I am walking the path of the old ones and following the old traditions. Wicca has brought me a peaceful heart that I have never had before. I have found my purpose in this life and it is to tell those who desire to learn about my ideas and feeling about the religion of Wicca. My site is under construction so please bear with me. I hope to have it ready for those who wish to see where my path takes me very soon and I hope you will come join me. This will be a safe and loving environment for those who are not able to practice their beliefs openly. It will be a loving and enjoyable environment for those who are able to practice their beliefs openly and wish to share those experiences with others of like mind. My magickal name is Odess Moondragon. I was ordained as a Magickal Minister and High Priestess on February 13, 2003. I feel it was a rebirth of my soul and since then my path has taken me on a wondrous journey that I wish to help others follow. I am a crone and I have a wonderful family that supports me in all I do and that includes my beliefs and my desire to tell others about Wicca. My wonderful husband does not participate in Wicca but he does support my choice. I have two beautiful daughters, one follows the Christian beliefs and traditions and the other follows the American Indian beliefs and traditions in an eclectic manner. We have each in our own way found what brings us peace and joy. It may take me some time to get everything organized and presented on line because I work full time and will be doing this in the limited free time I do have. I invite you to join me and make this journey of discovery with me. Watch this site, I will be expanding and adding new and important information almost daily. This is blessed by the Goddess and She is guiding me to help make the world aware of Her existence and how embracing the Wiccan path will enhance and improve our lives and make each of us more loving and caring. We all need to be more conscious of how we are living and what we are doing to Mother Earth. I truly believe this path is the way to make the world better for us and our future generations. Blessed Be! Odess Moondragon HP, The Witch of Witchita May this path carry us toward all the blessings we desire! The Eight Sabbats or Wiccan Holidays are: Samhain: October 31 Yule: December 21-23 Imbolc: February 2 Ostara: March 21-23 Beltane: May 1 Litha: June 21-23 Lughnasadh: August 1 Mabon: September 21-23 These eight Sabbats are the major festivals in the Witches' year. At these festivals, the seasons are celebrated. The agricultural cycle of sowing, growing and reaping, and the cycle of the Goddess and the God. You may notice in your research that there are several different spellings used for the names of the Sabbats. This is mainly because Witchcraft is from a time when writing was not common and spelling was not regulated. And most of the celebrants had no formal education and did now know how to spell or even write. Another reason for differences in the names of the Sabbats depended on what area the people lived in and what language or even the dialect they used. As a Solitary Witch you can use the names that are most comfortable for you, but you should stick to one tradition and not mix the terminology of several different traditions, it is easier to learn if you stay with one. That doesn't mean you can't learn a different tradition when you are comfortable with the one you start with. If you are participating in a Coven you will need to follow the tradition the leaders have chosen. The Sabbats are divided into two groups, the Major and Minor Sabbats. The Major Sabbats are Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh with Samhain being the greatest, then Beltane next in importance. These are the ancient fire festivals celebrated with balefires (or bonfires) in ancient times. Today the balefires have basically been replaced by candles. In the old times when most did not have access to calendars they would celebrate these festivals in tune with seasonal clues. Imbolc would be when the first buds appeared on the trees, Beltane when the May blossoms first appeared, Lughnasadh at the start of the harvest and Samhain at the first frost. Because of this the date of festivals varied from place to place depending on that areas climate. Yule and Litha are Solstices. The day is the shortest and the night the longest at Yule and at Litha the days reach their greatest length and night is at its shortest. Ostara and Mabon are the Equinoxes and on these days the length of the day and night are the same. Solstice and Equinox make up the Minor Sabbats. Today, with almanacs, calendars and internet access, the exact time of occurrences can be narrowed down to almost the exact minute it happens! But the three day window is much easier to abide by and fits into our busy lives much better. This said, how do we Wiccans celebrate Sabbats? There are so many variations that it can take many forms, depending on personal preference for Solitary Practitioners or being regulated by the High Priestess in a Coven. I will cover each Sabbat individually. The above list of the eight Sabbats are links to their page. Just click on the name of the Sabbat and you will find a detailed description of the purpose of the Sabbat, the Gods and Goddesses that correspond to that particular Sabbat, ways to celebrate, rituals to perform and crafts to make with your family. There will be recipes to make for your celebrations and to share with your family and friends at these special times in our lives. This is a work in process and I will be creating pages for everything I learn as I learn it. You are welcome to learn along with me and maybe you can teach me something too! Check back often and watch my web site grow! Blessed Be! |