Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
When I look back at the histories of the holidays of the pagan Wheel of the Year, I see a strong history of subversion against local and state governments- a history we can draw on for our own modern day tactics. Here’s just a little dip into what the defiant histories of these holidays advise:
Practice Communal Protection through House Visits, Charity and Ritual
The holidays of the Wheel of the Year are replete with folk magic and giving-based practices that kept the community protected and cared for. On holidays such as Yule, Samhain, and May Day, many people practiced house visits that included songs and performances that collected money for the poor or for communal institutions like schools.
Hide Our Sacred Ideals in Plain Sight: Pagan cultures who were compelled to convert to Christianity took their deities with them, turning them into saints. Some of these are better known, such as St. Brigid of Ireland- who evolved from the deity Bríg- or Saint Modrun of Wales, who has connections to the Welsh mother deity Modron. Some of our most resilient traditions and beliefs can survive through storytelling and syncretism, when other means aren’t available to us.
Publicly Critique Those in Power
Some of the holidays have a history of openly deriding those in power- Midsummer Scandinavian revels in the 16th century included songs and dances that satirized the current leaders and the vices that had been committed in the community. And since the late 19th century, the holiday of Bealtaine has also been celebrated at International Workers Day!
If you’re resonating with these histories, now is a good time to take my upcoming course Singing the Wheel of the Year. This class isn’t just a two-month burst of singing and learning-based pleasure (though it definitely will be that), it’s also a resource to last you and your community years to come. WE START NEXT WEEK!
Get all the info you need by going to sarosings . c o m, scrolling down and clicking on the link!
When I look back at the histories of the holidays of the pagan Wheel of the Year, I see a strong history of subversion against local and state governments- a history we can draw on for our own modern day tactics. Here’s just a little dip into what the defiant histories of these holidays advise:
Practice Communal Protection through House Visits, Charity and Ritual
The holidays of the Wheel of the Year are replete with folk magic and giving-based practices that kept the community protected and cared for. On holidays such as Yule, Samhain, and May Day, many people practiced house visits that included songs and performances that collected money for the poor or for communal institutions like schools.
Hide Our Sacred Ideals in Plain Sight: Pagan cultures who were compelled to convert to Christianity took their deities with them, turning them into saints. Some of these are better known, such as St. Brigid of Ireland- who evolved from the deity Bríg- or Saint Modrun of Wales, who has connections to the Welsh mother deity Modron. Some of our most resilient traditions and beliefs can survive through storytelling and syncretism, when other means aren’t available to us.
Publicly Critique Those in Power
Some of the holidays have a history of openly deriding those in power- Midsummer Scandinavian revels in the 16th century included songs and dances that satirized the current leaders and the vices that had been committed in the community. And since the late 19th century, the holiday of Bealtaine has also been celebrated at International Workers Day!
If you’re resonating with these histories, now is a good time to take my upcoming course Singing the Wheel of the Year. This class isn’t just a two-month burst of singing and learning-based pleasure (though it definitely will be that), it’s also a resource to last you and your community years to come. WE START NEXT WEEK!
Get all the info you need by going to sarosings . c o m, scrolling down and clicking on the link!
