Paganism
Daily threshold greeting
A one-minute habit that marks the day.
- Step outdoors or to a window.
- Note the weather, the light and one living thing.
- Say a short greeting aloud, in your own words.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Practices · cards
Printable practice cards
Each practice on this site as a small card, laid out to print on ordinary paper and cut out. Keep one on the fridge, in a pocket or by the door. The steps are the same as on the pages; nothing is added.
Use your browser’s print command (or the button below), choose A4 or Letter, and keep ‘Background graphics’ off to save ink. The dotted line is for scissors.
35 cards
Paganism
Simple seasonal altar
A small shelf or windowsill that follows the Wheel.
- Choose a cloth and one candle.
- Add things you found locally: a seed head, a leaf, a stone.
- Change the items at each festival.
- Return natural items to the ground when you are done.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism
Offering and thanks
A reciprocal act towards your local place.
- Pick up litter from one spot, or pour out water at the base of a tree.
- Name what you are thanking.
- Leave nothing that does not belong there.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Beltane
Morning dew
A folk custom for the first morning of May.
- Go outside at dawn on 1 May.
- Touch the dew on the grass and splash it on your face.
- Stay a few minutes to listen to the birds.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Beltane
Flower garland
Make a ring of flowers from your garden or a market.
- Gather flowers and leaves, taking only what is yours or fallen.
- Bind them onto a ring of wire or ivy.
- Hang it on a door or wear it for the day.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Imbolc
Brigid cross
Weave a cross from rushes or straw.
- Soak rushes or straw stems in water for about an hour.
- Fold one stem around the middle of another at a right angle.
- Keep turning and folding each new stem around the last until the arms are even.
- Tie the ends and hang it above a door.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Imbolc
Spring clean and candle
Clear the house and welcome the light.
- Open the windows and tidy one room.
- Light a candle in the cleanest spot.
- Say what you want to begin this year.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Litha
Sunrise watch
Greet the sun on the longest day.
- Find out the time of sunrise and go somewhere you can see the horizon.
- Sit quietly and watch the light grow.
- Say thanks for the daylight you are given.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Litha
Herb bundle
Dry herbs from your own garden.
- Cut a few stems of rosemary, lavender or mint from your garden.
- Tie them with string.
- Hang them upside down in a dry place for two weeks, then keep them for cooking or the home.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Lughnasadh
First loaf
Bake bread to mark the first harvest.
- Bake a loaf from scratch, using flour from this year's harvest if you can find it.
- Share it with others.
- Set a piece aside for the birds.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Lughnasadh
Hill walk
Climb a hill, as people did at this season.
- Choose a hill you can reach comfortably.
- Take a picnic and eat it at the top.
- Look out over the land and think of what is ripening.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Mabon
Thanksgiving meal
A shared meal of the season's food.
- Cook with food that is in season where you live.
- At the table, let each person name one thing they are grateful for.
- Pour out a little of a drink onto the ground at the end.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Mabon
Share the harvest
Give away some of what you have grown or bought.
- Choose some surplus produce or a few tins from your cupboard.
- Take them to a neighbour, a food bank or a community fridge.
- Note what you are glad to have enough of.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Ostara
Seed planting
Plant seeds on the equinox.
- Fill a pot or a bed with soil.
- Plant seeds you can grow in your climate and name what you hope for.
- Water them and keep a note of when they sprout.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Ostara
Balance of light and dark
A short reflection when day and night are equal.
- Write two columns, one headed light and one headed dark.
- List the things that bring you energy and the things that bring you rest.
- Choose one change that would balance your week.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Samhain
Ancestor supper
A meal with an empty place for those who have died.
- Lay the table with one extra place.
- Light a candle and name the people you are remembering.
- Share a story about one of them.
- Leave a small portion of food outside afterwards.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Samhain
A light for the dead
A short candle vigil at dusk.
- Light a candle at a window as it gets dark.
- Sit quietly and think of those you have lost.
- Say their names aloud and let the candle burn down safely.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Yule
Longest-night vigil
Stay awake through the longest night and welcome the sun.
- Dim the lights and light one candle.
- Sit with friends or alone until midnight, or until dawn if you can.
- When the sun rises, raise a warm drink to it.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Yule
Evergreen wreath
Bring greenery indoors as a sign of life in winter.
- Gather fallen evergreen branches, never cut live ones from protected land.
- Bind them into a ring with twine.
- Hang it by the door and return it to the garden in January.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Animism
Learn one neighbour
Get to know one local tree, bird or stream well.
- Choose one living thing near your home.
- Visit it at least once a week for a month.
- Learn its name and how it changes through the weeks.
- Leave a small offering, such as water, or clear litter around it.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Animism
Give thanks before eating
A brief pause that acknowledges where food comes from.
- Before a meal, stop for a few seconds.
- Name where the food came from, including the plants, animals, soil and people.
- Say thank you aloud or silently before you eat.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Celtic Reconstructionism
Hospitality for the day
Offer welcome to a visitor, or to someone who needs it.
- Choose one day and decide to welcome whoever comes.
- Offer a seat, a drink and food to a guest, friend or stranger in need.
- Listen before you speak.
- Note afterwards what it cost you and what it gave.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Celtic Reconstructionism
Read an Irish tale aloud
Take a story from the sources and read it slowly.
- Choose a short tale from Early Irish Myths and Sagas.
- Read it aloud to yourself or a friend.
- Ask what the story values.
- Write down one image that stays with you.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Druidry
Tree companion
Get to know one tree through the seasons.
- Choose a tree near your home.
- Visit weekly and sit with it for ten minutes.
- Note the leaves, birds, weather and your own mood.
- Keep a record through the whole year.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Druidry
Awen chant
A breath practice from modern Druidry.
- Sit comfortably and breathe slowly.
- Draw out three sounds, ah, oh and en, on one long breath.
- Repeat three times.
- Sit quietly and notice what arises.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Heathenry
Simple blot
A gift offering to the gods or to your ancestors.
- Choose a deity or an ancestor to honour.
- Place a small gift, such as mead, bread or flowers, on a table or stone.
- Say why you are giving it and say thanks.
- Afterwards pour the drink onto the ground or compost the food.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Heathenry
Toast to the ancestors
Raise a cup to those who came before you.
- Fill a cup with water, mead or juice.
- Name one ancestor and tell a story about them.
- Drink, and pour a little onto the earth.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Hellenism
Daily offering to Hestia
Ancient Greek custom put Hestia first and last in offerings, so begin the day at your hearth.
- Light a candle or a small flame.
- Offer a few drops of water or a pinch of incense.
- Say a short thanks in your own words.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Hellenism
Noumenia
Mark the first day of the lunar month with a small household observance.
- On the first visible new crescent, tidy a table or shelf.
- Place flowers and a candle there.
- Pour a libation of water or wine and name the gods you wish to honour.
- Share a simple meal.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Kemetism
Morning greeting
A short household offering in the spirit of temple ritual.
- Wash your hands and face.
- Light a candle before an image or an object that stands for a god.
- Offer water and say words of greeting.
- Thank the god and put out the flame.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Kemetism
Maat review
An evening review of conduct, inspired by Spell 125 of the Book of the Dead.
- List the ways you were honest and fair today.
- List the ways you fell short.
- Choose one thing to put right tomorrow.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Rodnovery
Kupala wreath
Weave a wreath of fresh flowers and herbs at midsummer.
- Gather flowers and herbs that grow near you.
- Braid them into a wreath.
- Set it on a stream or hang it by the door.
- Sit by water or a fire as evening falls.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Rodnovery
Offering of bread and salt
A simple welcome and thanks at home.
- Place bread and a little salt on a clean cloth.
- Name what you are thankful for.
- Share the bread with someone, or leave it outdoors for the birds.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Wicca
Full moon esbat
A monthly rite at the full moon.
- Choose a quiet space and light a candle.
- Mark a circle with a cord or by walking its edge.
- Speak your intentions, or your thanks for the month.
- Close the circle and share a simple meal or drink.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
Paganism · Wicca
Casting a circle
A way to set a space apart for ritual.
- Walk clockwise around your space, starting in the north.
- Picture a ring of light as you walk.
- Face each of the four directions in turn and greet it.
- When you finish, thank each direction and walk anticlockwise to open the circle.
The Garden · camelmaps.org/garden
A note on the cards
The cards are a plain copy of the practices, so the cautions on the pages still apply. Nothing here is medical advice. Take what helps and leave the rest. For the Pagan practices, read the notes on cultural borrowing before you borrow anything. For the forest-bathing ones, Build your own practice covers staying safe outdoors.