Intro to Pagan Essentials
Hello, I'm Trish Deneen. This is a catalog of my web articles on the basics of Paganism. This site will be continually growing with lots of new information.
I use the term "Pagan Essentials" as the title of this lens not to pretentiously assume that every Pagan will find everything they need right here but merely to present a starting point for those new to Paganism to begin with. Most of this content is from when I was the Pagan site editor at BellaOnline. I have transferred most of this to Squidoo, HubPages, Suite 101 and a few at Examiner.com.
Contents at a Glance
What is Paganism?
- Pagan Glossary - Top 20.
A glossary of the top 20 terms in Paganism to help you know what we're all talking about. - Nature Religion.
What exactly is all this nature religion stuff? Do we worship trees? - Pagan Quotes on the Goddess, Earth and Magic: Wisdom and Words to Live By.
- Pagan Symbols.
Explanations of fourteen common symbols seen in Paganism.
The Wheel of the Year
Learn about the major holidays that many Pagans celebrate.-
Pagan Wheel of the Year - Holidays and Celebrations
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The cycle of spring, summer, fall and winter all play a major part in the celebration of Pagan holidays. And within Paganism, there are different traditions which celebrate lesser known days. This is a listing of my various articles on the web and r...
Deities
How do Pagans see the Gods?
- The Earth Mother in Modern Goddess Worship: Pagans Respect Balance by Honoring the Sacred Feminine
- Honoring the sacred feminine along with the divine masculine is part of bring balance to spiritual practice. Learn what role the earth mother plays for Pagans.
- The Horned God
- Learn who the "Horned One" really is and why he gets such a bad rap.
- Mother Goddesses
- A helpful list of a few mother goddesses from fierce to compassionate.
- Paganism 101: Connecting with Your Patron Gods
- A patron god or goddess is a particular deity we feel an
affinity for that we choose to honor as the main influence in our lives. Here is a simple technique to get in touch with your patron god. - Brigid and Her Flame
- This Celtic goddess of poetry and healing inspires many the world over.
Magic Circle
Magic and Ritual
- Grounding and Centering
- Learn this foundational technique of calming your mind and centering yourself before magic and ritual.
- Practical Magic for Everyone
- Learn these five simple techniques to get you started practicing magic.
- Psychic Shielding
- What is psychic attack really about? What steps can you take to protect yourself?
- History and Uses of the Magic Circle
- A brief history of circle casting.
- The Reasoning Behind Performing Ritual
- Common definitions of ritual and the context they are used in Paganism.
- Cleansing Sacred Objects
- Here are some techniques you can use to clear ritual and other sacred tools of unwanted energies.
- The Basics of Cord and Knot Magic
- What kind of magic can you do with cords? Learn this simple folk magic technique.
- Home Blessing and Protection
- Examples of a home blessing ritual and cleansing techniques to clear you home of unwelcome energy.
- Moon Phases for Magic
- Learn when the best time to perform your spells is according to the phases of the moon.
- Two Basic Altar Setups
- An altar is a concrete way to connect with your spiritual practice. Here are two basic altar setups given as guidelines for solitary practitioners and groups that haven't yet developed their own altar protocol.
- The Elements
- An explanation of the five elements of fire, earth, air, water, and spirit.
- The Four Directions
- The four directions are part of the circle casting of many different traditions. Learn some of the common correspondences and how you can begin to create your own system to work with.
- LBRP - Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
- Instructions on how to perform this most popular and powerful of magical rituals.
- Herbal and Aromatherapy Anointing Oils
- Learn simple techniques to make anointing oils for ritual.
- Paganism Basics: Ritual Template with Circle Casting
- Learn how to perform your own Pagan ritual with this template designed to get you started on your path to ritual planning.
- Paganism Basics: The Ritual Bath
- A ritual bath is a powerful component to add to clearing of daily stress before your magical rites. Learn different techniques to do this.
Magical Tools and Gear
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How to Make Your Own Ritual Robe
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Do the gods really mind if we come before them wearing jeans and a T-shirt? I believe it is our intention that counts. But changing from our mundane attire into something special for ceremony helps clear our mind so that intent is more focused. Ritu...
Pagan 'Zines
If you're looking for Pagan periodicals online and in print, check out these links to my two lenses: Pagan Magazines and Pagan Ezines.
Pagan Paths
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The Different Paths Within Modern Paganism
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This will be a growing list of links to articles on different Pagan paths I have at different sites including here at Squidoo, HubPages, Examiner.com and Suite 101. If you're looking for info on other aspects of Paganism such as general practice and...
Handfasting
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Rose and Tree Handfasting Ceremonies for Pagans
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The rose ceremony has been adapted for Pagan handfastings because of its simplistic beauty. The couple to be wed exchanges two red roses to symbolize the love that will last throughout their married life together. Traditionally, a single red rose me...
Pagan Life
- Advice for people thinking about coming out as a Pagan
- Here are some practical questions to ask yourself before you come out of the "broom closet."
- Tips for Finding Pagan Clergy to Perform Weddings, Funerals and Other Important Life Passage Ceremonies
- Are you a Pagan who would like to find clergy to perform a wedding, funeral or other life passage rite? Maybe you're a solitary Pagan or your group doesn't have a legal clergy person. Here are tips to help you find a Pagan clergy person.
- Pagans in the Military
- Info and resources for Pagans in the military and their families.
Pagan Book Reviews
Reviews to help you make informed choices before you spend your hard-earned money or time.-
Pagan Book Reviews
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Hello, I'm Trish Deneen, an eclectic Pagan and writer for several web venues. This is a catalog of my Pagan book reviews located on various places on the web. I reviewed most of them when I was Pagan editor at BellaOnline. I no longer accept Pagan b...
A Little Bit About Me and More
Here are 25 tidbits about me if you are wondering who I am.-
25 Things About P.J. Deneen
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Hello. I go by several monikers including P.J., Patricia and Trish. I decided to take up Charly Leetham's challenge to lensmasters to tag themselves and created a 25 things about me lens. This isn't a complete lensography or biography. Just a little...
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Conservative Pagans - We Exist
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You've heard the beginnings of the phrases that start like this - "Real Pagans are...." and "I can't believe a Pagan would vote for...". They're like fingernails clawing down a classroom chalkboard for those of us who...
Thanks For Stopping By.
Feel free to make a quick comment.
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Reply
- PJ_Deneen PJ_Deneen Sep 15, 2009 @ 6:00 am | in reply to Lindsay
- Hi Lindsay. I'm glad you found me. Thanks for stopping by.
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Reply
- Lindsay Lindsay Sep 15, 2009 @ 3:24 am
- Ha! Found you! I wondered where all those articles I'd bookmarked at BellaOnline had gone to. ^__^
by PJ_Deneen
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