Sabbats
Basic Wiccan FAQ Sabbats 13 Goals of a Witch Wiccan Ethics Witches Creed Meaning behind the Pentacle Divination Glossary Dictionary of Pagan Paths, Traditions and Organizations Pagan Dictionary Meditation Astrological Compatability Feather Magick Charge of the Goddess Charge of the Horned God Totem ~ Power Animal Qualities UsArmy Chaplains Handbook Excerpt on Wicca Outline of a Ritual for the Solitary Practitioner Self-Dedication Ritual Finding a Teacher Altars for the Frugal Witch The New Psalms 23		The Wiccan year begins after Samhain according to the Celtic almanac. Below are the basics and the description of each Sabbat. (Wiccan Holidays.) Imbolc Northern Hemisphere – February 2nd (Southern Hemisphere – August 2nd) - Celebrated with fires and candles. A traditional time for initiations into covens or self dedication rituals. This day marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God. A Sabbat of purification, but also a festival of light and fertility. The fire represents our own illumination and inspiration as much as light and warmth. Ostara Northern Hemisphere – Aprox. March 21 (Southern Hemisphere – Aprox. September21) - Spring Equinox marks the first day of spring. The Goddess blankets the earth with fertility. The God stretches and grows to maturity. This is a time of beginnings, action, planting spells for future gains and tending ritual gardens. Beltane Northern Hemisphere – May 1 (Southern Hemisphere – October 31) - also known as May Day is marked with feasts and rituals. May Poles are sometimes used by Wiccans but, the cauldron is a more common focal point of ceremony. The cauldron represents the Goddess and is sometimes filled with spring flowers. Beltane marks the return of vitality, passion and hopes consummated. Midsummer (Litha) Northern Hemisphere – Aprox. June 21 (Southern Hemisphere – Aprox. December 21) - Summer soltice. A classic time for magic of all kinds. In the past, bonfires were leapt to encourage fertility, purification, health and love. At this time, the earth is filled with the fertility of the Goddess and God. Lughnasadh Northern Hemisphere – August 2 (Southern Hemisphere – February 2) - August Eve - Wiccans remember the warmth and bounty of the passing summer in the food we eat. Each meal is an act of attunement with nature, and we are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant. According to myth, the God losses his strength and the Goddess watches in sorrow and joy as she realizes that the God is dying & yet lives on inside her. Mabon Northern Hemisphere – Aprox. September 21 (Southern Hemisphere – Aprox. March 21) - Autumn Equinox - Completion of the harvest begun at Lughnasadh. Nature declines, readying for winter and a time of rest. Samhain Northern Hemisphere – October 31 (Southern Hemisphere – May 1) - November Eve, Feast Of The Dead, Feast Of Apples, Hallows and All Hallows and Witches New Year (acording to the Celtic calendar). On this night the separation between the physical and spiritual realities are thin. It is a good time to remember ancestors and those who have gone before. Samhain is a time of reflection, looking back over the last year & coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life for which we have no control - death. At this time wicca say farewell to the God. This is a temporary farewell, for he is not gone forever, but readies to be reborn to the Goddess at Yule. Yule Northern Hemisphere – Aprox. December 21 (Southern Hemisphere – Aprox. June 21) - Most Wiccans celebrate just before dawn & watch the sun rise. The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God. Since the God is also the sun, this marks the point of the year when the sun is reborn. The Wicca light fires or candles to welcome the sun's returning light.