The Sabbats

Over the course of a year, Wiccans celebrate a series of seasonal festivals, known as Sabbats. There are four Sabbats in the Wiccan year, along with two solstices and two equinoxes, that are also celebrated by the majority of Wiccans. However, the Sabbats are the major festivals of the religion.

Samhain

The Wiccan New Year begins from the festival of Samhain (pronounced: sow-in) which takes place on October 31st. The day most often associated with Halloween.

This is a time of darkness, when the world is cold and dead. This festival reflects this deathly time, as the God is now in the underworld, where he sits as Lord. However, during this time the barriers between life and death are at their thinnest and so the spirits of the other side may travel freely between their world and ours, with the God holding the doorway open for them. So Wiccans celebrate the return of their dead loved ones and commonly enact a feast in which the spirits of the dead are there dining with them.

Meanwhile, the Goddess is also passing through the underworld and so the God stands as her protector in his realm. She will be reborn on the other side of death, but for now she is reunited with her love and will eventually go on the pave the way for his return to the world.

The Winter Solstice (Yule)

On or around December 22nd is the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year and the shortest day. At this point the Sun reaches the lowest point in its power, yet this is the time that the Goddess has prepared for.

As the shortest day it is also the turning towards the light half of the year, as from now on the days will become longer and the sun will grow in power. With this rebirth of the Sun, the God emerges from the Underworld, reborn of the Goddess, who now cradles him safely in her arms.

Imbolc (Candlemass)

This is the second major Sabbat of the Wiccan year, occurring on February 1st. At this point the Goddess has truly asserted herself as the mother of the God and she presents him to the world. The fertility of the Goddess and the youth of the God can be seen in the first stirrings of the natural world, as for the first time we begin to notice the return of the green world, though it is not rich in life yet.

As the world prepares to renew itself, the Goddess also prepares to renew herself once more by becoming the youthful Maiden in the coming season. But for now, she oversees the emergence of the young Earth.

Spring Equinox (Eostara)

The Spring Equinox takes place on or around March 21st, marking the start of Spring. Having left the arms of his mother, the God ventures into the fields and woodlands of the rejuvenated world and is ready to take his place as Lord of the forest. Winter is truly over and the world has recreated itself in the image of life. Likewise, the Goddess recreates herself in her Maiden form and she explores the natural world that she has given birth to. She is young and full of wonder. She meets the God in the forests and they playfully begin their romance.

With the budding of plants, the land is filled with fertility and these two young Gods are gazing upon each other with love and the first stirrings of sexual attraction.

Beltane

At the end of April comes the third major Sabbat. This time acknowledges the love of the God and Goddess in its glorious totality. They are filled with sexual desire and the entire natural world reflects this. Animals mate, flowers blossom and perhaps in the distant woodland one can hear the clash of dear antlers in their prowess as they seek to earn sexual dominance. This is the sacred marriage of the Goddess and the God. He has truly taken his place as the Oak King, ruler of the living forest, while she is his queen. They are lovers and the whole world is ripe with that love.

To celebrate these things, the Wicca engage in much gaiety and in the jumping of the broomstick in order to promote fertility. Some may even take part in the traditional European ritual of the weaving of the maypole, which in its phallic aspect, is very suitable for representing the sexual and marital union of the God to the Goddess.

This is a time for great celebrations.

Summer Solstice (Litha)

In mirror to the Winter Solstice, this is the longest day of the year (around June 21st), showing the height of the Gods power as his fiery orb holds its position in the sky. But with the longest day begins the turn of the year towards the darker days, as from now the daylight hours will begin to grow shorter. The Oak King, ruler of the forest, must prepare to surrender his throne when the cold moths set in.

He is aging and he knows that he will have to make a great sacrifice soon, yet he is stoic and prepared to meet his fate with dignity.

Lughnasadh (Lammas)

As Autumn takes hold of the land, it is time to bring in the crops. At this time, the Goddess must sacrifice her lover so that the community can survive. As he is the natural world, he must now be cut down in the fields, so that his power can be harvested and consumed. This is the responsibility of the Corn King. He becomes the vessel of humanity's survival in the cold times ahead.

But he will not be gone completely. The presence of the God will remain in the sparse greenery of the woodland, which will be his crown in death as he adopts the mantel of the Holly King, leaving the evergreen plants as a legacy to his power.

Autumn Equinox (Mabon)

At the Autumn Equinox, around September 21st, the Sun's power is balanced between light and dark. This is the time of the second harvest. The Oak King is now completely cut down and stands face to face with what he will become, the Holly King. Their power is equal in the sun, and yet the future is inevitable. So the God slips into death after today and assumes his new position, taking up his crown as the Holly King.

The Holly King opens his arms to the coming darkness and allows it to dominate the world, bringing it closer to his kingdom, so that when the wheel of the year returns us to Samhain his world and the mortal world shall touch and he will be reunited with the Goddess once more.



		The Sabbats Over the course of a year, Wiccans celebrate a series of seasonal festivals, known as Sabbats. There are four Sabbats in the Wiccan year, along with two solstices and two equinoxes, that are also celebrated by the majority of Wiccans. However, the Sabbats are the major festivals of the religion. Samhain The Wiccan New Year begins from the festival of Samhain (pronounced: sow-in) which takes place on October 31st. The day most often associated with Halloween. This is a time of darkness, when the world is cold and dead. This festival reflects this deathly time, as the God is now in the underworld, where he sits as Lord. However, during this time the barriers between life and death are at their thinnest and so the spirits of the other side may travel freely between their world and ours, with the God holding the doorway open for them. So Wiccans celebrate the return of their dead loved ones and commonly enact a feast in which the spirits of the dead are there dining with them. Meanwhile, the Goddess is also passing through the underworld and so the God stands as her protector in his realm. She will be reborn on the other side of death, but for now she is reunited with her love and will eventually go on the pave the way for his return to the world. The Winter Solstice (Yule) On or around December 22nd is the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year and the shortest day. At this point the Sun reaches the lowest point in its power, yet this is the time that the Goddess has prepared for. As the shortest day it is also the turning towards the light half of the year, as from now on the days will become longer and the sun will grow in power. With this rebirth of the Sun, the God emerges from the Underworld, reborn of the Goddess, who now cradles him safely in her arms. Imbolc (Candlemass) This is the second major Sabbat of the Wiccan year, occurring on February 1st. At this point the Goddess has truly asserted herself as the mother of the God and she presents him to the world. The fertility of the Goddess and the youth of the God can be seen in the first stirrings of the natural world, as for the first time we begin to notice the return of the green world, though it is not rich in life yet. As the world prepares to renew itself, the Goddess also prepares to renew herself once more by becoming the youthful Maiden in the coming season. But for now, she oversees the emergence of the young Earth. Spring Equinox (Eostara) The Spring Equinox takes place on or around March 21st, marking the start of Spring. Having left the arms of his mother, the God ventures into the fields and woodlands of the rejuvenated world and is ready to take his place as Lord of the forest. Winter is truly over and the world has recreated itself in the image of life. Likewise, the Goddess recreates herself in her Maiden form and she explores the natural world that she has given birth to. She is young and full of wonder. She meets the God in the forests and they playfully begin their romance. With the budding of plants, the land is filled with fertility and these two young Gods are gazing upon each other with love and the first stirrings of sexual attraction. Beltane At the end of April comes the third major Sabbat. This time acknowledges the love of the God and Goddess in its glorious totality. They are filled with sexual desire and the entire natural world reflects this. Animals mate, flowers blossom and perhaps in the distant woodland one can hear the clash of dear antlers in their prowess as they seek to earn sexual dominance. This is the sacred marriage of the Goddess and the God. He has truly taken his place as the Oak King, ruler of the living forest, while she is his queen. They are lovers and the whole world is ripe with that love. To celebrate these things, the Wicca engage in much gaiety and in the jumping of the broomstick in order to promote fertility. Some may even take part in the traditional European ritual of the weaving of the maypole, which in its phallic aspect, is very suitable for representing the sexual and marital union of the God to the Goddess. This is a time for great celebrations. Summer Solstice (Litha) In mirror to the Winter Solstice, this is the longest day of the year (around June 21st), showing the height of the Gods power as his fiery orb holds its position in the sky. But with the longest day begins the turn of the year towards the darker days, as from now the daylight hours will begin to grow shorter. The Oak King, ruler of the forest, must prepare to surrender his throne when the cold moths set in. He is aging and he knows that he will have to make a great sacrifice soon, yet he is stoic and prepared to meet his fate with dignity. Lughnasadh (Lammas) As Autumn takes hold of the land, it is time to bring in the crops. At this time, the Goddess must sacrifice her lover so that the community can survive. As he is the natural world, he must now be cut down in the fields, so that his power can be harvested and consumed. This is the responsibility of the Corn King. He becomes the vessel of humanity's survival in the cold times ahead. But he will not be gone completely. The presence of the God will remain in the sparse greenery of the woodland, which will be his crown in death as he adopts the mantel of the Holly King, leaving the evergreen plants as a legacy to his power. Autumn Equinox (Mabon) At the Autumn Equinox, around September 21st, the Sun's power is balanced between light and dark. This is the time of the second harvest. The Oak King is now completely cut down and stands face to face with what he will become, the Holly King. Their power is equal in the sun, and yet the future is inevitable. So the God slips into death after today and assumes his new position, taking up his crown as the Holly King. The Holly King opens his arms to the coming darkness and allows it to dominate the world, bringing it closer to his kingdom, so that when the wheel of the year returns us to Samhain his world and the mortal world shall touch and he will be reunited with the Goddess once more.