Wicca is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion

Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it.

Wicca often involves the ritual practice of magic, though it is not always necessary

Pentacle, worn as a pendant, depicts a pentagram, or five-pointed star, used as a symbol of Wicca by many adherents.

Beliefs in Wicca range from hard polytheism to even monotheism.

Wicca is typically duotheistic, worshipping a god and goddess traditionally viewed as a mother goddess and horned god.

The term Wicca first achieved widespread acceptance when referring to the religion in the 1960s and 70s

Application of the word Wicca has given rise to "a great deal of disagreement and infighting".

The Goddess and the God may be regarded as the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine

The God and Goddess are generally seen as lovers and equals, the Divine Couple who together co-create the cosmos.

Traditionally the God is viewed as a Horned God, associated with nature, wilderness, sexuality, hunting and the life cycle

The Horned God is given various names according to the tradition, and these include Cernunnos, Pan, Atho and Karnayna.

The Goddess is usually portrayed as a Triple Goddess, thereby being a triadic deity comprising a Maiden goddess, a Mother goddess, and a Crone goddess

Some Wiccans, particularly from the 1970s onwards, have viewed the Goddess as the more important of the two deities, who is pre-eminent in that she contains and conceives all. In this respect, the God is viewed as the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child.

Showing posts with label christmas traditions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas traditions. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Advent Wreath Prayers

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Advent Wreath Prayers
Our Advent Wreath tradition is to turn the light off and light the candle(s) on the wreath and then say the Advent prayer for that week. Then we sing a Christmas song of the children's choice. Then one child gets to blow out the candle. Aren't these candles beautiful (and they smell wonderful too). I admired them here last year and just had to give the Mount Angel Abbey bookstore a call this year to get some. They are handmade by a monk and the Abbey bookstore was kind enough to have one of the monks bless them for me before they mailed them to me.

Our evenings in Advent begin after dinner with the Jesse Tree reading and ornament, followed by the lighting of the Advent Wreath and prayer and Christmas song, and then the children get to open their chocolate Advent calendars as a final treat each evening.
Here are some Advent Wreath prayers to choose from:
I particularly like this set of prayers from St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, but here are some other prayers for the Advent Wreath:

more traditional

shorter (look under the alternate prayer for each week for the shorter version)

longer and more modern

On the First Sunday of Advent, the head of the household can say this blessing of the Advent Wreath

"O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from Thee abundant graces. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
(from catholicculture.org)
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