The Sabbats

YULE (December 21) - Yule is also known as the Winter Solstice and is the celebration of rebirth and renewal. This is the shortest day of the year and it marks the beginning of the annual solar cycle with the "rebirth" of the Sun after the longest night of the year. Lighting the Yule log recognizes that the Lord of the Sun is reborn and the reuniting of the Goddess and God. The Lord of the Sun is reborn from the womb of the Goddess and from this day forward the sun again begins to grow in strength and rise to new heights each day. Indigenous cultures the world over celebrate this celestial event representing the hope and joy of the returning light. The inner meaning of this holiday is the joy of anticipation, and of new beginnings. Witches set goals and make plans for the year ahead as they celebrate the return of the Sun on Winter's Solstice Eve.

Imbolc (February 2) - The second holiday is Imbolc and is also known as Brigit, February Eve, Candlemas or Brigid's Day. The name Imbolc comes from an archaic term for "in milk" as this was the time in late winter when the ewes of old would begin to lactate in preparation for the coming lambs. In nature, the days grow noticeably longer and we sense the coming of spring in our bodies with the inevitable "cabin fever" of late winter. In myth, the child Sun God grows stronger with the waxing light. In our hearts excitement builds for the coming season of hope and renewal. Imbolc is also a time of purification and of traditional Wiccan initiation rites. Imbolc is also associated with the ancient Celtic fire Goddess, Brigid. A fertility Goddess associated with the forge, Brigid kept the hearth fires burning through the last few cold days of winter.

Ostara (March 21) - Ostara, also know as the Spring Equinox or Vernal Equinox is next on the Wiccan calendar. The date Ostara occurs is determined by the astronomical start of spring. As spring arrives to awaken our world the see the Equinoxes are balanced as are day and night. In spring we emerge from the dark time of winter and prepare for the approaching light and warmth of summer. In the autumn, the Fall Equinox celebrates the shift back toward the other direction. In myth, the God matures to adolescence as the Goddess blankets the Earth with life and fertility. Ostara is a time of hope and anticipation and a time for us to rejoice in the Mother's gift of rebirth and fertility.

Beltane (May 1) - Beltane is also known as May Eve or May Day and is the last Spring Fertility Festival. All around us we see Spring is in full force, the Earth is blossoming into brilliant colors and the air is filled with the sweet smells of life. This Greater Sabbat was so important and its celebration so deeply cherished by our ancestors that it exists still on the calendars of today, even after thousands of years of Christianization. Beltane is a holiday of vitality, passion and romance that celebrates the joy of love and mating. Now is the time we celebrate the union of the Goddess and God. In myth the God and Goddess are in courtship -- images of brightly colored May Poles (celebrating the God's phallus) thrust into the earth (Goddess) brings to mind the metaphor of the joining of male and female to create life.

Litha (June 22) - Litha is also known as Midsummer or Summer Solstice and is the longest day of the year. The date Litha occurs is based on when the sun enters zero degrees Cancer. This marks the time of the year when the day is the longest and the beginning of the harvest season. The Sun God is at the height of his strength, vitality and power. Midsummer is a time of ease and comfort as we celebrate the earth being fully alive and the fruits of our labor. In myth, the union of the God and Goddess is consummated. The God pours his energy into the earth (Goddess) thus giving life and energy to the grains and fruits to come. The inner metaphor involves recognition of the season's goals coming to be, as well as "recharging" our energies from the abundance of the Earth and Sun around us.

Lammas (August 1) - Lammas is also known as Lughnasadh (pronounced as Lunasa) and is the first of our two harvest/thanksgiving holidays. In nature we see summer is waning, the days grow shorter and the first harvest takes place. This is a time of thankfulness and recognition of goals reached for the year. As we feast with our loved ones we contemplate the fact that every meal is an act of attunement with nature. In myth, the God is waning with the Sun and the Goddess is again with child. Historical associations include the Celtic God Luh and the grain Goddesses of Ceres (origin of the word "cereal") and Demeter.

Mabon (September 21) - Mabon is also known as the Autumn Equinox and is the time when we once again see the Equinoxes balanced and the days and nights are equal. This balance will not last long because soon the darkness will overtake day and lead us into the dark, interior time of winter. This is the time of the second harvest. This is the harvest of fruits that is commonly associated with images of the cornucopia and is a time of thanksgiving and acknowledgment of goals achieved. We attune ourselves once again with the ebb and flow of the seasons and our inner lives. We feast and share food with friends and family and we thank our Mother for all she has given us.

Samhain (October 31) - The end of our solar year is marked with the Sabbat Samhain (pronounced sow-inn). Samhain is a time for celebrating the never ending cycle of death and rebirth of the earth and our lives and souls. This is the Sabbat when we celebrate the memories of our family, friends and loved ones who have passed on. The ancient Celts believed that souls passed into the underworld this night and that the veil between the world of the living and that of the supernatural was thin on this night. It is traditionally a time of divination. The inner meaning of Samhain for modern Witches involves acknowledging the lessons of the year past and the casting off that that which is no longer necessary. It is a time of inner healing, of inner contemplation and spiritual preparation during which we look forward to the new beginning that arrives with the Winter Solstice.