Religious Practices:
Worship
Pagans believe that each individual has the right
to worship in their own way; there is no legislation that requires Pagans
to follow any prescribed manner of worship.
Some Pagans worship in a formal manner; others have a more instinctive
and unconscious mode of acknowledging and communicating with the Goddess
and God.
Some Pagans prefer to make their worship a private affair; others gather
in groups and make their worship a communion with each other, as well
as with the Goddess and God.
Like most religions, Paganism has Rites of Passage, with some traditions
having a formal set of rituals for birth, marriage and death. Those Pagan
religions, which adhere most closely to the ‘Mystery Path’,
will also have rites of initiation.
These are designed to effect a spiritual awakening within the initiate
and do not include such practices as animal or human sacrifice, nor any
activity which is against the wishes or ethics of the initiate.
Rituals to celebrate a birth, which often include a naming ceremony,
do not promise the child to the religion in the way of a Christian baptism.
The parents of the child will often ask for divine guidance and protection
for their child, but they will not make any promises about bringing the
child up in a particular faith.
It is a strong Pagan belief that each individual must follow his or her own path. Children are taught to honour their family and friends; to have integrity, honesty and loyalty; to treat the Earth as sacred, and to love and respect all forms of life. Other than these basic teachings, children are encouraged to question, and to find their own spiritual path. Many Pagan parents will ensure that their children are exposed to the teachings of a number of religions, so that the child receives a well-balanced spiritual education.
Religious Practices:
Holy Days
To Pagans, every day is a holy day, but there
are a number of Festival celebrations, which are held throughout the year.
The Festivals and the time on which they are celebrated, varies. Within
each tradition, there are commonalities, but these are by no means definitive
across the whole religion.
Perhaps the best known is the cycle of Festivals known as the Wheel of
the Year. This is celebrated by many Pagans, including the Wiccan tradition
and modern Druids. In this cycle there are eight Festivals, being Samhain,
Yule, Imbolg (also known as Candlemas), Spring Equinox (also known as
Eostre), Beltane, Litha (Midsummer), Lughnasadh and the Autumn Equinox
(also known as Mabon). These festivals are derived from Celtic and Saxon
sources. Their essence has remained in modern society through folk memory
and in many rural traditions.
Other Pagan traditions celebrate the turning of the seasons with four
Festivals to mark Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. As always with Paganism,
the emphasis is upon what is meaningful for each individual, rather than
a strict adherence to a rigid doctrine.
