The Bell Witch Book is a non-fiction book written by Brent Monahan. It was published in 2000 and is based on the legend of the Bell Witch, one of the most famous and enduring ghost stories in American folklore. The story behind the Bell Witch dates back to the early 19th century in Adams, Tennessee. The Bell family were already well-established in the community when strange occurrences began happening on their farm. It started with unexplained knocking sounds on the walls and furniture, but quickly escalated to physical attacks on family members. The entity responsible for these events became known as the Bell Witch.

Pagan Holidays or Sabbats

Sabbats (or Witches’ Sabbaths) are the eight festivals celebrated by Pagans, Witches and Wiccans throughout the year. There are four “Solar festivals”, which are the two Solstices and two Equinoxes that mark the Earth’s annual journey around the sun—and the four “Fire or Earth festivals,” in October, February, May and August. They are spaced roughly at even intervals throughout the annual cycle of the Earth’s seasons (the “Wheel of the Year”).

Samhain October 31st – (Pronounced sow-en or soh-wiñ). The veils between this world and the next are thinnest, making it easier to communicate with their spirits. A time to honor the dead and to celebrate those who have passed on. Celebrated by many as the old Celtic “New Year”.

Winter Solstice or Yule (Midwinter) – December 19th – December 23rd. A solar festival in celebration of the Great God or Sun God and his rebirth. The longest night and shortest day of the year.

Imbolc (Candlemas) – February 1st – February 2nd. (Pronounced im-bulg or im-bulk) This is a fire festival. The Goddess Brigid (pronounced ‘Breed’) is celebrated on Imbolc. She is a Goddess sacred to many things, but most notably fertility, poetry, healing, and fire.

Ostara (Spring or Vernal Equinox) – March 19th – March 23rd. A solar festival celebrating the return to the light, when both day and night are equal, the exact midpoint between the winter and summer solstice.

Beltane – May 1st. This is another fire festival. It that falls midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. A celebration of the coming together of male and female energies to create new life.

Summer Soilstice (Litha), or Midsummer – June 19th – June 23rd. This happens when the sun reaches it’s highest point in the sky, traditionally celebrated on June 21st.

Lammas (Lughnasadh) – August 1st – August 2nd. This is a harvest festival, celebrated with a feast.

Mabon (Autumnal Equinox) – September 20th – September 24th. Traditionally celebrated on 21st. This is a time to give thanks, feast and share. A celebration that falls midway between the summer and winter solstices when once again both day and night are equal.

Religious Holiday Calendar

University Life provides this information to support your scheduling so that you are aware of the major upcoming religious holidays that Mason students may recognize.

Fall 2023

*Holy days start at sundown on evening preceding first day and end at sundown or nightfall of concluding date.
Islamic dates are based on criteria adopted by the Figh Council of North America (FCNA).
Please note that certain days each week are not good times to schedule meetings for some groups. For example, Friday nights and Saturdays for observant Jews and Friday nights for observant Muslims.

Spring 2024

*Holy days start at sundown on evening preceding first day and end at sundown or nightfall of concluding date.
Islamic dates are based on criteria adopted by the Figh Council of North America (FCNA).
Please note that certain days each week are not good times to schedule meetings for some groups. For example, Friday nights and Saturdays for observant Jews and Friday nights for observant Muslims.

Summer 2024

*Holy days start at sundown on evening preceding first day and end at sundown or nightfall of concluding date.
Islamic dates are based on criteria adopted by the Figh Council of North America (FCNA).
Please note that certain days each week are not good times to schedule meetings for some groups. For example, Friday nights and Saturdays for observant Jews and Friday nights for observant Muslims.

I Celebrate Pagan Holidays, And Here's Why You Should Too

I have been honoring Pagan holidays for years. Even in my childhood, my family indirectly celebrated them. My dad is a huge history buff, so we would make merry for the equinoxes and solstices, and he would tell us stories about days like May Day (a.k.a. Beltane). My mom would make us seasonal treats, we were all often barefoot, and my parents taught us that the mountains and the forest can be our “church.” They were the ones who taught me about the spiritual value of the Earth, and we were always very aware of the wheel of the seasons, and celebrated those natural cycles.

That all seemed ordinary to me. Even on traditional holidays such as Halloween (Samhain) and Christmas (Yule/Saturnalia), my family would gather and learn and discuss their Pagan roots on top of “normal” festive activities. In school, I would shock classmates by bringing up facts like how the Maypole (which was danced around at our school May Day festival every year) was originally part of Pagan fertility ceremonies and was a phallic symbol. As I’ve gotten older, I have continued to honor the seasons, the Earth, and the Pagan roots of holidays.

There are so many reasons why I have continued this, but the bottom line to every reason is that the Earth is sacred to me, and it seems the greatest crime in the world to abuse her or ignore her. Pagan holidays help me to not only honor her, but to also connect with her and therefore center myself.

As someone who identifies religiously as agnostic, people are often shocked to learn that I observe Pagan holidays. While I understand the confusion, I think it’s really important to note that agnosticism doesn’t mean “a lack” of anything—including beliefs. That is a Christian-centric idea, and implies that anyone who isn’t a part of an organized religion is less whole or missing something. That’s not the case at all, and not what agnosticism means or stands for. As an agnostic, I believe that no human being can know all the secrets of the universe, including what happens after we die; so I do not believe that any organized religion has it all right or even any of it right. That said, I do believe that religions (specifically religions that are considered to be more of a philosophy) have many correct and accurate pieces within them. For example, Buddhism teaches “do no harm,” the importance of recognizing interconnectedness, and how to connect with our inner being through meditation—all things I apply to my daily and spiritual life. Does that mean I am a Buddhist? No. It means that I practice big pieces of Buddhism. It’s the same with Paganism. I am not a Pagan, but I hold many Pagan beliefs such as the sacredness of nature and the importance of connecting with it. My religion is to be kind, to do no harm, to soak up life, and to honor and love the Earth.

When you love someone you celebrate them, right? You celebrate their birthdays. You celebrate holidays that honor their title of mother or father or valentine. You are aware of their seasons, or how old they are and their history. We should all love our Earth. She is our mother, and she nourishes, shields, houses, and provides. Every other animal understands that in a sense. They are aware of their habitat, and they understand its patterns. Humans have become so far removed from nature. Pagan holidays ground me in an awareness of my Earth and the natural world around me. They remind me of my roots, and the fact that I’m essentially an earthling. I’m a wild, moon-guided thing, and while I can pretend to be something else with screens and phone notifications, I’d just rather not. I’d rather be true to who and what I actually am, and acknowledge the fact that I belong to the Earth every day. On these holidays, I get to make a bigger deal of all of that, and therefore connect on a deeper level with these ideas.

There is no wrong way to celebrate Pagan holidays, as long as no harm to other beings or the planet is being done. It’s important to keep in mind what it is that you’re celebrating. For example, Lughnasadh (August 1st) celebrates the first day of the harvest, and is an ancient nod to wheat and abundance. Popular ways to celebrate this holiday or seasonal marker include baking bread, going earthing (walking barefoot on the natural ground), having a sun ceremony (which can be done in many ways, including doing yoga at dawn in the sun or solar witchcraft), braiding wheat or decorating with it, decorating with citrine and sunflowers, picking poppies or gathering marigolds, eating mushrooms, picking berries, and journaling about what you’re currently harvesting in your life (basically a gratitude list). I also like to write down what I hope to harvest someday, and what I need to plant (or do) in order to someday reap that. I do some fire witchcraft (which, if you’re new to that idea, can even just mean watching the flames and meditating), watch the sun rise and set, do a water ceremony in the river near my house during the golden hour (a perfect time to go earthing too on this day), wear golden colors, and eat rosemary and agave with the baked bread. All of these things nod to what this holiday represents: an abundant time of the year, and a time to harvest and enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to grow. Keep in mind the roots of the holiday and celebrate in a way that helps you feel in touch with it. It won’t look the same for everyone, and that’s okay.

These ideas of connecting with the Earth and honoring our place within her do not have to be reserved for these holidays (nor should they). I observe these ideas daily, and incorporate various meditative practices into my mornings and evenings. Sometimes doing something physical is a stirring way to connect or fully come to terms with something ideological or symbolic. That’s why ceremonies can be so validating and clarifying. I feel really strongly that if everyone sought to honor these observances, even just by acknowledging what time of the year they occur in, people would grow closer to the natural world and to themselves. They would grow a stronger appreciation for the seasons and their own harvests of sorts. I have no doubt that these holidays and celebrations have helped me to grow spiritually closer to the Earth, because they are not about stringent rituals. They’re about the fact that we are lucky enough to live on a planet that has beautiful life cycles—cycles that match our own. Knowing that grounds us and reminds us that we aren’t alone.

Photo: Aron Visuals via Unsplash; Katherine Hanlon via Unsplash; Miriam Espacio via Unsplash

The entity responsible for these events became known as the Bell Witch. Monahan's book delves into the history of the Bell Witch haunting and attempts to separate fact from fiction. He meticulously researches primary sources, including eyewitness accounts, letters, and journal entries, to reconstruct the events and provide an in-depth analysis.

The Bell Witch Book takes readers on a journey through the various theories and explanations offered over the years to explain the phenomena. It explores the possibility of an elaborate hoax, poltergeist activity, psychological phenomena, and even supernatural entities. Monahan examines the different perspectives and interpretations of the events, shedding light on the multiple layers of the Bell Witch legend. One of the strengths of Monahan's book is his ability to bring the characters to life. He presents the Bell family and other key figures involved in the haunting as real people with complex emotions, fears, and motivations. This helps to create a connection between the reader and the historical events, making the story all the more compelling. The Bell Witch Book is a captivating and well-researched exploration of the Bell Witch legend. It provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the events, their historical context, and the impact they had on the community. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, this book offers an intriguing glimpse into one of America's oldest and most haunting ghost stories..

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