The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

silvasava

Religion often divides where it should unite. My yoga teacher's point of view is that they all look at the same thing from a different perspective. I was lucky enough to have very broad minded parents where faith is concerned so I've ended up with my own view. I have the utmost respect for people with a strong faith, whose faith supports them but are cognisant of other beliefs and pathways. I was lucky to have a person in my life who certainly embodied the Christian spirit and we all know how lucky we are to have another one in our midst.

Blimey. That's a bit deep for a Monday morning!

On a lighter note it's our 47th wedding anniversary today! Not bad for 2nd time round for both of us. Are we doing anything? No. too hot, no spoons and we both have books  

MingVase

That sounds a nice way to spend a 47th anniversary though silva.

I'm a Spiritualist, which isn't really a religion.

Hard_Up_Hester

Happy anniversary Silva

I'm a very bad pagan, I often miss the festival's as I lose track of time.

Florenceem

Floss - I am not against dressing up for events but - it is not wise to be wearing skimpy practically disco clothes in a cold Church. I have seen goosebumps on top of goosebumps.
Elona_2 - I had not heard of Cathars.
monnagran - enjoy your day of no sorting for your friend.
VJsmum - I don't like the heat. At least in the winter - you can layer up and turn on the heating - when it is baking - hard to get cool.
silvasava - Happy Anniversary.
Neighbour has been here to give us a lovely big chunk of Birthday cake - chocolate - yummy!
Mr F spent hours at court - the defendant pleaded guilty so didn't have to be a witness.
Finished some more snakes.

LameWolf

Floss said:

LameWolf said:

VJsmum said:

LW - so glad you're getting a new doggy guest.  COuld you say a bit more about Lughnasadh? IS it pagan?  I love the idea of festivals that are in tune with nature but know so little about them...

Thanks for asking, @VJsmum   Lughnassadh (aka the Saxon name Lammas or "loaf-mass" - I like the Celtic name personally) is indeed part of the Pagan wheel of the year. It's the First Harvest, and traditionally, the first corn harvested would be baked into a loaf in the shape of a sheaf of wheat; but any home-baked goodies are perfectly acceptable. The bread is often accompanied by cider - the proper stuff, not $trongbow or any of that sort of rubbish. ...

When is that @LameWolf? We always had a wheatsheaf loaf at my primary Harvest Festival pre 1975 😁

Lughnassadh is August 1st.

The Second Harvest is also Autumn Equinox, so is any time between 20th and 23rd September (it's on 22nd this year) and is known as Mabon or Madron.

Just as an aside, did anyone have a Maypole to dance around at school? DH did, but they never told the innocent wee 7-year-olds the actual significance.

Suffolksue

Now I need to know ..What is the significance of the Maypole ,?

Nargleblast

When I was at school we did have a Mayday celebration and I remember my class doing the maypole dance one year. Was the pole a phallic symbol? I know men and women would frolic outdoors on Mayday and often pregnancies would be the result. The God and Goddess in the Pagan faith did their courting then and the Goddess became pregnant with the one who would be the reborn God later. I find that aspect of the Pagan beliefs confusing, the God and Goddess going round and round, birth, maturing, conceiving, birth, death, birth again. I can't grasp the mating with each other  and being each other's parent and child stuff.

That time is known as Beltane and is a fire festival celebrating life (beginning of, as opposed to Samhain six months later, which celebrates the end of life.) Everything is cyclical, hence the expression Wheel of the Year.

Nargleblast

Happy anniversary, Silvasava, I presume it's not too hot or tiring to lift a glass of something chilled and fizzy?

MrsCD

Happy anniversary @silvasava. That's a good innings so far! We're not far behind you. 43 for us in September. 

Floss

LameWolf said:

Just as an aside, did anyone have a Maypole to dance around at school? DH did, but they never told the innocent wee 7-year-olds the actual significance.

We did - we also had rush bearing, Whitsun walks and brass band competitions (which are still running 46 years after we left the village!).