#paganism — Public Fediverse posts

Ancient word of the day: Hedgehog

The ancient word for today is hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus. In the Middle Ages, writers didn’t make reference to hedgehogs, but to urchins. This term for the spiky diminuitive animal is still favoured in some English dialects. We still have the lingering remnants of this etymology in the form of sea urchin, which is literally a sea hedgehog.

The word urchin came to England with the Norman invasion and was derived from the Latin word ericius. Before the Norman conquest, the animal was known by the Anglo-Saxon name Igl.

Other names

Furze-pig – Devon

Hotchi-witchi – Romani

Hodmedods – Norfolk

Ouriço cacheiro – crafty pig
or porco espinho’ – spiky pig in Portuguese

”Thorns shall grow in their palaces, nettles & thistles in their strongholds … there shall the hedgehog build, dig, be there at home and bring forth his young ones.” Taverner’s Isiah 34, 1539.

The hedgehog was a symbol of Christian humility

The Speculum sapientiae, or Mirror of Wisdom is an ancient tale of beasts in Latin. In one tale, a passing goat sees its reflection in a pond and declares himself very handsome indeed. A hedgehog trundles along afterwards and reproaches the goat telling him that profound humility, not vain boasting are what makes animals truly noble.

Read more: The British Library Digitised Manusripts

Content Catnip

#christianity #paganism #Wiccan #astrology #religion

#christianity #paganism #Wiccan #astrology #religion

#christianity #paganism #Wiccan #astrology #religion

#christianity #paganism #Wiccan #astrology #religion

#christianity #paganism #Wiccan #astrology #religion

#FediCoven 2026 Q7: What have seasonal changes taught you that books or teachers could not?

I've learned more from nature in general that I ever would have in school when it comes to many subjects. I allow myself to truly feel (and love) the changes during the year, throughout the seasons, and that alone has done a lot for me. Just as we as people change, Mother Earth does as well throughout the year. Change is good. It cleanses and renews.

#Pagan #Paganism #Wicca #Wiccan #Heathen

#FediCoven 2026 Q6: What relationship do you have with the moon and its phases, and how does that show up in your craft?

Ever since I was little, I've always felt connected to the moon. That hasn't changed, nor will it. The moon plays a big part in my practice, as I'm sure it does for many others as well. I usually work my schedule and spells around its phases.

#Pagan #Paganism #Wicca #Wiccan #Heathen

@floofpaldi I love when somebody hits it off with you & we start talking energies, herbs, or spiritual court. Then others join in with their experiences.

What doesn’t work for me when you bring something up that could be better & you’re greeted with apathy. I’ve left circles over this. #Pagan #Paganism #Wicca #Wiccan #Heathen #Fedicoven

#FediCoven 2026 Q5: What helps you feel welcome in a pagan or witchy space? And what doesn't?

A true feeling of "otherness" and a lack of crosses. LOL. In all seriousness, though, just a genuine sense of self, unapologetically and authentically them, so I can get a read on the person, an idea of who they are or what they like, and we all decorate differently. That final part makes things fun.

Just be yourself.

🍂 🍄 🔮 🧿 🗡️ 🐉 🐺 🍁

#Pagan #Paganism #Wicca #Wiccan #Heathen

#FediCoven 2026 Q4: How do you identify? (Witch, druid, pagan, shaman, medium, 'all of the above'?)

These days, I generally only use a single word: pagan (because it's simple, easy). Feel free to call me anything you want, though. None of those words bother me. Also, random: I'm a medium, or a clairvoyant, psychic, etc. I even have a paranormal podcast.

#Pagan #Paganism #Wicca #Wiccan #Heathen

#FediCoven 2026 Q3: Are you out of the broom closet?

I was raised in an Irish Catholic family. With that being said, my father practiced his own sort of Paganism, having been close to and dear friends with so many indigenous peoples, and my mother is Wiccan. So, of course, to some family members, I'm out. To others, I'm not. I actually live with my grandmother, my nana, and she thinks I just collect crystals. She also thinks I might be agnostic. It is what it is.

#Pagan #Paganism #Wicca #Wiccan #Heathen

#FediCoven 2026 Q2: What role does self-care play in your practice? Any tips?

Self-care is a huge part of my practice. A major one, actually. We have to take care of ourselves before we can even think of taking care of those around us. No matter what your religion is, that should play a role.

As for tips? Do what's right for your body. Listen to what your body needs. Drink more water. Take your medication if you're reading this and you haven't yet. Every little thing matters.

#Pagan #Paganism #Wicca #Wiccan #Heathen

#FediCoven 2026 Q1: For those who have a form of divination in their practice, does this indicate to you that the universe is predestined or deterministic?

Thank you, @HeliaXyana! :11111:

In some ways, I believe it is. In others, I do believe we forge our own path. You could ask any pagan and they would probably give you a different answer. While I think some things are set in stone, others might be changed.

#Pagan #Paganism #Wicca #Wiccan #Heathen

We saw lots of Plantain in the lawn at Upper Treman sitting in the circle for the Sacred Wild Gathering

https://sacredwildgathering.org/

Not to be confused with that thing that looks like a Banana, my wife says Plantain adds resilience to trampled lawns

#photo #photography #plants #plantain #lawn #bloomscrolling #seedspike #macro #tremanstatepark #paganism #pagan #notabanana

I'd like to with everyone a Blessed Litha!

The Holly King rises and the Oak King steps back, now we turn towards winter.

I visited the Rollright Stones on Friday and setup a small altar, it's becoming a little tradition for me. However you choose to celebrate it, may your celebration be peaceful and joyous!

#litha #solstice #summersolstice #pagan #paganism #rollrightstones #stonecircle #oakking #hollyking #wheeloftheyear

Sisyphus is taking forever!

https://piefed.social/c/historymemes/p/2124206/sisyphus-is-taking-forever

Hexing the Bomb

Hot on the heels of my little foray into the Battle of the Beanfield I decided to dig a little deeper into another important and largely forgotten nugget of social history. This one incorporates a couple of my favourite subjects, neither of which is politics. It does, however, have women standing up together and achieving the seemingly impossible and witches.

Pull up a chair… 🙂

There are moments in history when politics, folklore and belief collide in ways that seem almost impossible to imagine. One such moment unfolded on the windswept perimeter fences of Greenham Common during the final decades of the Cold War, when thousands of women gathered to oppose the presence of American nuclear missiles on British soil. Among the banners, songs and acts of civil disobedience was something few journalists expected to find at the heart of a major political protest. Witches.

For nearly two decades, Greenham Common became one of the most significant centres of peace activism in modern British history. It was a place of arrests, demonstrations, campfires and confrontation. It was also a place where ancient symbols found new life. Women danced in circles, wove webs across military fences, invoked goddesses, cast symbolic spells and drew upon centuries of folklore to challenge one of the most powerful military alliances in the world.

To understand why, we must first return to a Britain gripped by fear.

The early 1980s were shadowed by the threat of nuclear war. Relations between East and West had deteriorated. The Soviet Union and NATO were engaged in a dangerous arms race. Television viewers watched films such as Threads and The Day After, which depicted the horrific consequences of nuclear conflict. Schoolchildren grew up with the knowledge that a single political miscalculation could end civilisation in an afternoon.

Against this backdrop, the British government agreed to host American cruise missiles at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire. To supporters, the deployment was a necessary deterrent. To opponents, it made Britain a target and increased the likelihood of nuclear confrontation.

In September 1981, a small group of Welsh women marched from Cardiff to Greenham Common. Their intention was straightforward. They wanted a public debate about nuclear weapons. When their concerns were ignored, some chose to remain.

Few could have imagined that their decision would create one of the most influential protest movements in modern British history.

The Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp became a permanent presence outside the military base. Women arrived from every corner of Britain and beyond. Some stayed for days. Others remained for years. Grandmothers camped alongside students. Teachers shared fires with artists, nurses, activists and travellers. The camp developed its own culture, traditions and rituals.

Media coverage was often hostile. Newspapers portrayed the women as scruffy, eccentric or dangerous. Politicians dismissed them as naïve. Yet Greenham continued to grow. By December 1982, around 30,000 women joined hands around the nine-mile perimeter fence in one of the largest demonstrations Britain had ever seen.

As the movement evolved, some participants began drawing upon folklore, mythology and spiritual traditions to express their opposition to nuclear weapons.

For many women involved in the peace camp, the figure of the witch held profound significance.The witch has never been simply a character from fairy tales. Across European history she has represented independence, resistance and the refusal to conform. She is the village healer, the wise woman, the outsider and the scapegoat. She embodies knowledge that exists beyond accepted authority.

Many women at Greenham recognised parallels between historical witch hunts and contemporary attempts to dismiss or marginalise female voices. The image of the witch became a powerful symbol of protest.

Some protesters identified as pagans or practitioners of modern witchcraft. Others were not religious at all but embraced the symbolism. Together they transformed folklore into a political language.

At various demonstrations, women dressed as witches, carrying besoms and wearing pointed hats. They conducted symbolic rituals outside the base gates. Circles were formed. Chants were spoken. Songs echoed through the Berkshire countryside.

Perhaps most striking were the webs.Women frequently attached ribbons, wool, photographs, toys and personal objects to the military fences. These creations resembled enormous spider webs stretching across the perimeter. They symbolised connection, community and the fragile threads linking humanity together. Military planners saw security barriers. The women transformed them into canvases for storytelling.

One protest became known as the “Embrace the Base” demonstration, during which thousands of women encircled Greenham Common. The act itself echoed ancient traditions of protective circles and boundary rituals found throughout British folklore.In many folk traditions, circles create sacred space. They mark a distinction between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Greenham’s protesters drew upon symbolism that would have been recognised by generations of cunning folk, ceremonial magicians and village communities.

There were also reports of symbolic spell-casting directed not at individuals but at the weapons themselves.

These actions were largely theatrical and symbolic. Yet symbolism has always been one of humanity’s most powerful tools. Flags, crowns, crosses and national monuments derive their power from collective belief. Greenham’s witches understood this. They recognised that ritual could attract attention, build solidarity and create memorable images capable of travelling far beyond the camp itself.Photographs from the period remain remarkable. Women dance beneath military floodlights. Costumed protesters stand before coils of razor wire. Sacred imagery appears alongside anti-nuclear slogans. Ancient archetypes confront modern technology.

The contrast could hardly have been more dramatic.

Behind the spectacle lay a serious philosophical question. How should ordinary people respond when faced with systems that appear too vast to challenge?

For some, the answer lay in petitions or political lobbying. For others, it involved direct action. At Greenham, many women chose creativity. They responded to missiles with songs, fences with artwork and military authority with myth.

It is tempting to dismiss such actions as eccentric. Yet history suggests otherwise.Throughout the centuries, folklore has often emerged during periods of uncertainty and upheaval. Communities create stories to explain fears, express hopes and challenge power structures. Ballads mocked landlords. legends criticised rulers. Folk customs strengthened communities during times of hardship.

Greenham Common followed the same pattern.The camp generated its own folklore almost immediately. Stories circulated among protesters. Songs were composed. Rituals evolved. Shared symbols developed meaning through repetition. What began as a political protest became something resembling a living folk tradition.

Even the landscape itself absorbed these stories.

Greenham Common is now remembered not only as a military site but as a place of resistance. The fences have gone. The missiles have long since been removed. Yet the stories remain. Visitors still encounter traces of the movement in memorials, artworks and local memory.

The protest ultimately achieved far more than many observers predicted. Cruise missiles were removed from Greenham Common in 1991 following the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The peace camp remained for several years afterwards before finally closing in 2000.

Whether Greenham alone changed government policy remains a matter of debate. Few historians would argue that it was the sole cause. Yet its influence on public discourse is undeniable. The movement helped shape conversations about nuclear weapons, gender, protest and citizenship. It inspired campaigns around the world and demonstrated the power of sustained grassroots activism.

The witches of Greenham Common occupy a particularly fascinating place within that story.

They remind us that folklore is not confined to dusty books or distant centuries. It remains a living force, capable of adapting to new circumstances and addressing modern concerns. Ancient symbols continue to resonate because they speak to enduring human experiences.

The women who danced around Greenham’s fences were not attempting to retreat into the past. They were using the past to imagine a different future.

In an age dominated by military technology, political rhetoric and the machinery of the Cold War, they answered with stories, songs, rituals and symbols that had survived for centuries.

Whether one believes in magic is ultimately beside the point.

The real magic of Greenham Common lay in its ability to transform fear into action, isolation into community and protest into legend.

More than forty years later, the image remains unforgettable. A line of women standing beneath winter skies, facing one of the most formidable military establishments on Earth armed with banners, determination and the enduring power of folklore.

History remembers the missiles.

Folklore remembers the witches.

Further Reading

Common Women, Uncommon Practices by Sasha RoseneilGreenham Women Everywhere by Rebecca Mordan

Peace Camps: A Study of Greenham Women by Lynne Jones

The archives of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace

CampRecords held by the Women’s Library at the London School of Economics

Imperial War Museum collections relating to Greenham Common

Oral history projects documenting former Greenham residents

Copyright Notice:

© 2026 Mysterious Times. All rights reserved.This article is published exclusively for Mysterious Times. No part may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without prior written permission, except for brief quotations used for review, commentary or educational purposes with appropriate attribution.

Tha an Bealltainn a' tighinn gu crìch — Beltane is reaching its end, the wheel leaning toward Midsummer. The bees keep a calendar older than empires. A carpenter bee on the wisteria does not care about the policy paper in another tab. This is what the Druids meant: the land prays without us. Today's full Gathering:
https://twp.ai/9OVuiw
#Beltane #Druid #Paganism #WheelOfTheYear #EarthBased #Gaelic #Midsummer #SeasonalLiving #Mysticism #Animism

Touch Grass: A Pagan Take on this Online Insult

https://pagangrove.wordpress.com/2026/05/13/touch-grass-a-pagan-take-on-this-online-insult/

Touch Grass: A Pagan Take on this Online Insult

https://pagangrove.wordpress.com/2026/05/13/touch-grass-a-pagan-take-on-this-online-insult/

Touch Grass: A Pagan Take on this Online Insult

https://pagangrove.wordpress.com/2026/05/13/touch-grass-a-pagan-take-on-this-online-insult/

Touch Grass: A Pagan Take on this Online Insult

https://pagangrove.wordpress.com/2026/05/13/touch-grass-a-pagan-take-on-this-online-insult/

Touch Grass: A Pagan Take on this Online Insult

https://pagangrove.wordpress.com/2026/05/13/touch-grass-a-pagan-take-on-this-online-insult/

✨ Пробуждение Души в Океане Сознания: Раскрой Полноту Жизни и Свет Сварога! 💫

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huSiHJhT3wQ

#космос #вселенная #духовность #саморазвитие #славянскаямифология #энергия #осознанность #реальность #пробуждение #язычество #paganism #Slavicmythology #universe #consciousness #energywork #spiritualawakening #meditation #harmony #healing #cosmos #slavs #ancientwisdom

✨ Пробуждение Души в Океане Сознания: Раскрой Полноту Жизни и Свет Сварога! 💫

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huSiHJhT3wQ

#космос #вселенная #духовность #саморазвитие #славянскаямифология #энергия #осознанность #реальность #пробуждение #язычество #paganism #Slavicmythology #universe #consciousness #energywork #spiritualawakening #meditation #harmony #healing #cosmos #slavs #ancientwisdom

Fresh yew for the Allmother as Frija’s Day approaches.
#pagan #paganism #germanicpagan #Frija #freya #frigg #goddess #heathen #norsepagan #spirituality #altar #sacredspace #writer #writing

On the eve of Wodan’s Day, an offering of red wine for the Allfather.
#pagan #paganism #germanicpagan #norsepagan #heathen #Wodan #odin #writer #writing #altar #spirituality #sacredspace

Fresh yew and lavender on the sacred space as Freya-Frigg’s Day approaches.
#pagan #paganism #norsepagan #heathen #druid #altar #sacredspace #freya #frigg #goddess #spirituality #writer #writing

Hail Odin on Odin's Day!

White as snow,
The ravens are let loose
And bade by Odin
Plumb the darkness;
Thus they fly,
Long, far
Into midnight thoughts
And shaded will,
Till again to Odin come
They settle black as void;
For Thought and Will are naught
Save the darkest of both is known.
#pagan #paganism #norsepagan #odin #woden #wotan #allfather #heathen #druid #writer #writing #poetry #spirituality #thought #memory #wednesday

I'm the bit monkey for the blog #wordsByTerryl from #MoonLitPress . I also do the graphic art work using #inkscape and we publish using #writefreely.

This article shares a witchy Imbolc ritual as a bonus posting. It is a prayerful recognition and celebration of the subtle turning of the seasons. Spring cleaning, if you will, in a spiritual sense.

https://blog.moonlitpress.org/an-imbolc-invocation

#poetry #writing
#CreativeNonfiction #Religion #SacredNature #Paganism #pagan #imbolc

I'm the bit monkey for the blog #wordsByTerryl from #MoonLitPress . I also do the graphic art work using #inkscape and we publish using #writefreely.

This article shares a witchy Imbolc ritual as a bonus posting. It is a prayerful recognition and celebration of the subtle turning of the seasons. Spring cleaning, if you will, in a spiritual sense.

https://blog.moonlitpress.org/an-imbolc-invocation

#poetry #writing
#CreativeNonfiction #Religion #SacredNature #Paganism #pagan #imbolc

I'm the bit monkey for the blog #wordsByTerryl from #MoonLitPress . I also do the graphic art work using #inkscape and we publish using #writefreely.

This article shares a witchy Imbolc ritual as a bonus posting. It is a prayerful recognition and celebration of the subtle turning of the seasons. Spring cleaning, if you will, in a spiritual sense.

https://blog.moonlitpress.org/an-imbolc-invocation

#poetry #writing
#CreativeNonfiction #Religion #SacredNature #Paganism #pagan #imbolc

I'm the bit monkey for the blog #wordsByTerryl from #MoonLitPress . I also do the graphic art work using #inkscape and we publish using #writefreely.

This article shares a witchy Imbolc ritual as a bonus posting. It is a prayerful recognition and celebration of the subtle turning of the seasons. Spring cleaning, if you will, in a spiritual sense.

https://blog.moonlitpress.org/an-imbolc-invocation

#poetry #writing
#CreativeNonfiction #Religion #SacredNature #Paganism #pagan #imbolc

I'm the bit monkey for the blog #wordsByTerryl from #MoonLitPress . I also do the graphic art work using #inkscape and we publish using #writefreely.

This article shares a witchy Imbolc ritual as a bonus posting. It is a prayerful recognition and celebration of the subtle turning of the seasons. Spring cleaning, if you will, in a spiritual sense.

https://blog.moonlitpress.org/an-imbolc-invocation

#poetry #writing
#CreativeNonfiction #Religion #SacredNature #Paganism #pagan #imbolc

Kali, Mahakali, Bhadrakali, Kalika; a Hindu Mother Goddess of war, anger, time, change, creation, destruction, and power.

She emerged from the goddess, Durga, who is a goddess of protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.

Despite her fierce and relatively fearsome appearance, she is considered the divine mother, the dark mother, and the terrible mother -- she is a compassionate goddess that wears a garland of severed heads and a skirt of arms or nothing at all.

Her hair appears wild, disheveled, and her eyes are red with the burning fires of rage. She is often depicted with blue black skin and a red tongue that sticks out of her mouth under fangs, which continues to paint a picture of a wild woman, or, as some would say, a demon.

Much like all dark goddesses, she may appear as a demon and not a loving goddess, but she is misunderstood. She is, in my perspective, a goddess of duality, where she transcends the rigged boxes human dub as good and evil.

Her true nature is misunderstood due to her appearance.

She is more than willing to do the dark deeds required to destroy evil and grant freedom. She destroys our physical ego, thus destroying the attachment to our temporary vessels, our physical bodies and attempts to show us that we should enjoy life because death is inevitable.

Kali Ma is the consort to Shiva, who is the Destroyer AND the Transformer -- both a reminder that life is temporary. Kali's rage is only quelled by Shiva when she becomes lost in anger and violence. Together, they destroy illusion, the ego, and the illusion of duality.

People call upon her in battle and she is often depicted with a sword that represents knowledge and destroys ignorance, and a severed head that represents liberation from our ego or the attachment from our physical bodies.

She came from the Goddess, Druga, who called upon her to defeat a demon named Raktabija who produces clones with every drop of his blood that hits the ground. She defeated him by drinking every single drop of his blood and ate each of his clones.

Kali is revered as a destroyer but is worshiped as a creator. Despite appearing in countless violent stories, she embodies a complex duality, thus she is multifaceted. Women turn to her for fertility while artists call to her for inspiration. This beautiful goddess is called upon during the most critical times when an action must be taken because she is an intense and highly capable goddess who is ready to take on all the suffering and torment of the world.

What I love about Kali is that despite transcending duality, she is exactly what I feel duality truly is because she is embraced as a violent warrior ready and able to destroy anything and anyone through any means necessary while also being a compassionate and loving goddess.

There is soooo much more to this amazing goddess that I could get into, just because of how much I can connect to her, but I advise those interested to do the research to her stories. The more I read about her, the more connected to her I felt.

Have something to add? I'd love to hear more ♥

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

#witch #witchcraft #witches #witchy #goddess #kali #darkgoddess #demon #demons #demonolatry #Pagan #paganism #occult

Joyous Là Fhèill Brìghde/Imbolc/etc. Hail to She of Many Talents, The Ever Flame, Exalted One. Thank you for the blessings of your healing cloak. Blessings to all who celebrate her day.

#imbolc #imbolg #brighid #brighidsday #brighidiscome #bride #brighde #stbrighid #Pagan #pagans #pagansofmastadon #gael #celt #celticpagan #IrishPagan #witch #witchy #witchesofmastodon #paganism #polytheism #polytheist #polytheistic #oldways #spring #folkhistory #saintsday #saintbrighid

Dr. Jenny Butler was interviewed for the RENDERING UNCONSCIOUS #PODCAST hosted by #psychoanalyst
@rawsin_

21st Century Irish Paganism: Worldview, Ritual, Identity

https://soundcloud.com/highbrowlowlife/ru89-dr-jenny-butler-21st-century-irish-paganism-worldview-ritual-identity

For more, see: http://renderingunconscious.org
#Irish #Paganism #ritual #folklore #customs #religion #Ireland #LoveIrishResearch