Winter Solstice Holiday of Light’s Return & Rebirth Winter Solstice has arrived! It marks the night of the year. But those days are coming to an end and the sunlight will be returning! Yule (pronounced EWE-el or EWE-elle) (also known as Jól) is a Pagan festival that celebrates this time of year and the upcoming longer days by Pagans, Neo-Pagans, Wiccans, those who practice magic, and many others! In 2022, … Continue reading Yule
New Year Holiday of Magic & Mysticism Each year from October 31 into November 1 is the Pagan or Celtic New Year! For many Wiccans, Pagans, those who practice Witchcraft or other forms of magic, this may be one of the most important festivals of the year. It’s called Samhain (pronounced SAH-win or SOW-in) and a “cross-quarter” holiday because it falls between the Autumn Equinox (Mabon) and … Continue reading Samhain
Autumn Equinox Holiday of Appreciation & Abundance The Autumn Equinox has come! The hours of day and night are equal, which marks the time as one of harmony and balance. In 2022 and 2023, it falls on September 23rd in the Northern Hemisphere and March 20th in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2024, it will fall on September 22nnd in the Northern Hemisphere and March 20th in the Southern … Continue reading Mabon
Many people are familiar with the traditional Chinese calendar and their use of the 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs that consisted of various animals. But did you know that many other places in the world have their own variation or adaptation of Zodiac Signs that were inspired or influenced by the Chinese Zodiac? This is especially true in various Asian countries where China had played a huge cultural … Continue reading Chinese Zodiac Adaptations
Harvest Holiday of Recognition & Reflection The hot days of Summer have been present for some time now. It is also the official beginning of the first harvest of the year! There is an ancient holiday celebrated by pagans, Wiccans, and others of all faith backgrounds that recognize this special time of year called Lughnsadh (pronounced LOO-na-sa or LOO-nuh-suh) or Lammas (pronounced lah-MIS or luh-MAHS). Every year it … Continue reading Lughnasadh/Lammas
What is a familiar? After all, this whole blog website is named “Your Friendly Familiar”. This post should hopefully answer that question for there is a lot more in what a familiar means than what meets the eye. What is a Familiar? If you were to look up “Familiar” in Wikipedia, you’d find a good-sized article that covers a lot of different elements involved with the term. But … Continue reading Familiars: More Than a Pet
