The ash is associated with prophetic dreams and spiritual journeys. Richard Osbourne / Photographer's Choice / Getty Images The Celtic Tree Calendar is a calendar with thirteen lunar divisions. Most contemporary Pagans use fixed dates for each "month," rather than following the waxing and waning lunar cycle. If this was done, eventually the calendar would fall out of sync with the Gregorian year, because some calendar years have 12 full moons and others have 13. The modern tr

Wikimedia Commons Lupercalia is one of the most ancient of the Roman holidays (one of the feriae listed on ancient calendars from even before the time Julius Caesar reformed the calendar). It is familiar to us today for two main reasons: It is associated with Valentine's Day. It is the setting for Caesar's refusal of the crown that was made immortal by Shakespeare, in his ​Julius Caesar. This is important in two ways: the association of Julius Caesar and the Lupercalia gives

Valentine's Day has its roots in an early Roman festival. Photo Credit: Luis Diaz Devesa/Moment/Getty Images When Valentine's Day looms on the horizon, many people start thinking about love. Did you know that the modern Valentine's Day, although named for a martyred saint, actually has its roots in an early Pagan custom? Let's take a look at how Valentine's Day evolved from a Roman festival into the marketing behemoth that it is today. Lupercalia's Love Lottery February is a

The Romans honored their dead at the Parentalia. Muammer Mujdat Uzel / E+ / Getty Images The ancient Romans had a festival for just about everything, and honoring your family’s dead was no exception. The Parentalia festival was celebrated each year for a week, beginning on February 13. Originating in Etruscan practice, the celebration included private rituals held in the home to honor the ancestors, followed by a public festival. The Parentalia was, unlike many other Roman ce