Body Talk -18th December

Paganism was the subject of tonight's show. Nikki Coote joined me to talk about this ancient way of life.

Paganism is often viewed as witchcraft and looked upon as something of a taboo area. Nikki gave a very enlightening view of the subject, which revealed pagans as being people who simply live with the laws of nature. They are eco-friendly people, wanting to live in a way that minimises harm to the natural environment. The emphasis is living with the flow of nature.

They pay particular attention to the phases of the moon, which, as we all know,dictates the ebb and flow of the tides. As we , and all plant life on the planet are mostly water, it follows that the moon would have an effect on our energies too. Again, it is about living with nature.

The main festivals are Halloween, which is the pagan new year, and christmas which symbolises the beginning of growth and heralding the approach of spring. The 21st December is the shortest day and is the time when the Holly Man visits and brings gifts connected with nature and new beginnings. This festival was in existence long before it became a christian celebration. It was interesting to see the connections between what used to be pagan festivities , and what we now recognise as christian.

Magic and rituals are two words which I hesitate to use, as they have quite negative connotations. It strikes me, however, that these practises are not that different to what we would now call positive thinking or cosmic ordering, or whatever the latest self improvement craze might be wanting to call it. They are positive words or phrases tailored to suit a group or individual with the intention of producing a good outcome. A rose is still a rose by any other name.

It is a very peaceful way of life, and follows the same theme as many environmentally aware people today. You may be pagan without realising it.

If you'd like to find out more, then let me have your qestions and I'll pass them on to Nikki.

Article by Melanie Watson, 17 Jan 2008
Posted in Body Talk

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