Yvonne Aburrow's Blog, page 25

Census results for Paganism in Canada

The breakdown of the is frustrating because it does not show Heathens, Druids, or polytheists; and the Pagan category includes Wicca. So it’s hard to compare with the UK data.

Indigenous spirituality … 29,820

Pagan (including Wicca)… 21,085

I’m disappointed that they didn’t list Heathens, Druids, and polytheists.

Other occult traditions

Unity / New Thought / Pantheist … 4,000
New Age … 1,525
Gnostic … 1,165
Satanist … 850

Nature-based religions from ot...

Census results for Paganism in England and Wales

I always have a look at the census results whenever they’re published, and the articles never report the Pagan numbers properly as they only look at people who write “Pagan” or “Wicca” (they never think to include Druidry and Heathenry in the total). So I always go to the detailed spreadsheets and make my own list.

Here it is:

England and Wales census results 2021Pagan and Pagan-adjacent

Animism …. 798
Druid …. 2489
Heathen ….4722
Pagan …. 73737
Shamanism …. 7889
Wicca …. 12819
Witch...

Trans Day of Remembrance 2022

So many brief candles,
So many deaths to mourn,
So many names upon our lips,
Each year a litany of names.

Their unique and perfect beauty
Crafted once by time and circumstance
Snuffed out too soon
Calling out for justice.

Write their names among the stars
Write their names on the wind
Etch the loss into the stones
Until the world changes.

People who menstruate

“People who menstruate” includes cis women, trans men and nonbinary people who menstruate.

It also correctly excludes post-menopausal people, and trans women, neither of whom menstruate.

It’s only used in the context of people menstruating, not as a general term to designate all women (same applies to “pregnant people”).

And the phrase “all women” includes trans women, who do not menstruate.

I’m nonbinary and have menstruated (not any more as I’m post-menopausal), so I’m include...

Monarch butterflies

In Mexico, Monarch butterflies are associated with the Day of the Dead, because that’s when they arrive back there after their long migration from Canada. The Day of the Dead is on the same day as Samhain and Hallowe’en and comes from the same roots.

The monarch butterflies return to Canada around Beltane, which is opposite Samhain on the Wheel of the Year. Beltane is a festival of Spring, life, love, and rebirth.

So it seems appropriate that the milkweed, the monarch butterflies’ only...

Samhain and Halloween

A short history of Halloween, Día de los Muertos, Samhain, and other festivals at this time of year, including the Queer history of Halloween, the origins of trick or treat, and an exploration of other Hallowstide customs.

Happy Hallowstide to all my readers!

Books I read in October 2022

Cultish, the language of fanaticism, Amanda Montell

I reviewed this in a separate post. It’s a harrowing but useful read. I definitely recommend it to anyone who leads a group or who gets sucked into groups with a strong “us versus them” vibe.

Witch Wood, John Buchan

As with all Buchan’s books, beautiful and compelling writing.

It’s the early 1600s and the time of the Covenanters in Scotland. In the wood of Melanudrigill, a coven meets on Beltane, Midsummer, and ...

Review: Cultish

This book is an excellent overview of the languages of cults, and what attracts people to them. One of the most significant aspects of cults is the …

Review: Cultish

I’ve reviewed this book over at my Changing Paths site, which is a resources site for my forthcoming book, Changing Paths, which will be published in 2023 by 1000 Volt Press. Do give me a follow on there to get news and updates of the book.

Books I read in September 2022

Giants and gods, saints and heroes. Djinns and dragons. Loss and exile from one’s homeland.

Storyland

A fascinating and place-focused retelling of some of the oldest British stories: gods and giants, heroes and saints. Not really folklore as these were never (or rarely) orally transmitted; these were literary tales concocted by people who wanted to link the origins of the British people to classical mythology.

The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye

I decided to reread this ...

Seasonal markers

Crow at @marget.inglis_witchcraft asks, what are the markers of the turning of the seasons for you. Not public holidays or specific festivals, high days & holy days, but those moments when you notice a change every year.

Here are mine four our house and garden in southern Ontario:

Crickets and cicadas
asters and goldenrods flower
last Kayak trip
fruit and veg ripening
when the geese start migrating south in V formations
when I see the first leaf turning orange or red
first snowfall o...