Australia is a vast and ancient landscape with distinctive plants, birdlife and animals. The southern position of this landmass was somehow missed by explorers making it one of the last to be discovered by Europeans. Australia has been inhabited by the Aboriginal people for at least sixty thousand years with…
It seems odd that people of other distinct cultures want to celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a religious celebration and few are changing their beliefs, but somehow the joy and traditions of Christmas are becoming quite popular in countries where Christians are less than 10 percent of the population. Looking deeper…
I woke up this morning thinking, “isn’t there a festival day coming up? Yes and it is tonight! Ostara is a spring European celebration of rebirth, new life and fresh beginnings. Ostara celebrates the new growth of spring: green trees, flowers emerging, babies born, love in bloom and the general…
An altar is a table or space to offer thanks for all that you have in this life. It usually contains the things you believe in, admire or appreciate. Sometimes altars may be to honour a particular deity, sacred tree or place. You may have seen some street or field…
It is quite amazing how so many world cultures managed to evolve the distinct traditions that they have. In totally isolated times communities in the form of villages developed their own distinct cultures, beliefs and ceremonies. As time progressed early adventurers along with harsh circumstance meant cross cultural meetings began…
The word pagan carries strong and fearful content for those that fail to understand its meaning. This is a word that is used to describe spiritual or religious faiths that precede or are outside the realms of Jewish, Islamic or Christian beliefs (and other Abrahamic religions). If religions have a…
The Christmas tree has a long history that is both Pagan and Christian. With its cultural foundations in Norse pagan nature worship – branches or trees were bought inside homes and decorated with candles, apples and other shiny objects. Evergreen trees were believed to have special power to ward off…
With stores flooded with factory produced goods, people are considering what their purchases mean. Though many can be obtained at a reasonable price quality is diminishing and ethics have been questioned. Due to this people are making conscious choices about how and where things are made before they buy. With…
Winter is a great time for those personal or small group ceremonies. It may seem strange to have a ceremony for one, but there is something wonderful in the silence of the colder seasons. All you have to do is decide what you want to ask for or celebrate. There…
Ceremonies are a celebration of the various milestones in life. Some ceremonies are solemn and sacred, while others are full of joy and dancing. We work and study hard and deserve to revel in those special moments! Over the last ten years there has been an upsurge in public cultural…
