PAGANISM is the oldest belief known.The word Pagan is derived from the Latin Paganus, "country dweller,"
Paganism offers a way of life, free from pain, guilt and fear. This way of life offers love, good will, friendship and the teaching of the Universal Laws of Truth. To be a Pagan is to respect all living things, and to love and honor family and friends. The Pagan belief is in a beneficent universe, the Law of Karma, reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every human being and all of nature.
Paganism reveres the equality of both men and women, and worships Nature and Life. Pagans have no messiah, saint, or prophet. There is no good vs. evil in Pagan belief. Paganism is not a cult. There is no leader here. We strive for balance and harmony in Nature and Life. Paganism is a voyage of self-discovery, and the discovery of one's own place within the divine realm. Instead of praying to a god for help, the Pagan takes that burden of responsibility upon themself. A Pagan relies on humanity's ability to be at one with the Universal Spirit, and to follow a spiritual path in harmony with the Earth and its cycles....Pagans revere the female divinity and the male divinity as aspects of the Universal Spirit--where both halves create the whole....The Goddess and God is both forthcoming and magnificent. A Pagan encourages the holding sacred of all things, to revere and respect all life, and to love and honor family and friends....It is a strong Pagan belief that each individual must follow his or her own path in life. The children are taught to honor family and friends, to be honest and loyal, to treat the Earth as sacred, to love and respect all of life's creatures, and to have integrity. They are encouraged to question and to seek their own spiritual path.
Many of us Pagans celebrate rituals for birth, which often include a naming ceremony. A ritual for marriage is termed a hand-fasting. And a ritual termed a blessing of the dead to honor a deceased individual.
In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of the Universe and celebrated the cycles of the seasons.
Throughout the year, eight Festivals are celebrated:
(To learn more about the festivals, Click on the links)
Samhain (All Hallows Eve), Yule (Winter Solstice), Candlemas (Imbolc), and Ostara (Vernal Equinox).
Info on the Mother Goddess
Extensive information on Pagans and Neo-Pagan
