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
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 Witchs'
year. At these festivals, the seasons are celebrated. The
agricultural cycles 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 not know how to spell or even write for
that matter. Another reason for the 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 with 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 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Today the balefires have basically been replaced by candles.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 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 list of the
eight Sabbats at the top of the page 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 your 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!
year. At these festivals, the seasons are celebrated. The
agricultural cycles 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 not know how to spell or even write for
that matter. Another reason for the 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 with 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 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 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 list of the
eight Sabbats at the top of the page 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 your 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!
| This site was established in 2005 and is created with Yahoo! Sitebuilder (2.6-J). Content and Publication is the sole responsibility of Odess Moondragon HP, the self proclaimed Witch of Witchita! Copyright 2005 to infinity. Everything on this site has been taken from the internet, books, magazines, my imagination and inspiration from the Goddess. If you are owner of any content and can prove copyright, contact me and I will remove it from my site, but you have to have proof of ownership. All information contained within this site is purely for fun and amusement and any rituals or spells you decide to try are at your own risk for the outcome. By entering this site you are agreeing that I will not be held responsible for any magickal backlashes you create in your practice of magick. E-mail me at odess@witchita-witch.com or click on the e-mail button above. Last updated 10-14-11. BLESSED BE! |
Essential Guidelines for Living A Magickal Life |
Witches Cove
Odess Moondragon HP )O(
Odess Moondragon HP )O(