Esbats- These full moon celebrations, usually honor the mother aspect of the triple Goddess. The Lady has three forms, Maiden, Mother, and Crone. The Mother is the nurturer of all living creatures and through her, the God can reincarnate. When the moon is in this phase, psychic energies are at there peak, this is a great time for divination, pureification, and celebration. There are 13 Esbats a year and if a wiccan refers to the moon's feminine power (for everything has both a masculine and feminine side) then the Goddess is usually exceptionaly honored at these times, while the God is exceptionally honored at Sabbats.
Sabbats- These celebrations, usually honor the different aspects of the god and the way his growth changes the seasons. There are eight of these holidays, and they all revolve around the Sun. The fact that each Sabbat has a cross quarter Sabbat, makes up the wheel of the year, which is believed that from this very wheel, the Goddess spins the reincarnated souls of her children and the God turns the wheel of their growth, always recreating life.
Samhain- Celebrated on/around the eve of November 1'st. The days grow even shorter.This is usually refered to as the Pagan New Year, for this is the day that the Sorcerer form of the God dies and the Crone goddess transforms herself into her Mother form, to become pregnet with the God, so he will reincarnate. For she loves her companion, and must have him back. This is usually a holiday to honor the memories of our loved ones. But we do not grieve for them, instead, we light candles in jack-o-lanterns carved with an image that reminds us of them, celebrating the end of their lessons in this life, and their journey into the next.
Yule- Celebrated on/around the eve of December 21'st. The original birthday of Christ. Yule was however, first honored as the day the Hero form of the God is reborn. The shortest day of the year, and after this day, the days start to get longer. For this reason, this is also known as the Winter Solstice. Traditionaly, a Yule log is burned in honor of the the God's rebirth or candles are placed into cut holes in the log, lit, and placed in a specile place were everyone in the home can view it and welcome the young God.
Imbolc- Celebrated on/around the eve of Febuary 2'nd. A crossquarter holiday, that is also known as Candellammas, and the festival of lights.This marks the Goddess' recovery after giving birth to the young God, who is lusty and playful at this time. With him, the Goddess starts the planting of her seeds which will be fertile at Ostara. This holiday is celebrated by a mass of candles, which are lit to welcome the ever growing length of the days after a shut-in winter.
Ostara- Celebrated on/around April 21'st. Also known as the Spring Equinox. The days are getting even longer. This is when the Hero God has grown a little older and him and the Goddess become very close. There playing through out the lands is what makes the seeds planted at Imbolc grow. This holiday is sometimes celebrated by placing an egg on an open flat piece of land, and watching how it stands up, perfectly balenced with the perfectly balenced energies of the earth. A Maiden Goddess of fertility rules the bunny (a symbol of fertility) and the egg (the symbol of life on earth for it is round like earth, and inside is a life just waiting to be born) and this is the real origin of the Easter Bunny. Coloring Eggs at this time is also a pagan past time, for we try and work with our creativity.
Beltane- Celebrated on/around the eve of May 1'st. The days are growing longer.Another crossquarter holiday where the God and Goddess become even closer and they start to plan there goals for the future. Bonfires are usually part of the celebration for this holiday, for back a long time ago, people once leaped these bonfires skyclad, on brooms and pitchforks, hoping to make the crops grow as high as the jump. This is were the old flying on broomsticks misconception came from as a "good Christian" spied on this diplay at one point and thought that they were trying to fly, so to them, they of course thought the "Devil" was at hand.
Middsummer- Celebrated on/around the eve of June 21'st. Also known as Mead and the Summer Solstice. The longest day of the year, and this is when the God has grown into a young man and has become the Lover form of the God. At this time, The God and Goddess are finally reunited as companions and there energy of Love is at its peak at this time. Handfasts usually take place on this day and the honeymoons usually last untill the full moon, which is sometimes refered to as the Honeymoon, for this is a good time to store honey from the full hives. This of course is where the term Honeymoon comes from.
Lughnasadh- Celebrated on/around the eve of August 1'st. A crossquarter holiday Also known as Lammass. This is also known as the begining of the Harvest season, and wiccans celebrate the reapings of there hard work. The goals that they planned for at Beltane are finally starting to manifest.The days grow shorter as the God , who is now in his King form, grows weaker. The Goddess is both i sorrow for his soon to come death, but is happy that there love lives on in her as he will once again come back as her child. Corn Dollies are made on this day as decoration, and it is celebrated with a simple feast of the very first ripeings.
Mabon- Celebrated on/around May 21'st. Also known as the Autumn Equinox. This day marks the end of the harvest and the Wicca celebrate there goals being met. The days grow shorter, but also does the God Grow weaker, and not long after this day, he enters the last form of his being, the Sorcerer, and so does the Goddess become the Crone. Walks are taken on Mabon to coolect seed pods and dried plants for decoration of the home, and a sort of "thanksgiving" feast usually follows. |
