The Wiccan Year

What are the Wiccan Sabbats (holidays)?

(By UnicornSpiritKady)

The Pagan year consists of eight main sabbats (holidays): Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnassadh, Mabon, and Samhain. This is only a brief description of each sabbat more in depth information can be found in our forum section dedicated solely to the Sabbats.


Yule or Winter Solstice: (around December 21st)
A great time of darkness for this is the longest night of the year. We gather to feast and celebrate Goddess give birth to the Sun God; this is shown in the return of the sunlight as the days begin to grow longer.
Traditional Yule practices include; the lighting of the Yule Log, caroling, kissing under the mistletoe (yes it is a Pagan tradition!), the wassail cup and decorating the Yule tree.


Imbolc or Feast of Torches. (February 2nd)
The festival of light and fertility. The recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God who is now a young boy. The growing days and periods of light awaken the Goddess. Originally Imbolc celebrated the birth of the new lambs, the earliest beginnings of spring are occurring. The strength and warmth of the Sun God fertilizes the earth (the Goddess) this leads to seeds germinating and beginning to sprout.
This is a traditional time for coven initiations. Other traditional Imbolc practices are, after ritual, to light candles in every room in your house in honour of the sun's rebirth. If there is snow on the ground, walk in it for a while, trace an image of the sun in the snow whilst recalling the warmth of summer. Wake up early in the morning, take as many noisy things as you can outside (whistles, pots + pans) and joyfully create a noise to wake the sleeping Earth Mother. Let loose! - Wake Her up!!

 
Ostara or Spring/Vernal Equinox: (around March 21st)
The first day of spring. The earth bursts with energy and fertility. The Goddess is awakened and the God is growing and maturing.
On Ostara both day and night are equal in length. The light of the sun is overtaking the darkness of the night.
Traditionally, Ostara was the time of culling bird's eggs, a seasonal delicacy. Also weaklings would have been separated from the livestock to ensure the strength of the herd. It is the time of year for new beginnings and for planting seeds ready for the summer.


Beltane or Beltaine: (April 30th)
Also known as May Day. The transition from spring to summer. At Beltane we celebrate our young God's emergence into manhood, we celebrate love and attraction as He now desires the Goddess. They fall in love. We celebrate courting and mating, - that yearly shower of desires we all know as "spring fever." Among the green grasses, under the tree's blossoms, the Goddess and God unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant by the God.
In old English villages, people would gather to dance around the Maypole, which would have been decorated, along with their own bodies in flowers and branches gathered earlier in the day. The flowers symbolising the Goddess and the pole symbolising the God.
The joining of two substances to form a third being the focus of Beltane make weaving and plaiting traditional at this time of year.


Summer Solstice, Litha or Midsummer: (around June 21st)
The powers of nature are now at their strongest. Bonfires would be lit in the past (the fire symbolising the sun as it being the sun's longest day) and leaped over to encourage fertility, love, health, purification and renewed energy.
Fairies, elves and sprites are told to be more easily seen at Midsummer, dancing in fairy rings.
Midsummer is a traditional time for all kinds of magick to be performed.


Lughnasadh or Lammas: (around August 1st)
The time of the first harvest. Spring plants begin to drop their seeds and fruits, which we gather and store for the winter months. The God's strength also declines as the days become shorter. The Goddess watches with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, for She knows that He is dying, but at the same time, he lives inside her womb as a child.
It is a time to be thankful to the Goddess and the God for the food we begin to gather, and to pray for a full harvest ready for the forthcoming winter.
It is custom to plant the seeds of the fruits you consume during your Lughnassadh ritual. Foods from this harvest are often used in the ritual. These being berries (especially blackberries), crab apples, grains and bread.


Mabon or Autumnal Equinox: (around September 21st)
We are completing the harvest, which we started at Lughnasadh. September is know for it's huge harvest full moon. Day and night are once again equal to each other, however the nights now draw in and the days shorten as we move into the darker half of the year. The God prepares to venture into the unseen, to leave is physical body ready for renewal and rebirth. We see his decline as nature withdraws it's strength. Animals and trees prepare for rest throughout the winter months. The Goddess wanes with the weakening sun. But she can feel the God inside her.
Traditional practice sees us walking through forests, gathering seeds, fallen leaves and dried plants to decorate the home with.


Samhain (October 31st)
A time of sacrifice. This is the final harvest - the meat harvest. This was once the time when animals were slaughtered for food throughout the winter. The God who we see in these animals also fell to ensure our existence. We bid a temporary farewell to the God at Samhain. For he is not lost forever but is prepared to be reborn at Yule. In many traditions this marks the turn to a New Year.
Samhain is a time to reflect on the year. It is also a time to accept the one thing that we must all one day face - death. We believe that on Samhain the connection between our world and the spiritual world is closer than ever, so we remember our family and those we love who have already departed.
Late autumn fruits (apples, pumpkins, squashes etc) are placed upon the altar for the Samhain ritual. It is traditional to leave food outside for the souls of the dead on this night. A candle can be placed in a window to guide the souls to the Summerlands, whilst burying an apple in the earth "feeds" them on their journey.
Samhain goes by many names: All Hallows Eve, The Feast Of The Dead, The Feast Of Apples, Halloween or Hallow'en, November Eve.


After Samhain we celebrate Yule and the Wheel Of The Year begins again.


What are the Wiccan Esbats?

(By Silaria, Lilybunny and Soleil)

By definition an Esbat is a ritual or celebration held at a time other than the Sabbats. Unlike the Sabbats, which are Solar (sun) rites, the Esbats are Lunar (moon) rites, which focus on paying honor to our Mother Goddess (symbolized by the Full Moon). There are 12 to 13 Wiccan Esbats every year. Wiccan Esbats correspond with the Full Moon that occurs each month. Each "theme" for an Esbat deals with the meaning of the Moon that month. An example of this is the Wolf Moon, which occurs in January. This particular Esbat centres around family. The Harvest Moon of September centres around the blessings of the harvest. Information about the various names of the moons can be found through any search engine.