Origins of New Year

Happy New Year's Day!

With firecrackers, trumpets, fountains, revving up our car engines, banging metal things up and down, shouting, singing on videokes, and all the noise we can think of doing just to name a few.

Why do we celebrate New Year?

We celebrate New Year as the beginning of Earth's another cycle in the vast Universe. And we believe that making noise rattles bad or evil spirits to drive them away as far as possible. So the louder the better. At least that is what we have come to know.

But then, saan ba talaga nagsimula ang New Year's Day celebration? 

The earliest known record of a New Year festival dates from about 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia. Sa Babylonia, ang new year (akitu) ay nagsisimula tuwing new moon matapos ang spring equinox (mid-March). Sa Assyria naman ay tuwing autum equinox (mid-September)

Sa Greece ay tuwing winter solstice (December 21), kasabay ang Yuletide season o sa mas popular na Christmas season. On the Roman republican calendar the year began on March 1, but after 153 BCE the official date was January 1, which was continued in the Julian calendar of 46 BCE.

In early medieval times most of Christian Europe regarded March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, as the beginning of the new year, although New Year’s Day was observed on December 25 in Anglo-Saxon England. 

Noon pa man marami nang pagkakaiba sa mga dates on when to celebrate New Year's Day. Ang Gregorian Calendar, isang pagan form of calendar, ay  January 1 ang unang araw ng taon. Ito na rin ang sinundan ng Christendom at mga Romano Katoliko nuong 1582.

Na hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay syang ating pinagdiriwang. Maliban nalang sa ibang bansa na may sariling petsa at pamamaraan tulad sa China na may Chinese New Year mula bandang katapusan ng January o sa bungad ng February.

Ngunit saan ba nagmula ang New Year's Day?

Sa kabila ng napakarami at iba't ibang petsa, ay January 1 ang pinakapopular na petsang nakagawian na.

January, first month of the Gregorian calendar. It was named after Janus, the Roman god of all beginnings. 

Janus is a Roman religion pagan god of doorways. The worship of Janus traditionally dated back to Romulus times bago pa man maitayo ang city of Rome. Janus is commonly depicted as having 2faces. One facing the past, with beard and old face while the other facing the future, with clean and shaved young face. 

Janus is also regarded as the god of all beginnings. Ang panimula ng araw, buwan, at higit sa lahat, ng taon ay sagrado sa ngalan ni Janus. 

CTTO

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Janus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Sep. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janus-Roman-god. Accessed 1 January 2023. 23:00

What is Wicca?

(8 sabbats followed by Wicca)

WHAT IS WICCA?

This is the very same same question many ask and i myself cannot really comprehend. Until now i am still confused what Wicca really means, its concepts, its belief, its thoughts and so much more.

From small readings i learned that Wicca is under the umbrella of Paganism and a Wiccan is already a witch in practice. But whenever i say i am a follower of Witchcraft belief, people who hears it show a twitch here and a quiver there. Especially in this country dominated by christians and catholics. Yet when i say i am a Wiccan or just a humble follower of its ways people normally ask what it is. I say "Oh it's a Pagan belief that has this type of knowledge and follow this and that". Then people would say "It's nice." Wow, really? Eh come to think of it i just mentioned the very practices a witch does or believe in. Bottomline, claiming you are a witch is bad but when you rephrase your words and say you are Wiccan, people would admire the idea.

Then i remember, yeah....these people are only but victims like me. Victims of MISINTERPRETATIONS, MISREPRESENTATIONS, MISUNDERSTANDING, MISCOMMUNICATION, and all the MISes that we can think of.

I am no expert, no historian, no genius. I only know as much as most of us do. I only rely on articles and books that i have read. Then there's those groups i tried to be a member of. Some of them are a-ok but most of them scares the wits out of me. Because some are so immersed in their thought that they are great witches already and has the ability to do phenomenal things that no one can. Some are so elated that they brag of spells they can chant and of rituals they can perform. Probably they can or cannot do that but that is not the point. I know in my heart that is not the purpose of Wicca. So i left. Then i decided to create my own group. Now so far i have about a hundred members. I did not plan to make it huge. I don't care if it stays that way as long as the members intend to learn Wicca and be brothers and sisters to one another. To my surprise, THEY ARE! I am happy that whenever i visit our group chat they talk to each other in a calm and blood related manner. I love it.

Now, because of what is happening to our group i am encouraged to learn Wicca more than ever and share it to everyone.

I just started following Wicca a couple of years ago. And when i did there is no turning back, always on the move forward. And in my search for answers i have come across a lot of individuals who have different answers. I even had experiences where they are arguing about things that they are both right anyway. It confused me more so i decided to just learn BY MYSELF. 

Again, for those experts who may read this, i am no expert. I will only share what i have read from other articles. So if you have any comments kindly give it to me but please be gentle about it. LOL

So here it goes:

Wicca is also known as a Pagan Witchcraft. It is under Neo-Paganism or contemporary Pagan new religious movement. It means the movement is defined with new rules and rtuals that is designed specifically for new generation as the old ways may not be applicable to the life of many people nowadays. Wicca is not ancient, but incorporated with ways from the past and ancient beliefs of Paganism basically from Europe. However the very thought of Paganism is still intact. Wicca was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was introduced to the public in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant.

What i liked about Wicca is that it is FREE. Free for everyone who wishes to be Wiccan. We can be solitary or in a coven. We have freedom to follow basic traditions either according to how Gerald Gardner introduced it or we can add or reduce certain attributes if we don't feel like doing it. There is no Bible or Quran or Vedas or Pali Canon or Babaylan scriptures to follow strictly. Most of the guidelines we follow from Wicca are based on the daily life of people and how to attune ourselves to nature. But of course as i always tell myself and those who aspire to learn the craft, it is still best to study and learn Wicca continuously. Just because we have read one book or one article doesn't mean we are already Wiccans. 

OUR CHOICES AND WHY

All of us have reasons why we chose our choices. I met some saying that they were fed up with the lies and politics from their previous religion, others say they don't like the idea of having to follow by fear, some say their previous religion asks them to change who they are or they will not be accepted, like if you are gay or eccentric (which unfortunately are considered an abomination by other religions), while some say (like me) they found Wicca very peaceful and calming to the mind and soul. Whatever the reason is what's important is that your choice fits the path you are looking for. Otherwise you will still leave the craft and move to another.

HONORING THE DEITIES

So far i have not heard any Wicca follower say they worship the goddess or any deity instead all the time i hear and see them say they HONOR. Maybe Wiccans really don't worship. I cannot say for sure if that really is the case but that is what i know. We are free. So from my understanding Wiccans don't really worship as worshiping means being under one strict rule to abide to, having one being to look up to and pray to and give thanks to and so on. But i don't see Wicca being like that. We are even allowed to call upon other deities of our choice. None specific. However, from the original Gardnerian Wicca, you would have to be initiated first and from there you will learn the secrecy of their ways and belief such as the name of their gods and goddess, their rituals, et al which of course must be kept secret from the non-Wiccan or anyone from outside of their tradition.

COVEN OR SOLITARY

Wicca does not command you to be in a group to practice the craft. You have a choice to be on your own. If you are a people person and you feel more comfortable in a group or you get satisfaction with communicating with others in order to understand certain studies, then you might want to be a member of a coven. (see Warning Signs In Prospective Covens)

They have the ups and downs. Of course you may come upon individuals who are not of the same mind like you or others that may be a cause of misunderstanding. But being in a coven gives you the advantage of having to perform rituals as the tradition asks for, learning more by conversing with others, getting benefits of meeting people of the same minds and more. 

For those who wish to be private, you are not expected to go out like other religions would ask for. You don't need to go to any form of church on a regular basis. You are not required to perform any rituals that you do not feel comfortable with having other people around. You may choose to be solitary for that matter. You can go about your prayers and rituals and spells and the all the works in the comfort of your room alone with no one to look at you. However, you may not be able to receive the possible benefits a coven may offer. 

So it's really up to you.

BASIC RULE 

Wicca does not ask you of so many rules to follow. Like i said earlier we are free to choose what we want and need to do or say. Yet like any other religion, no matter how free we are in Wicca there is still at least one rule to follow because we have to understand that we should be accountable for our actions.Or anything you do will come back to you three times. In this or in the next.You may see it in the Law of Threefold Return. Again, it is still based on the life of every individuals. It's more of a guideline and not a piercing law. And anyone who understands Karma knows exactly what i am saying. Basically, the rule states "An Yeh Harm None, Do What Yeh Will". This statement has been changed and edited in so many form but the thought is still there.

MISREPRESENTATIONS

Every time someone says "I am following Wicca and Wicca is a belief that is incorporated with the ways of Witchcraft, most people really get that fearful look at you as if they saw a monster. Well, we cannot blame them. Witches are noted to be feared at. Witches are known to be riding a broom at midnight especially during full moon, that they have green skin, long pointed vulture sized nose, warts all over the face with a strand of hair or two, scattered brows, pitch black hair, dilated pupils, black robes, black witch boots and black witch hats, eats babies, performs rituals and spells that will cause nothing but wreak havoc. 

I'm sorry to burst your old belief but none of those is true. Yes there are rituals which sometimes involve using brooms, and robes from to time, but the rest is soooo hmmmm...i don't know how to place it....comical? morbid imagination? Oh and Wiccans and witches don't just spark fire or electricity on the tips of their fingers when they are angry. (although it would have been cool if it's true.LOL)

Again, i am just sharing bits of what i have read and learned. But for added information, you can read Basic Principles and Concepts of Wicca. It's one of the good reads i found. 

To top it all, everything you believe in, Wicca or not, boils down to one thing. RESPECT. That is all there is to it. To agree to disagree and let others perceive views the way they want it. And you don't need to explain yourself if no one is asking for any explanation.

Been there, done that.

Blessed be

International Women' Day

 March 8, 2016 :  International Women's Day 

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY TO ALL LADIES!

Today we commemorate the importance and the real essence of being a woman.
March 8: International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.  Although the celebration of this day is not well known  especially to most Asian countries, it has been celebrated since in the early 1900's.
However, International Women's Day was not decided by one government, NGO or any one organization. It is a collective vote by many organizations to declare an annual theme or thought that will support it's agenda and cause, which is for all the women in the world, more specifically for gender parity. "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights," says world-renowned feminist, journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem. International Women's Day is all about celebration, reflection, advocacy, and action - whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, International Women's Day has been occurring for over a century - and is growing annually from strength to strength.

International Women's Day Timeline Journey: according to internationalwomensday.com

1908
In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

1910
In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs - and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament - greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

1911
Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's Bread and Roses' campaign.

International Women's Day

1913-1914
On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Women's Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women's solidarity. For example, in London in the United Kingdom there was a march from Bow to Trafalgar Square in support of women's suffrage on 8 March 1914. Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested in front of Charing Cross station on her way to speak in Trafalgar Square.

1917
On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War 1. Opposed by political leaders, the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.

1975
International Women's Day was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations in 1975. Then in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.

1996
The UN commenced the adoption of an annual theme in 1996 - which was "Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future". This theme was followed in 1997 with "Women at the Peace table", and in 1998 with "Women and Human Rights", and in 1999 with "World Free of Violence Against Women", and so on each year until the current. More recent themes have included, for example, "Empower Rural Women, End Poverty & Hunger" and "A Promise is a Promise - Time for Action to End Violence Against Women".

2000
By the new millennium, International Women's Day activity around the world had stalled in many countries. The world had moved on and feminism wasn't a popular topic. International Women's Day needed re-ignition. There was urgent work to do - battles had not been won and gender parity had still not been achieved.

2001
The global internationalwomensday.com digital hub for everything IWD was launched to re-energize the day as an important platform to celebrate the successful achievements of women and to continue calls for accelerating gender parity. Each year the IWD website sees vast traffic and is used by hundreds of thousands of people and organizations all over the world to learn about and share IWD activity. The IWD website is made possible each year through support from corporations committed to driving gender parity. The website's charity of choice for many years has been the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) whereby IWD fundraising is channelled. The IWD website adopts an annual theme that is globally relevant for groups and organizations. This theme, one of many around the world, provides a framework and direction for annual IWD activity and takes into account the wider agenda of both celebration as well as a broad call to action for gender parity. Recent themes have included "Make it happen", "The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum" and "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures". Themes for the global IWD website are collaboratively and consultatively identified each year and widely adopted.

2011
2011 saw the 100 year centenary of International Women's Day - with the first IWD event held exactly 100 years ago in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In the United States, President Barack Obama proclaimed March 2011 to be "Women's History Month", calling Americans to mark IWD by reflecting on "the extraordinary accomplishments of women" in shaping the country's history. The then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the "100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges". In the United Kingdom, celebrity activist Annie Lennox lead a superb march across one of London's iconic bridges raising awareness in support for global charity Women for Women International. Further charities such as Oxfam have run extensive activity supporting IWD and many celebrities and business leaders also actively support the day.

International Women's Day

2016 and beyond
The world has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation may feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so each year the world inspires women and celebrates their achievements. IWD is an official holiday in many countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.


A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more. Many global corporations actively support IWD by running their own events and campaigns. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google often changes its Google Doodle on its global search pages to honor IWD. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status.

In Asian countries especially in the Philippines, celebrating this event is becoming more relevant and getting largely known as the females are starting to step up and voice out the need to acquire equality in the world that is first known to be manipulated by males. I am a woman. I am not saying that i don't get that privilege of equality. I do, actually and i am thankful that i was born in this generation when women are given rights and opportunity to be who we are and who we want to be regardless of the diversity, religion, race or preference. We all need to haveour rights, but we should also look at every angle or situation we are in. Practicing a certain right is a powerful law. Sometimes we tend to go beyond limits all because we thought that we have the right to fight for a cause. We are now women with power and intelligence that oftentimes surpasses that of the men. That is why we should always remember the responsibility that comes with that power. It's not because we are women that we thought we are always being discriminated. Sometimes we don't see the big picture. There are situations that we have to step down and give way to men for a greater good. And sometimes we tend to use our gender to get what we want and use law as an excuse. We have to admit that oftentimes some women get manipulated and find themselves in situation in the wrong place and at the wrong time because of their own doing. Then blame the men for what happened to them. Men are not the only gender who are capable of being dark. Women as well. A lot of women participate in illegatlities and lawless acts and oftentimes other women get caught in it. So we should also be aware that if women have the right to euality and safety, so do men. 

International Women's Day

To all the women out there, bear in mind that we may have same power and intelligence with men but always bear in mind that when it comes to inner strength and intuition, they can never top that. So let us all celebrate the divinity of being a woman, of carrying the spirituality of a Goddess, of being a creature of fertility and production and being born with the courage to face life no matter what it throws at us. We are women! We are power! We are the daughter of the Goddess! Blessed Be!!!

Opposes yet steals...

This image really gave me a lot of thinking..so should you...I read bible once in a while but somehow i haven't seen anything mentioned about celebrating traditions the way christians and catholics do now. Or maybe i just missed the part where it's written there that such celebrations should be done in a way paganism does. But my doubts were doubly convinced when i read in a certain history article about a pope (i think it's Pope Gregory I) told Millitus to let other Romans who are pagans to continue their way of celebrating pagan tradition for as long as they do it for the sake of one god and in the name of Jesus. So somehow these villagers were being misled by this pope thinking that they are still doing the usual way of worshipping their gods but the truth is they were already being converted eventually without their knowledge. So i thought maybe that's why christians are celebrating pagan traditions but follow the bible which is contradicting each other. Quite confusing, right? I don't have anything against christians or other religion but it would be a lot appreciative if they keep their business to themselves and stop throwing stones at wiccans and other beliefs. To each his own i guess? I'm not saying all christians are judgmental but all that i met are the same. All they do is push their belief on you then threat you about not being saved if you don't believe in their book or their messiah. IT'S ALL THE SAME, ALL THE TIME!!! There is even a church for hippies and their god is weed and yet people in their place don't mind it. But when you see these people THEY ARE HAPPY. I'm just glad to be born (or maybe again) in this lifetime where burning and hunting of witches is no longer practiced. At least now, people who need to free themselves from being tied to a belief that they don't really want to practice but only given to them while still a child and had no choice, they now do....i just hope that the practice of wicca progress and expand down to where i live. This country and the most of us are still in that idea given to us by our ancestors. I just hope that our people embrace back our native and true religion and beliefs where we used to worship anitos (gods)respect diwatas and encantadas (fairies and nymphs) and asks for guidance from kaluluwa (souls) and espiritus (spirits). Would be like living my childhood again...so nice.