Solstice

What I Know Before beginning the research process, my knowledge on witchcraft, Wicca, and Paganism was very limited. I gathered that witchcraft is part of Wicca and that Wicca is part of Paganism. I had no knowledge on witchcraft at all. I struggled to separate fact from fiction regarding the practice of witchcraft. I was familiar with caricatures and fictional portrayals of witches and wizards like Hocus Pocus and Harry Potter, but I knew not to rely on those inaccurate representations of the…

Wicca is the second-fastest-growing religion in the United States with the first being Islam. When we here Wicca we usually think of straight up black magic but there is much more to Wicca then magic. Wicca means “wise ones” or “to bend or shape”. Wicca is a predominantly Western movement whose followers practice witchcraft and nature worship. The people involved in Wicca see themselves as a religion of pre-Christian traditions of Northern and Western Europe. The origins of the ancient Wicca…

I I have to say, I went for this one unprepared. I was going to Brazil for summer break and my mom wanted a mother/daughter bonding trip. Unfortunately, it was less than a week after my finals and I didn't have time to read a single guide, just some general stuff I found on the internet. And I'm usually the kind of person who buys 3 different guides, reads them all and plans every second of the trip. Not that I follow my own plans that often, but I do enjoy the planning and the security that…

Face it, the night before the world was to end, we all sat up and wondered what was to happen to the human race or to the planet that we depended on. Everyone had a gut wrenching feeling that the next morning upon awakening something would be different; yet, we awoke only to find everything the way we had left it. For years I have wondered what will happen the day the world ceases to exist. So, I have set out to gather information on exactly that topic: What will happen the day the world ends? I…

“This is Izzy, so-and-so’s girlfriend.” For so long that was what defined my identity. My relationship status. I’m pretty sure there are some people out there that wouldn’t know who I was until my connection to a certain male was entered into the conversation. My actions, the way I treated others, and the value I saw in myself was a direct correlation to whether I was in a relationship or if I was single. Relationships were my idols and I was a worshipper. It is so amazing how God will…

“The Lottery,” written by Shirley Jackson, takes the reader on a sociological ride through a human’s most primitive side. Set in a 1960’s farming town in America, on the clear and sunny morning of June 27, the reader gets a very peaceful feeling as the story begins. Although, as the story progresses unto the end, the reader is thrown into a story that could only come out of someone’s deepest nightmares. The brilliance of Shirley Jackson is shown by her use of symbolism, she takes everyday items,…

The Neolithic Age brought a variety of changes to Europe at around 4000 B.C. The usual life of hunting and gathering eventually turned into farming and domesticated life. Settlement meant that there was more room for monuments, burial grounds, and places for ritual ceremonies; such as megaliths and the one of the most famous of the kind, Stonehenge. Megalithic structures became the new popular form of building. The word megalith comes from the Greek words, mega meaning “great,” and lithos…

The taste of iron filled his mouth, and the sound of his steed’s breathing was enough for him to stay his pace. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as he rode into the night. The rain dripped down his face and soothed his battle wounds. He had barely escaped with his life. Thankfully, his horse was all packed and ready to leave at a moment's notice. He knew if he were to live he’d have to leave everyone else behind and go it alone. Earlier that night, while the group of men were making camp…

"The Titan's Curse" is a young adult/fantasy literature novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the 3rd book in the Percy Jackson series. It was published on may 11th 2007. The book commences as Percy Jackson, the main character, is being driven to a boarding school along with his friends, answering a call of distress from his satyr friend Grover Underwood. Percy and his friends make their way over to a boarding school in which is thought by Grover to have a manticore posing as the school's vice…

Seven Cities of Gold Expedition A land of riches and gold sounds like a land any person would want to live in. In the southwestern part of the United States and northern Mexico, there were lands filled to the brim with gold and other riches. In 1539, one of the first expeditions to find these cities was led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado who took on the long, difficult journey which was also known as Seven Cities of Gold Expedition. While exploring the Southwest United States and Northern…