Your Dark Passenger

Good morning, dark passengers.  Welcome to a very special Spiritual Sampling Sunday.  Why is it special?  Have I managed to unravel the secrets of the cosmos for you?

Sadly, no…but you can expect my eBook to go on sale as soon as I have.

Today, we have a special guest joining us to provide an overview of Paganism.  Everyone say what up to Tara, the author of Merry Meet .  (And make sure to go say it over on her blog after you’ve read her post and commented here!)

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Paganism is one of the broadest topics possible, encompassing various belief systems in many combinations. Technically, the term refers to non-mainstream religions, originating from the Latin word paganus.

Today, the term encompasses pagan religions in a historical context as well as neo-pagan beliefs of great variety. There are specific classifications now in place to delineate the different meanings.

The most popular pagan path is certainly Wicca. While all Wiccans are technically pagans, not all pagans follow the Wiccan path. While nontraditional and not considered an organized religion, Wicca does have core rules, practices, and means of ascension. Many of these are frequently misunderstood, and most of them do not necessarily apply to most or all other pagans.

Many pagans choose to practice on their own, calling themselves solitary practitioners. Just as practitioners of any religion or spirituality, pagans vary in degree of involvement—some perform rituals every day, while others simply choose to observe major pagan holidays and keep an altar. Some choose to select a specific deity (or the deity chooses them) for devotion; others worship nature and balance as a whole.

Generally, all forms of paganism, including historical, reconstructionist, and neo-initiated, place emphasis on the wheel of the year. This includes the passage of time, the natural elements, the changes in seasons, and how this effects our environment and our humanity.

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I hope y’all enjoyed our guest post on Paganism.  Who knows?  Maybe if we’re really nice to her then she’ll come back and teach us some more.

Jen

“Let your dark passenger come out to play…Be your own nemesis!”

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