Table Of Greater Sabbats
SAMHAIN
RITUAL
Wiccan Name Other Name Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere Samhain Halloween October 31st June21-23 Imbolc Candelmas February 2nd August1st Beltane MayDay May1st October31st Lammas Lughnasadh August 1st February 2nd
IMBOLC
Candelmas is a time of awakening, it is accompanied by a mass of candles lighting the way to creativity, as the Goddess after giving birth to a son, is emerging again. She is a young Maiden (virgin Queen), Her energy is is high, wild , free, untamed and new. This celebrates the end of darkness, and the affirmation of growth.
RITUAL
This ritual brings out the creativity in you, a creativity that can lead you to a newer freedom. This is a time of inspiration and initiation into a deeper sense of spirituality. Opening the Path to new experiences, with the willingness to learn new things.Purification can be a focus in this ritual for letting go of things like bad habits and those redundant aspects of our lives. Remeber purification of sin is not something we associate with witchcraft.
BELTANE
The God and Goddess has both reached maturity, and consumate thier love for each other. This highly creative, fragrantly sexual time is expressed through the many fertility symbols that characterize this festival such as bonfires, dancing around a maypole and jumping over the cauldron containing a fire.
RITUAL
New unions are created at this time, which may prove disruptive to our old life. As we commit ourselves in ritual to a certain path, the energies around us are realigned so that we can progress. The viel between the world is thin again and important work at beltane can be achieved. Contact can be made with the dead, but in wiccan belief this is not the same as summoning spirits to your bidding. The purpose of contact would be to give comfort or recieve wisdom from a dear parted friend or realitive.
LAMMAS
This is a time of sacrifice when the God has used the last of his energy to bring a bountiful harvest. The Goddess nurtures his energies, and ensures us a golden harvest of fruits,grain,and vegetables will emerge from the earth. However a price has been paid for the bounty.
RITUAL
Here we observe the Gods death and the Earth's Harvest. It is a time for you to acknowledge your own sacrifice that you made through the year to assure yourself a good harvest. Wether it been through monetary gains, love or career advancements. It is a time to understand that how you have work and what you have sacraficed, will reflect on how bountiful your harvest will be at this time. If it is meager then you can learn from your mistakes and try again nest year. ritual at this time can help you rededicate your spiritual purpose.
YULE Other traditions start the wheel of the year at Yule, with the birth of the Goddess's son. In the Christian calendar Yule is known as Christmas. The Sun is at it's lowest point in the heavens. The birth of new hope and promises is celebrated at this time, because from this day onward the nights will again fall shorter and the days longer. RITUAL Rituals around Yule can focus on what your plans will be for the New Year. Almost in the spirit of New Years resolutions you may want to state some intentions. Wiccans say that what ever intentions you say must be kept. Remember it is one of the tenets of modern witchcraft that you must act according to your will. you may at this time recieve some insight to what path you may take into the New Year. This is seen by some as a gift from the God and Goddess. If you recieve such a present it would be appropriate to give back to the earth during the following year. OSTARA The first day of spring is a time of great energy and promise. This is a time when the Goddess is exploring and feeling her strength and beauty. However, she is not yet set on her path as mother of the God. The festival is equated with Easter in the Christian calendar. The same symbols such as painting eggs can be used in Ostara rituals.
RITUAL LITHA
Wiccan Name Other Name Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere Yule Midwinter Solstice December 21-23 June 21-23 Ostara Spring Equinox March 21-23 September 21-23 Litha Midsummer Solstice June 21-23 December 21-23 Mabon Autumn Equinox September 21-23 March 21-23
RITUAL
Rituals at Litha can be potent with the viels between the worlds being at it's thinnest. If if you decided to celebrate this festival with any working of energies, particularly sexual energy, It would be a very good idea to do a grounding visualization, such as imagining your body as a tree, it's trunk your spine and it's roots your energy linking into the earth. Take stock and notice the fulfillment of some of your achievments, and feel how your life is corresponding to the wheel of the year.MABON
Mabon is a time of primary harvest and for sorting what we will need for winter. it is a time of balance between light and dark, but the cycle looks toward the God's retreat into the underworld. AS the Goddess see's the harvest bieng drawn in, rituals can involve charging the seed for next years harvest. All the Sabbats have strong emphasis on balance between light and dark, the feminine and the masculine, and between life and death.RITUAL
Rituals at this time again focus on giving thanks to the Lord and Lady for whatever was harvested and ritual preparations are made for the quiet time of winter ahead. Winter is a fallow time, and mabon rituals may help focus your mind on what study and resolutions you may need to follow in this quiet time. it is a time for guidance in using the time during winter wisley so that your energy reserves build to a peak that will power you through to the Midsummer Solstice. You may ask for guidance and developement of your inner self.
