Hail, and welcome!
Rise of the Pagans is an informational website serving the Pagan community. The website’s mission is to share information about Paganism and the Pagan holidays with other community members and with the general public. The website includes links to resources that informed the book and where interested readers can go to learn more. (Each post on this website and any linked site represents the views of its contributing author only. Opinions vary within the community, and no one person may claim to speak for all Pagans.)
Pagan Calendar
This website also features a calendar of celestial events with a special focus on Pagan holidays.
The Novel
Rise of the Pagans is also a novel celebrating the emergence of the Pagan lifestyle as a renewed spiritual path in modern society. Written in a modernist style by Pacific Northwest author Jesse Smith, the story follows a new convert to Paganism as he gets acquainted with members of the local spiritual community and begins attending the group’s holiday festivals. The spicy dialogue between the characters delves into the history, philosophy, and practice of modern Paganism. The discourses delve into a detailed overview of the Pagan holidays (Sabbats), and the Pagan origins of the names of the months and days of our society’s modern calendar.
Naming conventions
For the purpose of this website, a number of conventions have been adopted from the book. These include simplified spellings for the names of the Pagan holidays; as well as a creative overhaul of the calendar, which we hope you’ll enjoy.
For example, the names of the Sabbats are adapted as follows:
| Traditional | Convention |
|---|---|
| Summer Solstice | Litha |
| Lughnasadh (or Lammas) | Lunasa (or Lammas) |
| Fall Equinox | Mabon |
| Samhain | Sowan |
| Winter Solstice (Christmas) | Yule |
| Imbolc | Immolc |
| Eostar (Easter) | Ostara |
| Beltaine | Beltane |
These conventions are only meant to simplify life for the reader. If you prefer the traditional name or spelling, then please use the variant that makes you happy, whenever you make reference to the Pagan holidays in your writings and conversation. We hope you will make such reference openly and often!
Blessed be.