News

Pagan Community Notes: International Day of Peace, Parliament of the World’s Religions, Michael Hughes and more

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TWH – September 21 marks the International Day of Peace as declared by the United Nations in 1981. International Peace Day, as it is also called, has been celebrated for 36 years as a tribute to, recognition of, and call for peace worldwide. The 2018 theme is “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70.”  U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres writes, “It is time all nations and all people live up to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race.” The U.N. is calling for the world’s citizens to take action, no matter how small, toward peaceful resolutions of conflict, ending injustices through non-violent solutions, and promoting human rights. On September 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., the Secretary-General will honor the day in the Peace Garden at United Nations Headquarters by ringing the Peace Bell and observing a minute of silence.

Paganism

Happy autumnal equinox

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TWH – This year, the autumnal equinox falls on Sept. 22 at 20:02 UTC in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the moment that officially signals the start of fall. At this time, there will be an equal amount of light and dark, after which the nights are longer as than days as we head toward winter. Outside of religious life, this season is very well celebrated.

Living

Happy Autumnal Equinox

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TWH – This year, the autumnal equinox falls on Sept. 22 at 14:21 UTC in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the moment that officially signals the start of fall. At this time, there will be an equal amount of light and dark, after which the nights slowly grow longer as we head toward winter. Outside of religious life, this season is very well celebrated.

Paganism

Column: All Cruelty Springs from Weakness

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I have a thing for ice wine, like a serious thing. When I first tasted it, I was told the amazing story of its production. The grapes are allowed to freeze on the vine, but it is the water that freezes, not the sugars or the flavor compounds in the grapes. On the day before harvesting, the production equipment is allowed to sit in the icy air with all windows opened until everything gets as cold as possible; all processing happens at or below freezing. Crushing the grapes separates the ice from the liquid, so what is left is a sweet, thick essence that will be used for fermentation.

Paganism

Happy Autumnal Equinox

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“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!” – Percy Bysshe Shelley

This year, the Autumnal Equinox falls on Sept. 23 at 08:20 UTC in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the moment that officially signals the start of Fall. At this time, there will be an equal amount of light and dark, after which the nights slowly grow longer as we head toward winter.