Historic day for Scottish pagans as they ship handle at Holyrood
- Pagan Linda Haggerstone will ship Time for Reflection in entrance of MSPs within the Holyrood chamber for the primary time
A pagan is to handle the Scottish parliament in a historic day for druids, witches and shamans.
In a serious step in direction of extra mainstream recognition for paganism, a druid will ship Time for Reflection within the chamber.
Reverend Linda Haggerstone is about to provide the four-minute handle which opens the weekly enterprise on Tuesdays.
A pagan Beltane celebration in Edinburgh
In doing so, Rev Haggerstone – who as soon as described how her grandmother influenced her path in life by ‘putting out saucers of milk for the fairies’ – will develop into the primary pagan to provide the handle.
With an estimated 15,000 followers in Scotland, paganism is a free assortment of faiths with a variety of beliefs together with druidism, shamanism and the worship of Norse gods, in addition to extra ‘traditional’ witches who carry out spells.
Holyrood’s invitation comes two years after the Scottish Pagan Federation (SPF) first mentioned it will like one among its representatives to steer Time for Reflection, after what it mentioned was years of persecution.
At the time, SPF presiding officer Steffy Von Scott mentioned: ‘Fifty years ago you could still lose your job or livelihood, have your children taken away by social services or have a brick thrown through your window, just for being pagan.
‘Today we have more approved celebrants than ever and more legal pagan weddings taking place in Scotland than those carried out by the Mormon or Jewish faith communities.’
Rev Haggerstone will give pagan handle in parliament
Rev Haggerstone, 65, travelled the world experiencing totally different perception methods and skilled to develop into a Buddhist nun earlier than changing into a knowledge analyst for the Scottish Government. She led the pagan prayer for the COP26 interfaith vigil in Glasgow in 2021.
The SPF needs paganism taught in colleges alongside different perception methods.
MSPs already acquainted with their beliefs embrace Equalities Minister Emma Roddick, who wished pagans ‘a very happy Winter Solstice’.
Another vital occasion for pagans is Beltane – from April 30 to May 1 – which celebrates the approaching of summer time. Rituals embrace leaping fires and dancing across the Maypole.
