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192 Creating Circles & Ceremonies What are the Sabbats? By She’ D’Montford Sabbats are the markers of Earth’s seasonal cycle. The word Sabbat comes from the same root word as the Hebrew Sabbath, meaning a period of rest. However, this word is originally Babylonian, designating the quarter days of the lunar cycle. That is the full, new, first, and last quarters, which occur about every seven days. It slipped into the Hebrew language to denote their day of rest and prayer which occurred every seventh day. During the Inquisition, Sabbat became the term arbitrarily assigned to the Pagan “Holy Days.” In like manner, communities of Witches were described in the literature of the time as synagogues, lumping the Jewish people as heretics along with practitioners of the Craft; and the distinctions became blurred.. Nevertheless, this name for these eight yearly festivals has stuck. In order to understand these festivals you must remember that they are not man-made. They are not part of a calendar anniversary of dates of historical import, nor are they randomly chosen social institutions, such as Labor Day or Father’s Day. In fact, these eight Sabbats existed long before humanity, as they have always been a basic part of how this planet works. These holidays simply mark the turning points in the cycles of nature. Our planet spins on an axis that is tilted to its orbit around the sun. Once a year this creates a 24hour period with a night that is the longest night of the year, and a day that is the shortest. This is the Winter Solstice (“sun-standing”). In the opposite hemisphere, we have its opposite (the longest day of the year, and the shortest night)—or, the Summer Solstice. Six months later, or halfway around the cycle of the year, we have the opposite situation. Halfway in between this, we have a balancing point, and two more days that are equally important. Each spring and autumn there comes a day when the hours between sunrise and sunset and sunset and sunrise are exactly equal. They are called the Equinoxes, meaning “equal night.” The year is thus split into two halves (or four quarters) for summer/autumn and winter/ spring. The two halves are ruled by a Light God when the days are getting longer and a Dark God when the nights are getting longer. The year is then divided again at the cross quarters. The two Equinoxes and two Solstices are the minor Sabbats, and the cross-quarter days are the major Sabbats. These bisect the quarters, falling at the exact midpoint of each. With these in place, a diagram of the cycle of the year begins to look like an eight-spoked wheel. This image is a sacred symbol in several religions. Thus the cycle of the Sabbats is commonly referred to as “The Wheel of the Year.” It is our small wheel in the greater cycle of things. All things are cyclical, and this life is cyclical in order to fit in with the arrangement of the universe. Books often list arbitrary dates for the major Sabbats, but there exist astronomical methods for putting the cross-quarter days more precisely in-between the minor Sabbats (or you can just check with your local observatory). These Sabbats are solar festivals, and so their mythology illustrates the life cycle of the God principle in nature, which we associate with the sun. The lunar cycles illustrate the life cycle of the Goddess principle in nature.
Book III: W heel of the Year 193 SABBAT ICON MEANING DATE TIME OF YEAR SOLAR FORCE VEGETATIVE FORCE HUMAN LIFECYCLE NATURE DEITIES GODDESS FORCE GOD FORCE SYMBOLS RITUAL CYCLE SELECTED RITUAL THEMES Cycle of the Eight Sabbats (adapted from Larry Cornett and others; icons by Katlyn Breene) OSTARA “Eastern Star” for Eostre, Saxon goddess of dawn & fertility March 21 Spring Equinox Balance of Light and Dark Sprouting, budding Child Fauna (red maid), Faunus (red man), Flora (green maid), Florus (green man) Maiden returns from Underworld/ awakes to meet young lover Return of Green Man Seeds, narcissus, crocus Birthing/ planting Welcome Nature Spirits, charge seeds, decorate/ charge eggs, celebrate Spring, symbolic breaking of bonds BELTAINE “Bel’s Fire” for Belenos, Celtic god of the Sun May 1 15º Taurus Strongly increasing light, balanced heat Flowering Sexual maturity; courtship Faunus (red man), Flora (green maid) Florus (green man) Fertility, Maiden comes of age, sexuality, marriage Return of Summer gods, fertility, sexuality, marriage Maypole, penis, May bush, Mayflower Life/sex Maypole dance, Nature Spirit work, regeneration of Earth, love & care, handfasting, crown May Queen & King, feed each other LITHA Litha is a Saxon grain goddess June 21 Summer Solstice Peak light; darkness to come Growth Parent Gaia (Mother Earth), Sol (Father Sun) Full adult, Mother aspect Sun King embraces Goddess; reborn as God of waning year Sun, Fairies Abundance Nurture crops, appreciate Nature, celebrate Nature’s sacrifice & renewal, make changes & adjustments LUGHNASADH “Games of Lugh” for Lugh, Irish Sun god August 1 15º Leo Declining light; peak heat First harvest; prep. for rest of harvest Children up and about; attain maturity Sol (Father Sun), Faunus (red man), Florus (green man) Leadership, Goddess becomes reaper Teaching, Green Man in full adulthood Last sheaf, corn dolly, bread loaf Competitive, masculine Bless first fruits & tools, invoke skill, knowledge & healing, initiations,brewing,competiive games, sacred cooking fires MABON Mabon is a Celtic god of the harvest, liberation & harmony September 21 Autumn Equinox Balance of Light and Dark Primary harvest Middle age; children weaned Florus (green man) dies Goddess enters Underworld to reign through Winter Underworld gods return Sickle, scythe Dying/ harvest Going away party for Green Man, celebrate harvest, Earth healing, charge seed for next year’s crop SAMHAIN “Summer’s End” Celtic feast of the dead November 1 15º Scorpio Strongly failing light; balanced heat Last harvest; falling leaves; transition Crone, elder; universal knowledge Florus (green man) Fauna (red maid) Faunus (red man) Goddess as Crone God as Gatekeeper; Lord of Underworld Pumpkin, pomegranate, apple, skull Death/ ancestors Spiritworld contact, festival of life & death, celebrate harvest completed, dumb supper, divination, past-life regression YULE “Wheel” Norse iul December 21 Winter Solstice Death/birth of Sun; peak darkness; promise of light Hibernation, dormancy Gestation; time in Summerland Sol (Sun god) born Goddess gives birth to Sun god Sun god reborn Yule log, evergreen tree, holly, ivy, mistletoe Renewal Giftgiving, Saturnalia, magical oaths, kindle Yule log, give birth to new projects, decorate tree with symbols & talismans OIMELC “Ewe’s milk” also Imbolc or Imbolg “in the belly” (pregnancy) February 1 15º Aquarius Baby Sun, increasing light, peak cold Life spark, germination begins Birth Gaia (Mother Earth) Fauna (red maid) Flora (green maid) Inspiration, creativity, midwife (Brigit) Skill (Wayland) Candles, forge, lamb, Brigid’s bed Creative/ female Initiation, naming, begin a new endeavor, feast of flame & waxing light
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Appendices 269 1. Polytheism. Most
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Appendices 285 Appendix E: Index Ab
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Appendices 287 Thanking Deities, 91
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