Christmas or Yule? Pagan secrets of the festive season

It's that time of year again. Behind display windows sprayed with fake snow, stores play all our Christmas favorites, endlessly, and bearded men in red suits loiter in grottoes. But as you order your tree and hang up mistletoe, have you ever wondered what any of this has got to do with Christmas?

Read my full story on the real meaning of Christmas in The Sierra Sun, published Thursday, December 15, 2011.

Hallowe'en in the Sierra Sun

Read my article on Hallowe'en in the Sierra Sun: Faith Factor: Hallowe'en then and now.

Spells for Halloween

Many people celebrate Halloween by honouring the dead, strengthening family ties, and using scrying mirrors, spells and magic to find future happiness and love.

Some of my Hallowe'en research has turned up at something called Suite101.com in an article entitled 'Spells for Halloween: Celebrate Halloween with White Magic Scrying, Spells and MagicRead'. You can read it here: http://historicalresources.suite101.com/article.cfm/spells_for_halloween

You can also find out the answer to the gripping question 'Do Mormons Celebrate Halloween?' http://mormonism.suite101.com/article.cfm/do_mormons_celebrate_halloween - The answer is 'mostly'.

Or read the original here: http://www.witchology.com/contents/october/halloween/halloweenmagicspells.php