The Pagan Sabbats
(days of worship)
Unlike the Christian year we do not have a dated calendar but believe that the cycle of the earth, as with our own lives, is continuous.
Samhain (31st October)
Samhain is the Pagan new year.
This is a sad time because it reminds us that we are all separated from those we love at some point. The Goddess has become a Crone and will spend the winter awaiting the rebirth of her lover. A typical celebration of Samhain might involve performing rituals of divination to predict the future and to contact loved ones who have died, and consecrating and sharing cakes and wine.
Yule (21st December)
This is the day that the Goddess gives birth to the God. Yule is a time of the great darkness or the shortest day of the year, and is the time when the Sun is considered "reborn".
Pagans often light candles or fires to welcome the returning light of the Sun. Yule is a time of 'rebirth' - new beginnings, setting new targets for ones self and putting any regrets or unhappiness of the old year behind us. We place evergreens such as pine, rosemary, bay, juniper and cedar around our home.
Lupercus (2nd February)
Lupercus marks the coming of spring, representing the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God. Seeds begin to germinate and sprout, marking this as a time of fertility. It is traditional to light every lamp or candle in the house once the sun has set to celebrate the Sun's rebirth. Lupercus is a time of new beginnings, and is a good time for spring cleaning, or putting those new year's resolutions into practice. Winter is swept away.
Ostara (21st March)
This Sabbat marks the first true day of spring. The hours of the night and day are equal, light is starting to overtake darkness. The Goddess and God impel creatures of the earth to reproduce. This is a time of beginnings and tending gardens. Ostara is a time for planting seeds, collecting flowers and working with herbs. Seeds, nuts and leafy vegetables are eaten. Flowers are placed around the home, worn, and integrated with food dishes. As the days grow longer than the nights, this is a time to free ourselves from the constraints of the past.
Beltane (30th April)
Beltane marks the return of vitality of passion and of hopes consummated. Beltane celebrates the union of the Goddess and God. Activities include leaping the Beltane fires for luck, or weaving a web of life around a May Pole. Other weaving is popular at this time - joining two separate things into one. Beltane is generally celebrated around a living tree - ideally in a forest. This is a good period to deveop your potential for personal growth, and self-discovery, love and union.
Midsummer (21st June)
Midsummer or the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. It is the time when the powers of nature reach their highest point. The Earth is awash in the fertility of the Goddess and God. The powers of nature are at their highest point, and this season is the best time for all types of magick and spell-casting, though healings and love magick are especially favoured. Bonfires are lit to promote fertility, health and love on this; the longest day of the year. Midsummer Night's Eve is reputedly a good time to commune with spirits and faeries. Herbs for use at this time are vervain, chamomile, rose, lavender, daisy, carnation and lilly.
Lammas (1st August)
Lammas is the time of the first harvest. The days are growing shorter and the crops are dropping their fruits and seeds to ensure future crops. Pagans remember its warmth and bounty in the food they eat. Lughnasadh is the time to share the fruits of your knowledge and experience by teaching that which you have learnt. We decorate our home with wheat, oates, fruits and vegetables of the harvest, and freshly baked bread. It is traditional to plant the seeds from the fruits eaten during this celebration.
Mabon (21st September)
Mabon is the completion of the harvest. Night and day are once again equal. Nature declines, and readies herself for winter. The God prepares to leave His physical body toward renewal and rebirth from the Goddess. We take rest after our labor during the planting and harvesting, animals get ready to hibernate, and nature prepares for winter.
This is a good time for walking through forests and wild environments to gather dried plants for altar decoration and herbal magick. We place acorns, corn stalks, pine cones, autumn leaves and cornbread. Cider and cornbread are favourable sustenance.
Esbats
Esbats are festivals of the Goddess based around the phases or cycles of the Moon. They are generally more personal in nature than celebrations of the Sabbats. The Esbats can be used for whichever magick you feel appropriate. One of the most significant factors in an Esbat is the current phase of the Moon. Esbats occur on the full and new Moons, and sometimes at the various stages in between. Lunar eclipses represent the perfect union of the Sun and Moon. Any type of magick is acceptable at this time.
Syn's Potion Notion
