The South East Pagan Initiative

Tonight is The Full Snow Moon so called because the last snows and frosts of winter will begin to appear around this time. The February Full Moon is also known as the Storm, Chaste, Quickening or Hunger Moon. It is our wake up call. During this time, all in nature is pure and full of potential. The hibernating creatures are beginning to slowly arouse themselves, quickening their heartbeats and creeping out of their dormant period. Mother Earth is gently awakening full of new possibilities. The Snow Moon uses the same force upon us.

This Moon we will be feeling ultra-sensitive and emotional. We may find ourselves feeling strong emotions we don't even understand, happy and laughing one minute, teary and sad the next, we may experience weird and vivid dreams. Don't worry this will quickly pass.

There is a gentle pulling upon our consciousness at this time, we become aroused to the latent forces within ourselves, now is the time to turn the mirror in upon ourselves and see what is reflected. A time to grasp the buds of new paths and ideas and like nature, be prepared to welcome life anew.

February's Full Moon is in Leo, this is the sign of ambition, truth and work, you should feel a rush of energy and want to get things done. The Leo Full Moon message is awaken to your heart’s desires and act on your truth, figure out what it really is you want from life, then work out a bold plan to achieve it.

This Full Moon can be emotionally charged. Leo is larger than life. Leo rules big emotions. You may feel overly sensitive to the remarks and actions of other people. The Leo Full Moon may feel pretty intense. If you like things intense, you may well enjoy its spark and energy, but if you’re already feeling somewhat jaded and in need of a rest, it might be a good time to lay low and let the world pass you by for a little while rather than engaging too deeply with it!

The Full Moon will be very bright tonight as it highlights our lives and shows us underneath the masks we all wear on a daily basis. This is a time to harness your inner power and your strengths and look to the future, make plans, and be brave in your decisions. The cosmic message is to balance your heart with your head. Find the middle ground in your relationships. Live from your heart, yet, be practical in your approach to your dreams and goals. Plant the seeds of fate within ourselves and watch them develop over the coming months.

The best part of Leo is the inner child. You are to nourish and protect your childlike innocence. You are to be open to new ideas and fresh perspectives. Be curious about life. Be engaged in the magic of the moment. Be in your heart. Let go of the need to criticize and judge yourself and others, this will kill your creativity, instead allow yourself and others to make mistakes, it is the only way we learn what works and what does not work for us. There’s a sense of free spirited enjoyment, a faith in happy outcomes and the ability to speak from love and the heart.

The Moon is plump with positive energy. There are no negative aspects to this Moon. This is a celebration Moon. Rewards for the hard work and intense striving will come to you. Leo is a fire sign, Let the fire cleanse and heal you, let the moonlight take away any negativity. Mother earth is transforming right now as we move from Winter into Spring and will soon start to blossom and bloom. Let the earth transform you into a beautiful new direction full of potential. This is a time for personal growth and deep cleansing and gathering our strength for what's to come.

Have a blessed Full Moon, May the Goddess watch over you.

Today is Imbolc pronounced 'im'olk this is the first of 8 Pagan holidays throughout the year called Sabbats. Imbolc comes from the old Irish name Imbolg which means 'in the belly', meaning sowing the first seeds into the earth. Imbolc is a time to acknowledge the First Spark of Spring, the embedded energies that have been sleeping over the winter. The seeds that are underground acknowledge the returning energy and will begin to convert it to life deep within. Underground and unseen by man they will start to make their way to the surface and break through the soil and begin to bud. Even though it is still the dead of winter and feels like winter in most places, the Sun's energy has been returning ever since the Winter Solstice (longest night of the year, Yule)

On Imbolc we celebrate the first days of Spring, snowdrops and crocuses begin to appear, things become very spring-like with daffodils, daisies and hyacinths coming early. Animals begin to wake from their winter hibernation. Nights get shorter and days will get longer and it will start to get warmer as winter snow and frost begin to thaw.

We celebrate the rebirth of the Goddess on Imbolc after she sacrificed herself on Yule to give birth to the Sun God. Both the God and Goddess are young, the triple Goddess is in her maiden form and gains strength from the earth, while the Sun God will grow in strength over the coming months.

Imbolc is a Celtic fire festival, where in ancient times most towns and villages would build a ceremonial bonfire. The Goddess Brigid, the Goddess of fire, healing and fertility is worshipped on this day. The lighting of fires celebrated the increasing power of the Sun. The Goddess Brigid was so much loved by the Celts that when the Christians were converting Pagans they could not change the holiday of Imbolc so the holiday was reformed and renamed to 'Candlemas' when candles are lit to remember the purification of the Virgin Mary, and they changed the Goddess Brigid into Saint Brigid.

Imbolc is a fire festival it is the ending of Winter and the beginning of Spring. To celebrate Imbolc, light a fire, it may only be a very small one and make wishes for the coming year into the flames. Burn any leftover evergreens that were decorating your home at Yule. Clean your homes of clutter that was gathered over the Yuletide and get rid of the old and bring in the new. Plant seeds for them to bloom in the Spring and Summer. Use a sage smudge stick to cleanse your home of stale or unwanted negative energies.

It is customary to make a Corn Dolly on Imbolc, this represents the Goddess, who will watch over you and your home throughout Spring and Summer. It is also traditional to make a Brigid Cross or Sun Cross on Imbolc, this is a cross woven traditionally from reeds but can be made with anything such as wheat, straw or paper and put them around your home to bring luck and protection for the coming year. Fill your alter with lit white candles and leave them to carefully burn through the day. Add any blooming flowers such as snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils or daisies and anything yellow, orange, gold or silver to honour the Sun God.

Imbolc is a time of contemplation, to think about the year that has past and the mistakes or successes we have had and what we have learned from them to help us achieve our goals, dreams and ambitions for the coming year. As well as planting seeds to grow in the earth also plant seeds and ideas in your mind to grow and blossom over the coming months.

Have a blessed Imbolc, May the God and Goddess watch over you.

Every pagan path is valid! We stand for acceptance, not hatred or bigotry

What he said!

May the fire burn strong and may the returning sun bring brighter days. Blessed Solstice everyone!

The longest night of the year has arrived!

Yule starts tomorrow! Are you ready?

It's about that time again! How do you plan on celebrating Yule this year?

Blessed Samhain!

But... what exactly is Samhain?

Samhain (pronounced Saw-whin) is an old Gaelic word, translating to something like "Summer's end." This is somewhat celebrated as the Pagan/Celtic new year.

Most traditions use this day as a celebration and remembrance for our ancestors and those who have passed away. The veil between the land of the living and the land of the dead is at its thinnest, so many practitioners use this time to communicate with their ancestors.

A common practice for this holiday is to leave an open chair at the dinner table, and to prepare a plate so that the ancestors and spirits who pass through feel welcomed and honored. Another old tradition is to leave a candle in the window to help guide lost spirits on their path.

This is a very somber holiday, but a very important one nonetheless. So whether you celebrate or not, enjoy the fall breeze and keep your loved ones close in mind.

Happy Indigenous Peoples day!

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day!

🎨 Eloy Bida, “Life Cycle”
🪶🪶🪶

What's your plans for the weekend?

Blessed autumn everyone!

Blessed be ❤❤

On this year's Earth Day, give back to our beloved planet. Be it something as small as a verbal blessing or as huge as planting the next generation of redwood trees.

It goes without saying that hatred has no place in the Pagan religions, or any of its community. The events that transpired yesterday involving the United States Capitol will go down in history.

As we're all sure many of you saw, a man draped in Nordic style memorabilia and tattoos was among them. This man has no place in our community, and we would like to publicly state where we stand.

This group stands for the morals and ideals of Declaration 127. Hatred has no home within our religion and cultures, however it has a tendency to slither in and invade almost anything.

Please note that anyone spouting hatred in the name of any God, in the name of any religion, organization (such as the Asatru Folkist Assembly), in the name of whatever ideals or beliefs they hold, are not welcome in our faith.

They are outcasts.

We'd like to close this statement off with an excerpt from Declaration 127, not only distancing ourselves from a hateful group, but formally standing against hate as a whole.

"The AFA’s views do not represent our communities. We hereby declare that we do not condone hatred or discrimination carried out in the name of our religion, and will no longer associate with those who do. We will not grant the tacit approval of silence in the name of frið, to those who would use our traditions to justify prejudice on the basis of race, nationality, orientation, or gender identity.

The AFA is free to stand for whatever principles it sees fit.

They are free to stand alone."

Thank you.

Blessed be ✨

With Yule beginning today, we here at The South East Pagan Initiative will be celebrating at home with our families and with our practice. What will you be doing to celebrate this year?

Blessed Samhain 🧡

As far as our general radio silence goes, like many other people all around the world, we have been drastically affected by Covid-19. Life gets rough for everybody. We may be spotty for a while, but we're always here. Expect more out of us in the near future. Blessed be ❤🌒🌕🌘

People say that, for one reason or another, we Pagans should prefer to remain invisible - as we have for hundreds of years. We disagree. Pagans, regardless of faith or path, should absolutely be out and proud of their faith, and we are free to do just that. And this group exists to help eliminate the hatred, the bigotry, and all around negativity that falls upon our every move. We are love. We are light. We are one.

Blessed be ❤️

I’m so excited! ♥️

Blessed Beltane, friends! We hope all are safe and we'll in this time

The legend of the Faerie Star

Faith and Values: Religion is supposed to bind us together; don’t use it to cast others out Last Monday, I received an advocacy alert from a faith-based group. It was deeply concerned that the Trump administration is again willing to use “religious liberty” as a code term to discriminate against LGBTQ persons who seek social services from faith-based agencies.