Random Musings on a Pagan Lent
I know...I know... Pagans are not about austerities or otherwise about giving things up to honor a particular deity or things like that. But...hear me out. In Irish mythology, we have the concept of geas which is often a taboo or other personal "rule" (for want of a better word) that a person cannot break without suffering dire spiritual or even physical consequences. For example, Cuchulain cannot eat dog meat due to his association with dog as what we could argue is his totem animal. His geas is forever, though. "Lenten austerities" only last for 40 days (although it's really more like 46. The Sundays somehow don't count, if I remember correctly). The other thing is that even among Christians the idea of Lent is misunderstood. Lent is not supposed to be a time of giving up something as a display of one's awesome willpower. One should give up something meaningful, but for the purpose of improving oneself and one's relationship with God