What are the Sabbats? Imbolc | Ostara | Beltane | Litha | Lammas | Mabon | Samhain | Yule You may be surprised to learn most of the holidays celebrated today are directly taken from the old Pagan celebrations of the changing seasons. Traditionally Pagans celebrate eight sabbats within a year, each falling on a solstice or eqinox. Because Wicca/Witchcraft and most Pagan religions are Earth-based the seasons of change are our holy days. The earth is revered and therefore it's cycle of change is sacred. The sabbats comprise what is referred to as the Wheel of the Year, which is based largely on the solar rites of pre-Christian European religion. As the Wheel turns, so do our energies and connections with the Earth. It is very important to maintain harmony with this immortal cycle. All things fall within the ebb and flow of the Universe. The waxing and waning of the moon, the seasons, the cycles of birth, life, death, and rebirth. It is how we relate to and respect Nature. Imbolc/Candlemas: -February 2- A time to celebrate the approach of of spring and the promise of renewal. Imbolic literally means "in milk" and traditionally marked the lactation period of sheep and cows. The onset of milk production occured with the "bearing of young" season. Thus milk came to symbolize the ending of the long winter. During this time it is said the Goddess is pregnant with the seed of the sun, also known as the Holly King. Therefore, like the coming of the spring season, she is ripe with the promise of new life. Fertility has always played a major role in Pagan worship. It is, after all, how our existance is continued. Braving a harsh winter in ancient times was always reason to smile. Ostara/Spring Equinox: -March 21- Ostara was the Scandinavian goddess of spring and symbolized the rebirth of Nature and the life cycles. This holiday came as the first breath of warmth after a long and hard winter, during which lives were often lost. For this festival it was customary to exchange colored eggs as a symbol of renewal. Her sacred animals were the hare and baby chick. Ostara is seen as the goddess of the East and of the dawn. Modern Easter celebrations include a sunrise ceremony to represent the resurrection from death/dark symbolized by dawn. Many people wonder how the modern Christian celebration of Easter can tie in the Easter Egg and Bunny, considering the Christian holiday is meant to celebreate the rise of Christ. It's simply part of their tradition because the rituals were adopted in an attempt to meld the two religions. Ancient Christians belived if they blurred the line between the two more people would willingly convert. Beltane/Roodmas: -May 1- Along with Samhain, Beltane divides the Celtic year into its two primary seasons; winter and summer. Beltane marked the beginning of summer's half and the pastoral growing season. The word Beltan means "bright fire" and refers to the bonfires lit during this season. It also marks the appearance of the Horned One, who is the rebirth of the solar God slain during the Wheel of the Year. He then becomes consort to the Goddess, impregneting her with his seed, and thereby ensuring his own rebirth once again. Also known as May Day, Beltane has traditionally been celebrated with the May pole. A May Pole is a tall pole (usually a tree) ornamented with greenery or flowers and often hung with ribbons that are woven into complex patterns by a group of dancers. Such performances are the echos of ancient dances around a living tree as a part of spring rites. Midsummer/Litha/Summer Solstice: -June 21- The longest day of the year. It is said to mark the battle between the Oak King and Holly King, figures representing the waxing and waning forces of Nature (fall conquering summer). On this day of Summer Solstice the Holly King defeats his brother the Oak King. From this time forward the days grow shorter- until winter passes and the Oak King is born again to reclaim his throne. The Holly King is one of the first, if not the origin of Santa Klaus. He is the God/Greenman/Horned One representing the male aspect in all things. In truth the Holly King and the Oak King are one in the same, just at different times of the life cycle/seasons. This ancient male figure is also the origin of the "satan" modern culture has adopted. In order to slander the peaceful faith of past Pagans, many churches twisted a kind image into a false representation of what their faith was. It's one of the many reasons our faith is so missunderstood today. Not harmful, bur rather a way for the human mind to grasp something greater than itself through the use of symbol. It is a way to relate to something we can never fully understand. The great mystery of the universe. Lughnasadh/Lammas: -August 1- The first in a trilogy of harvest festivals, marking the beginning of the harvest season and the decline of summer into winter. Festivities and rituals typically centered around the assurance of a bountiful harvest season and the celebration of the harvest cycle. It is a time to revere what we've worked all year for, and enjoy the fruits of labors that will soon come to an end as winter settles in. Mabon/Autumn Equinox: -September 21- A ritual occasion marking the beginning of the fall season, a day when the periods of day and night are of equal length. It speaks of the Descent of the Goddess into the Underworld, and with her we see the decline of Nature and the coming of winter. As the Oak King was previously slain by the Holly King, so the Goddess now descends to find her lost love. We prepare for the coming cold and withdraw into ourselves and our homes. Samhain/Hallowmas/Halloween: -October 31- The first day of winter in the old Celtic year. It is the beginning of the year in many Wiccan Traditions, as well as the festival of the dead. Samhain is considered a time when the veil between this world and the world beyond is at it's thinnest, and the spirits of the dead move freely. Offerings were left to appease the faeries, dead, and other creatures of folklore so they would not harm the living. It is a time to enjoy the fruits of the harvest and bid farewell to the warmer, longer days. To say goodbye to lingering things and look forward to the next year. Mostly it is a magickal time to connect to our spiritual selves because it is more readily accesible. Yule/Winter Solstice: -December 21- Marks the shortest day of the year. In most Wiccan/Witchcraft Traditions the theme is linked to the rebirth/renewal of the sun. This is often personified as the Child of Promise/Holly King. In the ancient mythos, the sun god is born at Winter Solstice and dies at the time of the harvest season. Common symbols are the holly and pine, signifying the time of the Holly King as he has been reborn. It has long been the custom to decorate a sacred tree at this time, an ancient custom recalling a time when Divinity was believed to dwell in trees. Isn't it neat to see where our modern habits really come from? Back to Top [Index]