The Sabbats
Holidays For A Witch
Samhain
(Ancestor Night/Feast of the Dead/Halloween)
October 31
Samhain represents the end of the Pagan year. Our New Year begins November 1st. It is one of the two Spirit nights of the year (other is Beltaine). The thin veil between spirit world and physical world is temporarily lifted. Communicating with departed ones can be especially easy at this time. Celebrations and feasts are held to remember those who have crossed over. It is a time to honor the Dark Mother and Dark Father.
Samhain is also a perfect time for any sort of divination.
Symbolism: Third Harvest, Dark Mysteries, Festival of the Crone, Re-birth through Death
Symbols: gourds, apples, black cats, jack-o-lanterns, besoms
Herbs: mugwort, allspice, catnip, Deadly Nightshade, mandrake, oak leaves, sage, straw
Foods: turnips, apples, gourds, nuts, mulled wine, beef, pork, poultry
Incense: heliotrope, mint, nutmeg
Colors: black, orange, white, silver, gold
Stones: jet, onyx, obsidian
Yule
(Winter Solstice/Festival of Lights)
December 21
Yule is the first day of winter and also the longest day of the year. It is a time to celebrate the death of the Holly King and rebirth and new reign of the Oak King. We also celebrate this time as the death and rebirth of the Sun God ~ The Divine Child.
December's Full Moon is sometimes considered the most powerful of all. Yule is a time of darkness, where we take time for reflection and meditation.
Symbols: Yule Log, boughs, wreaths, holly, mistletoe, candles, clove-studded fruit, poinsettias, Christmas cactus
Herbs: bayberry, blessed thistle, cedar, evergreen, frankincense, mistletoe, sage,
oak, chamomile, rosemary, ginger, cinnamon
Incense: pine, cedar, cinnamon
Colors: red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange
Stones: bloodstone, garnet, ruby, quartz, diamond
Spellwork: peace, love, harmony, happiness
Imbolc
(Imbolg/Candlemas/The Festival of the Maiden)
February 1 or 2
Herd animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year, or their wombs are swollen. Imbolc is a time of blessings and seeds, consecration of agricultural tools. Marks the center of the dark half of the year. It is the Maiden's time, from this day to March 21st, it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal. Imbolc is also the Festival of the Goddess Brigit, who gave life to the dead with her breath.
Symbolism: purity, growth, renewal, the reunion of the Goddess and the God, fertility
Symbols: besoms, white flowers, candle wheels, Brighad's Cross, acorn-tipped wands, ploughs
Herbs: angelica, basil, baylaurel, blackberry, celandine, coltsfoot, heather, iris, myrrh, tansy, violets
Foods: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, poppyseed cakes, muffins, scones, breads, dairy products, peppers, onions, garlic, raisins, spiced wine, herb tea
Incense: basil, bay, wisteria, cinnamon, violet, vanilla, myrrh
Colors: white, yellow, pink, red, light green, brown
Stones: amethyst, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, onyx, turquoise
Activities: candle lighting, stone gathering, searching for signs of Spring, making wands, decorating ploughs, feasting, bonfires
Ostara
(Spring Equinox/Easter)
March 21 or 22
Ostara marks the first day of Spring, and a time for new beginnings. At this time there is a perfect balance of light and dark, yet light continues to grow stronger. The young Sun God now celebrates a hierogamy (sacred marriage) with the young maiden-Goddess, who conceives. In nine months she will again become the Great Mother, Crone. It is a time of great fertility, new growth and new born animals.
We can dye eggs in many beautiful colors and leave them out for the Otherkin and spirits. This also will promote abundance if eggs are left in fields or crops. We also let our children "hunt" these decorated eggs, but remember to leave some hidden in the garden or field.
Herbs & Flowers: daffodil, jonquils, woodruff, violet, gorse, olive, peony, iris, narcissus
Foods: leafy green vegetables, dairy foods, nuts, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, sprouts
Incense: jasmine, rose, strawberry
Stones: jasper
Beltane
(Beltaine/May Day/Lady Day)
May 1
Beltane means the fire of Bel, Belinos being one name of the Sun God. A holiday filled with magick and lore, great time for getting to know otherkin, such as Elves, Faeries, or Brownies. Try leaving them sweet offerings of food or gifts, such as wine, sugar water, or bread with honey in the garden or by your libation tree.
In old Celtic times, young people would spend the entire night in the woods "A-Maying", and then dance around the *Maypole in the morning. Beltane marks the return of vitality and passion. Ancient Pagan traditions say that Beltane is the time of emergence of the young God into manhood.
On May Eve, Fires are still lit all over Britain and Ireland, just like in the past. The fire symbolizes the warmth and power of the sun now gaining strength as we approach Liths/Summer Solstice. Ashes from the sacred bonfires are often scattered over the fields to ensure fruitful crops to come. Taking home ash or even smoldering wood from the Beltaine fire itself is believed to bring many bright and fruitful summer blessings into your home.
This is also a time to leave offerings for the spirits that were in charge of reviving the wells and springs. Many believed that the healing powers of the water were heightened at Beltaine.
*Maypole:in the past, the Maypole was often a communal tree with all but it's upper branches removed. Today people used flag poles or beams that work just fine too. There are usually 8 ribbons, one for each Sabbat of the Wheel.
Litha
(Midsummer/Summer Solstice)
June 21 or 22
Litha is the exact opposite of Yule, the longest day of the year. At mid-summer the Sun God has reached his greatest strength. This is an appropriate time to re-dedicate yourself to your chosen religion/path. Mid-Summer's Night Eve is also special for adherents of the faerie faith.
Litha is the triumph of the Sun, the culmination of the Green Man or
Oak King. This is time of nature...and the principle of male
embodiment. His strength is strongest right now while the sun (male
energy) is strongest... he will remain potent and virile until after
our Holiday and the actual Solstice. It will be like a symbolic
sacrifice representing the need for death in order for life to
continue...as we prepare for the Harvest coming. The Sun's or male's
energy will again grow weaker with every day that passes as the Wheel
turns towards Lughnasadh. Sharing some similarities with the
previous Holiday, Beltaine, Litha is a Sabbat that is closely
associated to the element of fire. This is also a great time to
celebrate the Elementals. Our distant kin, the Fae, will be most
active and if we are lucky...maybe visible to a few of us who aren't
trying too hard. Litha is a great time of Bonfires too. They used
to be lit to assist the sun in it's 'changing course'. Midsummer's
Eve is often regarded as a very intense time of magick and considered
a suitable time for love spells or charms. Any herbs harvested at
midnight on Midsummer's Eve are believed to have a huge amount of
potency that cannot be matched by any other time that you'll ever be
able to gather them...their power is supposed to be unparalleled.
Foods: garden-fresh fruits and vegetables
Herbs & Flowers: mugwort, vervain, rose, honeysuckle, lily, lavender, fern, ivy, daisy
Incense: lemon,myrrh, pine, rose, wisteria
Stones: emerald
Lammas
(Lughnasadh)
July 31 or Aug 1
Lughnasadh means the funeral games of Lugh, the Irish Sun God. The funeral is not his own, but the games he hosts in honor of his foster-mother, Tailite. This is a turning point in the year...a time of the Waning God and Waxing Goddess. Celebrations will include meditation, preparing for Samhain, quiet feasts, spellwork for good fortune and abundance. This day originally coincided with the first reaping of the harvest. As Autumn begins, the Sun God enters old age but is not dead.
Foods: apples, grains, breads, berries
Herbs & Flowers: grapes, heather, blackberry, sloe, crabapple, pear
Incense: aloe, rose, sandalwood
Stones: carnelian
Mabon
(Autumn Equinox/Second Harvest)
September 21
The Autumn Equinox divides the the day and night equally, and we take time to pay our respects to the impending dark. We give thanks to the waning light. Mabon is a time for great thanksgiving and rest after hard work and completion of harvest. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone.
Symbolism: equality, balance
Symbols: wine, gourds, acorns, pinecones, grains, corn, apples, pomegranate, ivy, horns of plenty
Herbs: benzoin, fern, marigold, honeysuckle, milkweed, myrrh, rose, sage, thistle
Foods: breads, nuts, apples, potatoes, carrots
Incense: benzoin, myrrh, sage
Colors: red, orange, maroon, brown, gold
Stones: sapphire, lapis lazuli, yellow agate
Please don't forget about our sisters in the other Hemisphere...If the Northern part is celebrating Beltaine, then our friends in South Africa and other places are celebrating Samhain!
LavenStar's recommended reading if you are of the Wiccan/Pagan faith:
The Wiccan Year: Spells, Rituals, Holiday Celebrations
by Judy Ann Nock
