Pagan holidays in July are based on ancient traditions and celebrate the ongoing cycles of nature. **The main theme of these holidays is the abundance of summer**, with an emphasis on fertility, growth, and harvest. In many pagan traditions, July is seen as a time of peak energy and power, as the sun shines brightly and nature is in full bloom. These holidays are often characterized by outdoor rituals, feasting, and connection to the natural world. One of the most well-known pagan holidays in July is **Litha**, also known as Midsummer or the Summer Solstice. It typically falls around June 20th or 21st and marks the longest day of the year.
Aren’t You Supposed to Take Care of Pets?
The Petz franchise from Ubisoft has seen a number of changes since it s first release in 1995 including the number of types of pets you were able to take care of. This was my was one of my first handheld games I think it was the first , and for some reason I decided to dig it out again after a couple years of not touching it.
It typically falls around June 20th or 21st and marks the longest day of the year. **Litha celebrates the height of the sun's power and is associated with fire, light, and warmth**. It is a time to honor the sun and its life-giving energy, as well as to celebrate the abundance of the Earth.
Petz Fantasy Moonlight Magic & Petz Fantasy Sunshine Magic Review
The Petz franchise from Ubisoft has seen a number of changes since it’s first release in 1995 including the number of types of pets you were able to take care of. Now, for the the first time, you’ll be able to take care of creatures not of this world thanks to the release of Petz Fantasy: Moonlight Magic and Petz Fantasy: Sunshine Magic for the DS.
Aren’t You Supposed to Take Care of Pets?
The Petz series has for most of its run been about taking care of virtual pets and learning the responsibility that goes along with it. Sure you need to feed your pet, wash your pet and play with your pet in these games, but it’s only to fill a meter that will let you go to Magic World and play a mini game. That’s it. There’s no real reason to play with your pet or feed your pet other than to fill the meter.
Even though all of these pets are fantastical creatures you would still think they would like to do things like take walks, or play with other pets, but you don’t get any of that in the game. You are simply doing something with them to fill up a meter so you can unlock a new pet. There’s no real care involved at all.
There are plenty of pets to take care of as both games have 20 exclusive pets. Many of them are very cute and I’d like to own one in real life, especially if I only need to play with each of them for about 15 minutes before moving on to the next.
Boring, Repetitive Mini-Games
There are three different things you’ll be doing for most of your time raising your pets. To wash them you pick one of a number of different spraying implements and use the touch screen to point them at your pet. Thare are things ranging from garden hoses with metal sprayers, to open ended hoses or metal pipes and spray guns. All of these accomplish the task they were designed to do, but the only difference being your pet prefers one or two of those to all others and those preferred items will fill the meter a little bit more.
To feed your pet you’ll pick a food and then use the touch screen to fill in an outline of that food. If you go outside the borders of the food you’re penalized with a few seconds removed from your time. The more you fill in the food the more points you get and the more of your meter is filled in. If you find the preferred food of your various pets then you will fill the meter up a little bit more. If you choose a food your pet doesn’t like then you’ll have to choose another and repeat the process.
Playing with your pet is the most disappointing of all the mini-games. There are nearly two dozen different toys that can be unlocked throughout the game. You would think you would play with these toys in different ways and your pet would interact in different ways. You’d be wrong. To play with your pet you pick a toy. The pet transforms into a basket and you flick the toy at the pet trying to get it into the pet’s now round belly. The more toys you successfully do this with the more points you get and the more the meter fills in. It would have been a lot more fun if you had the chance to play music by ringing the handbell or playing fetch with your pet using the tennis ball, but each toy merely works in the exact same way.
Once you’ve filled up all three of those meters you can go to Magic World where you can play a mini-game in an attempt to unlock a new pet. This mini-game will be of a small variety of things. For example you’ll be running through a long hollowed out log using the stylus to move around in a circular fashion collecting stars. The faster you finish the more stars and points you get. The other main type has you controlling the pet at the bottom and using the stylus to flick shots of water or fire from the pets mouth up at things like clouds floating in the air and destroying them for stars. The better you do, the more points you get. If you finish with enough points to unlock a new pet then you can start the whole process over.
Lots of things to Unlock
For all that there is bad about the game, there’s also a lot that will have younger gamers repeating all of these games with all the different pets. There are more than 20 pets in each version of the game. Collecting stars in the mini-games will unlock new costumes for you to dress your pets up in. So for anyone that wants to unlock everything there is plenty of replay value. The problem is you’ll very quickly get bored by having to play the same 3 mini-games over and over again.
Conclusion
The Petz franchise could have been a solid franchise that could rival Nintendogs in popularity. They have more types of animals that can be interacted with, most of which would never appear in other games like this. It could have done a lot to teach the value of taking care of your virtual pet that could have translated into the real world with a real animal. Instead what we get is a boring, repetitive game that doesn’t do anything to teach responsibility to younger players.
Final Score: 1/5 Terrible
Review copies of the game provided by Ubisoft.
Unlocked more than a dozen pets in each version of the game.
Total Play Time: 6 hours ( over both games)
Another pagan holiday in July is **Lammas**, which is celebrated around August 1st. **Lammas is the first harvest festival of the year** and marks the halfway point between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. It is a time to gather the first fruits of the harvest, give thanks for the abundance of the Earth, and prepare for the coming autumn and winter seasons. Additionally, **July is also a time for honoring and connecting with the element of water**. Many pagan traditions view water as a symbol of emotion, intuition, and healing. **Some pagans celebrate the holiday of Tisiphone in July**, which is dedicated to the water element and the energy of flowing, cleansing, and healing. This holiday often involves rituals near bodies of water, such as rivers or lakes, and may include activities like swimming or boat rides. Overall, **pagan holidays in July are a celebration of the vibrant energy and abundance of the summer season**. They highlight the importance of connecting with nature, honoring the cycles of the Earth, and expressing gratitude for the bountiful gifts provided by the natural world. These holidays provide an opportunity to deepen our connection to the Earth and celebrate the inherent magic and beauty of the natural world..
Reviews for "Animal Symbolism in July Pagan Traditions"
1. John - 2/5 stars - "I was really disappointed with 'Pagan holidays in July'. I expected a deep exploration of pagan traditions and their significance during the month of July. However, the book merely provided a surface-level overview of a few pagan holidays with minimal detail or analysis. It lacked depth and left me wanting more substantial information. Overall, I found it to be quite underwhelming."
2. Sarah - 3/5 stars - "While I appreciate the effort put into 'Pagan holidays in July', I found it to be lacking in organization and structure. The book seemed to jump from one topic to another without proper transition or explanation. It made it hard for me to follow and fully grasp the information being presented. Additionally, I felt that some of the holidays were merely mentioned in passing, and I would have liked more in-depth coverage. It had the potential to be a great resource, but unfortunately fell short in execution."
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - "I was excited to dive into 'Pagan holidays in July' as I have always been curious about pagan traditions. However, I was left feeling unsatisfied with the content of this book. It lacked the historical context and cultural insights that I was hoping for. The descriptions of the holidays were brief and superficial, and I didn't gain a deeper understanding of the significance behind them. Overall, I found it to be a missed opportunity to educate and engage readers about pagan holidays in July."
4. Thomas - 1/5 stars - "I found 'Pagan holidays in July' to be misleading and misleadingly titled. The book barely scratched the surface of pagan holidays and didn't focus specifically on July as the title suggests. Instead, it provided a general overview of pagan celebrations throughout the year, with minimal information about July specifically. It left me feeling cheated and dissatisfied, as I was expecting a more detailed exploration of pagan rituals during that month. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking specific information about pagan holidays in July."