with living the Pagan life. It is during those times when we forget joy and humor that the fool points out that our fine clothes are imaginary, and we’ve been parading about naked. For many in modern Paganism the semi-official holy fools are the Discordians, worshippers of the sexy goddess of chaos Eris, a joke-cult/cult-joke popularized in such works as “The Principia Discordia”, “The Illuminatus! Trilogy”, and Margot Adler’s “Drawing Down the Moon”.

“In a way, it’s ridiculous even to talk seriously about the Erisians, a group, or collection of groups, that has called itself a “Non-Prophet Irreligious Disorganization” this “dedicated to an advanced understanding of the paraphysical manifestations of Everyday Chaos”, and at other times stated, “The Erisian revelation is not a complicated put-on disguised as a new religion, but a new religion disguised as a complicated put-on”.

But for some the joke can go too far, allowing the chaos to spread to a point where it turns a holy day into a jumbled mess of tired pop-culture references. That seems to be the experience of one woman who attended a CUUPs service for Lammas that seemed far more about Monty Python than first-harvests or the god Lugh.

“Our local CUUPS group hosted a strange Lammas/Lughnasadh ritual last night. Members of the group take turns as High Priest and Priestess and this ritual was led by our local Discordians … it’s not that I don’t appreciate some of the points made … I like the emphasis on those un-looked-for blessings, the life changing moments that come out of nowhere. It is good to notice and appreciate those once in a while. It is good to remember that while harmony in a worthy goal, disorder always lurks beneath the suface of order and that is not always a bad thing. I believe there really is a time and place for last night’s ritual. I don’t think Lughnasadh is it … It felt like I needed to hear the lessons about reaping the works of your labors and being multi-skilled. I was hoping for a ritual experience that would embed the ideas swirling in my head. Instead I got a quick thank you to Lugh, mixed for some reason with Gaia, but now let’s really talk about Eris all night … when people started quoting Monty Python as part of the ritual I knew my spiritual needs were not going to be met.”

Worse still, she left feeling “negative” and “conservative” for not being able to join in the laughs. No doubt part of this can be attributed to the ups and downs of a rotating eclectic gathering, sometimes the Discordians are put in charge when you are more in the mood for something a bit more reverent and serious, but I also think this might be a failure on the part of the CUUPs organizers. The Sabbats/High Holy Days/Fire Festivals can certainly include mirth and irreverence, but they are also meant to transmit deep truths, help us commune with the gods, and turn the wheel of the year. If the holy fools appointed/chosen as ritual leaders can’t control their own chaos long enough to mark the holiday, they are not only out-of-balance, but they imbalance all those who chose that event to connect to the mysteries of that holiday.

There are certainly times when the lunatics should take over the asylum, when chaos should overrun our natural inclinations towards order and safety, but those liminal times should be chosen carefully and not assigned arbitrarily. There are times for mayhem and there are times for work and for harvest. And on a personal note, quoting Monty Python (no doubt “Holy Grail”) in circle is sooo played out. Seriously, get some new material folks.

Today is Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas) the first of three harvest festivals celebrated in many modern Pagan traditions. Lughnasadh originated as one of the four main Celtic fire festivals and was dedicated to the Celtic god Lugh/Lugus the many-skilled (or, in the case of Ireland, Lugh’s foster-mother Tailtiu). It is a time of thanksgiving, first-harvests, and the end of summer.

Lammas food altar (Photo: BBC)

Here are some quotes for the holiday.

“Lammas, or Lughnasad, has always been one of my favorite Sabbats. It is celebrated from July 31 to August 2, generally, and we are fortunate this year that all the dates are on the weekend. Lammas is the first and biggest of the harvest Sabbats, for it is at this time that in the temperate places in the northern hemisphere the earth’s bounty most fully opens. … Lammas celebrates the abundance that can come from our hard work and creativity. But to receive requires reciprocity if the gift is to be truly honored.  We can give to the giver, or keep the circle flowing outwards by giving to another.  Lammas is in this respect an echo of the old gift economy that once sustained so many of the world’s people and has to some extent been reinvigorated with the rise of the net.” - Gus diZerega, Beliefnet

“Celebrate a Happy Lammas with the family, and friends, then begin the work to stock the shelves for the long winter ahead. Make a toast to the passing of Summer. Lammas Harvest Feasts include: tomatoes, peaches, corn (popcorn), potatoes, cabbage (sauerkraut or cole slaw), onions, grains (breads and fest breads), berries (especially blackberry pies are traditionally eaten in honor of the Harvest), cider, cornbread sticks, and barley soup. Bake any of these breads on Lammas: wheat; corn; gingerbread; or just make popcorn! Feed a piece of the baked bread to someone, saying, ‘May you never go hungry.’” - Terry Smith, The Town Talk

“This is the season of Lughnasadh in my spiritual tradition. We also celebrate it as the Cross-quarter day that marks the beginning of Autumn on the modern Celtic calendar. Modern, of course, because the tribal Celts divided the year into only two seasons–Bealtinne and Samhain. It’s the time when we gather in the First Harvest–the harvest of grain–and we share the bounty of squash and tomatoes with our friends, neighbors and co-workers. In fact, we know that all car doors must be locked starting the first of August, lest you return to find a box of baseball-bat-sized zucchini waiting for you.” – Byron Ballard, Asheville Citizen Times

“On the Pagan calendar, the summer began with Beltane on May 1, hit the midpoint at Pagan Midsummer (Litha Sabbat) on June 21, and ends August 1 with Lammas (Lughnasadh) Sabbat: the beginning of the harvest season. County fairs are traditionally held around this time in the UK to celebrate the early harvest, and county fairs are often held in the United States before children go back to school, too. The fertility and growth seasons have passed, and the earliest signs of autumn can be seen.” – Dr. Deb Brown, Examiner.com

“The Celts celebrate this festival from sunset August 1 until sunset August 2 and call it Lughnasad after the God Lugh. It is the wake of Lugh, the Sun-King, whose light begins to dwindle after the summer solstice. The Saxon holiday of Lammas celebrates the harvesting of the grain. The first sheaf of wheat is ceremonially reaped, threshed, milled and baked into a loaf. The grain dies so that the people might live. Eating this bread, the bread of the Gods, gives us life. If all this sounds vaguely Christian, it is. In the sacrament of Communion, bread is blessed, becomes the body of God and is eaten to nourish the faithful. This Christian Mystery echoes the pagan Mystery of the Grain God.” – Waverly Fitzgerald, School of the Seasons

May you have a fruitful holiday!