High Days - Samhain

Typically celebrated by modern Pagans as the 'Celtic New Year' on the 31st of October/1st of November ¹, and described by the heroine Emer as 'when the summer goes to its rest', Samhain is given as the first of the quarter days written about in the Tochmarc Emire².

As the time of year when 'the summer goes to its rest', Samhain was the time of year when all the winter preparations were finished and people were facing the uncertainty of the coming season. It was a time of endings, during which many legendary kings were slaughtered in Irish literature, and which Proinsius McCana referred to as 'a partial return to primordial chaos...the appropriate setting for myths which symbolise the dissolution of established order as a prelude to its recreation in a new period of time.'³

Furthermore, we can infer from the Serlige con Culaind and its description of the great feis, or gathering of the Ulstermen that lasted for seven days around the time of Samhain that feasting and merriment were a large part of marking Samhain⁴ - a practice that continues among modern Pagans.

Many modern Pagans consider Samhain to be the time of year when the 'veil between the worlds' is particularly thin, and this does have some support in the number of stories that are set around Samhain in which people are attacked or approached by otherworldly beings⁵. Because of this perceived 'thinning of the veil', folk customs and modern Pagan rites often centre around divination at this time of year, as well as honouring the Mighty Dead.

Words 268

1McColman, Carl. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism. P

2Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 361). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

3Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 362). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 361). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

5Ibid.

High Days - Spring Equinox/Ostara

Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox takes place on the 21st of March, and for modern Pagans has come to signify the first day of Spring¹. Many Pagans, especially Germanic or Norse inspired Pagans, refer to the festival as 'Eostre', or Ostara.

Eostre is attested to by Bede as the name of the month during which a goddess of the same name would be honoured². It is unclear however, if there was one big festival, many festivals, or indeed if any of them took place during the Equinox. There is the possibility that Eostre herself is a dawn goddess, as her name has cognates in various other IE languages that refer to the dawn and goddesses of the dawn³.

Modern Pagans celebrate the Spring Equinox in a number of ways, as the beginning of spring, celebrations usually centre on ideas of growth, planting, renewal and new life⁴. Many Pagans also engage in egg decorating, which, although an ancient practice, is not necessarily one that can be attributed to any forms of IE Paganism (but has been practiced by Christians since very early on)⁵.

In my protogrove at this time of year, we honour Eostre as the dawn goddess, bringing the 'dawning of the light half of the year'. For us, it's a solar festival during which we try to entice the reluctant dawn goddess to bring her light and warmth back to the world.

Words - 243

1McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

2Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 180). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

3Ibid.

4McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

5Black, V. (2004). Welcome to the church year: An introduction to the seasons of the Episcopal Church (pp. 99-100). Harrisburg, Pa.: Morehouse Pub.

High Days - Imbolc

The festival of Imbolc is celebrated by modern Pagans on the 2nd of February. Pronounced 'imolk', the word 'Imbolc', although of uncertain translation, is suggestive of a connection to ewes and milk¹.

Imbolc is almost definitely a pre-Christian festival, albeit one that is lacking in Pagan period records², however given the strong association with 'St Brighid' (a figure far too similar to the goddess to be coincidental), there are many folk customs that were/are performed in her honour, and which have been adopted by a lot of modern Pagans.

One custom that Pagans might follow is to leave a piece of cloth (known as an brat Bride) out on the eve of Imbolc for Brighid to bless and that can be used for healing³. Another is to make a Brighid doll and a bed for her (known as a Brídeóg), and to show great hospitality to the goddess doll during the festival⁴. Pagans might also weave Brighid's crosses (críosog Bridghe) and hang them over their doors and windows as a sign of welcome for her⁵. Traditionally Brighid's crosses protect their homes from fire and other disasters⁶.

For some, Imbolc is also a time of purification, although it is not immediately clear where this aspect is derived from. It may be because of Brighid's long association with rivers (lending her name to river such as the Brent)⁷, or perhaps because of the Roman rituals of purification during the month of February (Februa)⁸.

Words – 258

1Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 134). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2Ibid.

3Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 135). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 136). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

5Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 135). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6St. Brigid's Crosses. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/looking-at-places/kildare/saint-brigid/st.-brigids-crosses/

7Bitel, L. (2001). St. Brigit of Ireland: From Virgin Saint to Fertility Goddess. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://monasticmatrix.osu.edu/commentaria/st-brigit-ireland

8Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 139). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

High Days - Yule

Yule is a midwinter festival that takes place on the 21st of December (the midwinter solstice)¹, however, depending on which Pagan tradition is followed, Yule might also be celebrated on various dates around this time.

Although a popular festival among many modern Pagans, the evidence for this festival from the ancient world doesn't exactly align with neo-Pagan Yule. For example, the Roman holiday of Saturnalia (a high day instituted by the emperor Aurelian as part of his state cult), while a time of feasting and merriment, was celebrated on the 17th of December.²

Another festival around this time which was recorded by Bede was 'Modraniht' (Mothers' Night) and it was celebrated on the 25th of December. The Icelandic sources however, tell of a Yule sacrifice/feast that lasted for three nights from midwinter.³

In some ways, it is not hard to see where modern Pagan Yule traditions have their origins, and many are simply the contiuation of the more pagan aspects of Christmas, such as tree decorating and gift-giving. Some Pagans (mostly Germanic and Norse) associate Yule with the Wild Hunt, the Dead, and include the offerings to ancestral Mothers in their feasting. When Pagans are able, many try to make it to an ancient site to hold an overnight vigil to watch the sun come up again.

Indeed, the ancient sites such as Newgrange, Maes Howe, and Long Meg (which align with the winter solstice) are potentially some of our strongest evidence that the midwinter festival was indeed one of importance to the ancients. Unlike historical accounts, they are an enduring testament of what was once perhaps an expression of solar cultic activity focused on the darkest point of the year and its renewal⁴.

Words - 290

1McColman, C. (2002). The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

2Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (Pp. 1-2). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

3Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 7). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 4-5). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

High Days - Autumn Equinox

Of all the High Days, the Autumn Equinox is perhaps the most problematic to link to ancient Pagan custom. For while Bede referred to the month of Septmber as 'Haleg-monath' or 'Holy Month' (a name suggestive of religious observance)¹, and there is record of harvest customs aplenty, t there is no evidence the equinox (which falls on the 21st of September )² was ever marked as an event in its own right. In my opinion, this is probably because the time taken to complete harvest would have depended on the size of the crop.

Because of this, many modern Pagans look towards harvest customs, and the theme of shorter days and harvesting in their celebrations, and there is a theme of giving thanks for what one has. As few Pagans now are farmers and have no experience of harvest in the literal sense, the harvest that is referred to here is often of a more abstract quality ie 'What have I harvested in life'?³. Many modern Pagans also refer to this festival as 'Mabon', after the Welsh god by the same name⁴. This is one of the least celebrated festivals by Pagans and is usually a time of giving thanks⁵.

There are some who consider the naming and cutting of the last sheaf as being potentially indicative of origins in fertility rites. In some places, the last sheaf is named 'Cailleach', in others, 'the Witch', and so on⁶. There is a wide variety of names depending on location, and the method for the treatment of that final sheaf varied too, with some people fearing cutting the sheaf and so throwing their sickles from a distance⁷.

Words - 290

1Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 332). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

3McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

4Ibid.

5Autumn Equinox. (2006, June 7). Retrieved April 22, 2015, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/autumnequinox.shtml

6Hutton, R. (1996). The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 336). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

7Ibid.

High Days - Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh, or the festival of the god Lugh, falls on the first of August, a time when the first fruits of the harvest are being brought back from the fields¹. As the feast of Lugh, Lughnasadh is the only Irish feast named after a deity², however, the festival also carries the name 'Bron Trogain' in the Tochmarc Emire and is referred to as 'earth's sorrowing in autumn'³.

Many traditions around Lughnasadh (both ancient and modern) involve rituals such as cutting the first corn and offering it to the deity by burying it in a high place, sacrificing a bull, ritual plays telling stories of Lugh, ritual battles in which a person representing Lugh wins⁴, and games in honour of Lugh's foster-mother, Tailtiu⁵.

In stark contrast with the other Celtic festivals, most notably Beltane, Lughnasadh is comparatively devoid of ritual fires as part of its festivities⁶.

Also taking place on the first day of August is the Old English festival of hlæf-mass, from which the word 'Lammas' is derived⁷. While Lammas focuses on the first fruits of the harvest, the argument can be made that it was potentially taken from Lughnasadh as no parallels to Lammas exist among the Germanic tribes on the continent⁸.

In some traditions of modern Paganism, Lughnasadh is the time of year when the god is sacrificed as 'Corn King' in order to feed the children of the goddess. For those that follow these traditions, this is a time of year to remember that sacrifice, to bake bread, and give thanks for what you have⁹.



Words - 277

1Hutton, R. (1996). 32 First Fruits. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 327). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2Ibid.

3Ibid.

4Hutton, R. (1996). 32 First Fruits. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 327-328). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

5Part 6. The Very Basics of Ritual. (2009). In Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

6Hutton, R. (1996). 32 First Fruits. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 329). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

7Hutton, R. (1996). 32 First Fruits. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (p. 330). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

8

9McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

High Days - Midsummer

The marking of Midsummer, the longest day of the year when the sun is at its strongest, is an ancient practice that can potentially be traced back almost two millenia into the past¹. However, many of those midsummer customs did not take place on the soltice itself ( 21st of June), but on St John's feast day on the 24th of June². On a personal note, I wonder if the celebration itself was preserved, but simply moved to a far less Pagan date.

The earliest mention of a midsummer celebration can be attributed to the Acts of St Vincent in the 4th century which described the practice of the Pagans of Aquitaine rolling a flaming wheel downhill to a river. Afterwards, St Vincent records that the wheel pieces were reassembled in the temple of a 'sky god'³. The long tradition of the spoked wheel being used as a symbol of the sun in Northern European folklore, only serves to further underline the solar focus of this festival⁴.

Midsummer was also associated with divination in folk custom⁵, and certain types of plant that are collected on Midsummer are ascribed greater powers⁶. The feast of St John was also typically marked by the lighting and jumping of fires, however, these fires are believed to have been of Germanic/Scandinavian cultural origin as opposed to Celtic. Like their flamey Celtic counterparts though, these more Germanic fires were also jumped for purification⁷.

According to Pagan author, Carl McColman, for modern Pagans, Midsummer is when the Goddess is swollen with pregnancy (here symbolising crops), and when the Oak King is at the height of his power. Pagans often adopt older midsummer traditions for their more modern celebrations⁸.



Words - 298

1Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 320). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2Ibid.

3Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 311). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Ibid.

5Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 312). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6Ibid.

7Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 319-320). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

8McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

High Days - Beltane

Beltane
Described in the Tochmarc Emire as 'Beltine at the summer's beginning'¹, the Celtic festival of Beltane (celebrated on the 1st of May) is perhaps one of the most popular festivals among modern Pagans².

Beltane is known primarily as a fire festival, and was first referenced in the Sanas Chormaic as 'lucky fire' (ie, a practice that centred around the building of two fires by Druids between which cattle would be driven as a protection against disease)³. There is some debate surrounding the 'Bel' component of 'Beltane', with the earliest sources citing 'Bil/Baal' as the origin of 'Bel', and more modern scholars citing the Celtic god name 'Belenus'. Yet others argue that the attribution to a god is unnecessary and that the component 'Bel', with its meaning 'bright' or 'fortunate' is explanation enough. There is also some debate as to whether Beltane was originally called 'Cetsoman'⁴.

The tradition of lighting (and later jumping) Beltane fires is one that survived in Ireland until quite late, and later accounts tell of people jumping the flames for blessings, protection, purification, safe childbirth and fertility. At the end, the attendees would take some of the embers home for their own fires⁵. There was also an aspect of warding away the fae and witches who were considered to be particularly dangerous at this time of year⁶.

When it comes to how modern Pagans celebrate Beltane, Beltane is described by the Pagan author Carl McColman as 'the happiest and friskiest of the Sabbats'. Maypole dances are popular among Pagans, as is jumping fires for luck as the ancients did. The fertility aspect is also important, be it actual physical fertility, or any of the other types of fertility one might manifest in life⁷

1Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 218-219). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.

3Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 218-219). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4Ibid.

5Hutton, R. (1996). Beltane. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain (pp. 218-219). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6Ibid.

7McColman, C. (2002). Chapter 13 - The Wheel of the Year. In The complete idiot's guide to paganism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha.