Essay/Term paper: Evening with a pagan

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Religion

An Evening with the Pagans~
A brief history of paganism~

Over 25,000 years ago, our ancestors across the continent
practiced an ancient form of religion known as paganism. During the
Neolithic and Paleolithic time era, our ancestors were in awe of the
great manifestations of nature. Due to lack of scientific thought, they
were riddled with ignorance and superstition. Everything had a supernatural
explanation.
They associated each naturalistic phenomena with a type
of god, inscribing inanimate objects with life -like characteristics .This
practice is referred to as animism. Every element ,be it thunder ,rain or
the sun ,was thought to be a god (or goddess) within it.
Eventually their gods became an object of worship known as polytheism.
Eventually many forms of polytheism evolved to what is known as paganism.

Modern Paganism
Now defined as :The worship of a god or goddess whose roots
are in pre-Christian Western Europe. Modern paganism is alive and well
today. It consists of many sub-divisions .These include ~Wicca ,druidism
Santeria and many others. Wicca focuses on the worship of a god and
goddess .In Wicca ,there is a plethora of pantheon of deities that one
can choose from including: Greek, Norse ,roman etc......
Focusing on a Greek Wiccan tradition ,this will be describing
the pagan festival of Hectare.

The Festival of Hecate
The festival of Hecate is celebrated between the 3rd and 4th
Saturday of August. (which ever is closest to the new moon)
It is in honor of the Greek goddess Hecate. She was first worshipped
in ancient Greece -called the triple goddess of magic. She is often
represented in triple form ; maiden (youth) ,mother (fertility)
and crone (the wise woman). In ancient Rome ,she was known as
trevia ,the cross road with three paths.
Hecate is symbolized by the phases of the moon.
Each attribute correlates with a particular phase of the moon.
The waxing moon (maiden),the full moon (mother) and the
new moon( crone).
The Ceremony~
Upon arrival at the festival in Georgetown Delaware,
everyone gathers for the lecture. This is to educate the newcomers
as to what the ceremony entails. The ceremony is always rehearsed
before it is performed. After the lecture ,there is a large potluck
feast to keep everyone energized for the evenings festivities.
The processional~
When the sun sets, the processional begins. With everyone
in their appropriate magical attire,(consisting of a robe and jewelry)
everyone lines up proceeds with the first phase.
This is called consecration- each person is consecrated . This is done
by covering the body in incense smoke and sprinkling of water.
This is a purification process that cleanses the body of negative
energy prior to the ritual.
Next each person is permitted to enter the circle one by one.
Once everyone is inside the circle, the next phase begins.
Calling of the quarters~
At this point ,the high priest/priestess begins the calling
of the quarters or summoning the elements. Each direction is marked
by an altar and each is represented by an element.
West =air, east=water , north=earth and south=fire. The high priest
approaches each point ,says a chant and ends the chant with the
phrase ""hail and welcome"". After the elements are called , the
highpoint of the ritual begins ~ the invocation
The Invocation~
The invocation is where the goddess is invited to attend
the ceremony. The invitation is done through a series of chants .
Ex: ""He Kau ,He Kau , He Kau""
Hecate trevia trimorphos
Hecate queen of the moon and all her phases"" 3 X""s (Hek a ta)
Next 3 women are chosen to represent Hecate ,each representing
one of her aspects.(they are chosen prior to the ritual) The maiden is in
white (purity) the mother in red (fertility) and crone in black(wisdom)
These women remain in the circle.
At this point the goddess speaks to the participants .Each one
gives a brief message ,usually a blessing or advice. Once the crone
has finished, each participant is invited to approach any of the three
forms and speak to them. They may ask for advice ,offering or a boon.
Once everyone has had their turn to speak with Hecate,the group
becomes silent. The goddess is thanked and dismissed.
Sometimes during a ritual a participant may feel a bit
overwhelmed with the energy that has been raised. It is for this
reason ,that the next phase ,called grounding takes place.
This is done by simply placing the hands on the ground and releasing
the energy. Once the grounding has been performed,it is time to
close the quarters or dismiss the elements.
Like the opening , the high priest approaches each element
,says a chant but this time ends with ""hail and farewell""
Once the elements are dismissed, it is time to close the circle.
This is done by the whole group.
Closing the Circle~
A special chant is recited to close the circle :
""The circle is closed but yet unbroken,
Merry meet, merry part ,and merry meet again.
Blessed Be !""
At this time ,each participant leaves the circle exiting from the point
at which they entered. Again feasting of food commences ,along with
spirited conversation.
Religious ceremonies play an integral role in our society.
Paganism fills the social ,physical and cognitive role that mainstream
religions provide.

References Sited ~
1) Adler, Margot 1993 ""Drawing Down the Moon""
Full Moon Pub. Phoenix ,AZ
356 pgs.

2)Murray ,Margaret ""The Witch Cult of western Europe""
Westin House Press Ny,NY
212pgs.