THE 8 HOLIDAYS OF THE DRUIDS
  Yule/Winter Solstice - Dec. 19th-22nd 
  Imbolc -  Jan.31/Feb 2nd 
  Ostara/Spring Equinox - Mar. 19th-22nd 
  Beltane -  Apr.31st/May 1st. 
  Litha/ Midsummer -  June 19th-22nd 
  Lughnasadh/Lammas - July31st/Aug.1st 
  Mabon/Autumnal Equinox -  Sept. 19th-22nd 
  Samhain/ Celtic New Year - Oct.31/Nov.1st 

YULE
Celebration of the rebirth of the Sun, the Sun God and honors the Horned God. The longest night of the year falls on Yule. Yule is when we celebrate the coming light, and thank the Gods for seeing us through the longest night. It is a time to look on the past year's achievements and to celebrate with family and friends. This day is the official first day of winter. The Goddess gives birth to the Sun Child and hope for new light is born. Yule, also called Winter Solstice, The origins of most of the Christmas traditions come from the Pagan Yule celebration, such things as the Christmas tree, the colors red and green and the gift giving.

IMBOLG
Celebrates the banishing of Winter and welcomes the Spring. At the time of Imbolc, the newborn Sun God is seen as a small child nursing from his Mother. Imbolc is a time to swept away Winter and nuture new beginnings. This Sabbat also represents spiritual growth. Imbolc is a good time to get your life in order, whether mentally, physically, spiritually or emotionally. The name Imbolc, is derived from Gaelic, and means "ewe's milk" after the lactating sheep that are feeding their first born lambs of the new season at this time of year.

OSTARA
Recognizes the start of Spring, and celebrates the Goddess, once again in her maiden aspect. Ostara is a time to celebrate the arrival of Spring and end of Winter. Ostara marks the day when night and day are equal and balanced. Christians celebrate Easter near this same time and is based on basically the same principles as ours. Easter is determined in a very Pagan manner, it always falls on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox. Even the name Easter, comes from the old religion, it was derived from the Goddess Eostre.

BELTANE
Represents the divine union of the God and the Goddess. The Goddess is now in her Mother aspect, and it is from her womb that all life will Spring. This Sabbat is primarily a fertility festival. Beltane is a time of self-discovery, love, union, and developing your potential for personal growth. It is also a time of great magick, and a good time for divinations of all types. These festivals are to show our appreciation of the warmer weather and enjoyment of the world around us. This signifies the beginning of Summer, and flower petals are strewn about the house for good luck and to welcome warmth and emotion of this season into our homes. This is also a time to celebrate unions and marriage. Maypoles are traditionally erected and the Queen of the May Dance is performed by taking in hand the ribbons of the Maypole and Dancing Deosil (clockwise) around the pole.

LITHA
Represents the Sun King in all his glory. This Sabbat celebrates the Goddess, she is now heavy with child, as is nature heavy with the bounty of the coming harvest. This is when the Oak King and Holly King are one. The Oak King is the growing youth, while the Holly King is the mature man. Midsummer is a time when energies abound. Midsummer is the classic time to perform magicks of all kinds. The longest day of the year. A classic time for magickal workings of all kinds. It is believed that whatever you dream of on this night will come true. It is a celebration of passion, sexual love, and success. Also, at Midsummer, for just a few days the sun appears to be at a standstill ~ setting in the same place in the evening sky each day. Many Pagans keep vigil on the night of June 21st, leaving their homes at dusk to travel to a place that is sacred to them, and awaiting the sunrise to welcome the dawn. It is said that this day is sacred to the Sidhe.

LUGHNASADH
Celebration of the first fruits of the harvest. The Sun King, now the Dark Lord, gives his energy to the crops to ensure life. The Mother now prepares to give way to her aspect as the Crone. The God figures more prominently here than the Goddess, since this is the harvest. Though she is still thanked for the bringing the fruits of harvest. Lammas honors the Grain Harvests and the Gods and Goddesses of Death and Resurrection. Many traditions weave corn dollies, brooms and wreaths with corn stalks ~ these corn dollies are used as a symbolic sacrifice of the corn to assure a good harvest the coming year, and so is for the good of the community. We are reminded as the season changes, that nothing is constant.

MABON
Is a time of balance, the days and nights are equal, giving way to increased darkness. The God prepares to leave his physical body beginning the great adventure into the unseen toward renewal and rebirth of the Goddess. The Goddess is entering into Cronehood and the dark year is beginning. A time for giving thanks for the bounty, but also for meditation. Stones that were gathered from the beds of streams and rivers are now empowered for use in magickal and spell workings.

SAMHAIN
The Celtic New Year could be the most significant festival for Pagans. It is said to be the time when the veil between the worlds is very thin, when souls are leaving this physical plane and souls are coming back (reincarnating). Samhain is when darkness increases. The Goddess reigns as the Crone and the God, Dark Lord, passes into the underworld to become the seed of his own rebirth. Divination is heightened on this night. The Festival of the Dead, the eve of the Dark Lord and Dark Mother Oct. 31st through Nov.1 is bonfire night. Bonfires and masks were traditionally worn on this eve to ward off evil, restless spirits and daemons etc.





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