Paganism

Away from the world of fairy tales and wicked witches, modern magick’s roots stem from the Celtic times 700BC – 100AD. The Celts were very spiritual people and were artistic and musical. They were also fine farmers and brave warriors. They honoured the “Divine Creator of all Nature” and worshipped the “One Creative Life Source”. They believed that after death, you would go to “Summerland” to recover and await the new birth back on Earth.

The Druids supervised the Celtic rites and rituals and it is believed that it took 20 years of constant study to become a Druid. The word Druid translates from the Celtic for “knowing the oak tree”. Druids were of the highest order, not just priests, but judges, teachers, healers, ambassadors and astrologers too. Druids also calmed down unsettled tribes to keep the order and settle disputes.

The Celts’ religious year was governed by the seasons. At the end of the summer, they celebrated the final harvest of the year, Samhain. Samhain marked the beginning of the new year. At this time the Celts’ honoured their ancestors and their loved ones who were resting in Summerland. Today we call this time of year Hallowe’en and many of the customs came from the Samhain rites and rituals.

Following Samhain is the Winter Solstice. This is regarded as the annual rebirth of the sun which was a highly celebratory event in the year.

When spring is in the air and animals are about to give birth, we enter Imbolg.  Shortly after the Spring Equinox and Beltane. Both of these were regarded as fertility festivals.

Lughnassa is another harvest festival known as the Summer Solstice. Here we celebrate the suns’s glory and its power to nature.

The Autumn Equinox, Mabon, was the final harvest of the year.

These practices with the religious beliefs grew larger and later became known as “paganism”. As the year progressed and restarts, the pagan beliefs and Druid rituals blended together performing magick and the casting of spells developed for each festival.