P5B: What are the Sabbats?
As said there are eight..
- Yule (Winter Solstice) December 19, 20, 21, 22, or 23
- Imbolc (Brigid, Candlemas, Imbolg, or Brigid’s Day) February 1 or 2
- Ostara (Spring Equinox, Eostar or Oestarra) March 20, 21, 22, or 23
- Beltane (May Eve, Beltaine, Bealtaine, or May Day) April 30 or May 1
- Litha (Summer Solstice, or Midsummer) June 20, 21, 22, or 23
- Lammas (Lughnasad or Lughnasad) August 1
- Mabon (Fall Equinox or Home Harvest) September 20, 21, 22, or 23
- Samhain (All Hallow’s Eve, Hallowmas or Halloween): October 31 (some celebrate November 1)
Yule aka Winter Solstice
Since to most Pagans God is represented by the Sun
and the Goddess by the Moon. Yule is a very symbolic time as it not only marks the
shortest day of the year. But it is a
time that shows the death and rebirth.
Yule is where The Goddess gives birth to a son, The God. Following this seasonal time The Sun (God)
stays up in the sky for a short time although as the seasons continue to change
and God (The Sun) stays up longer and longer, just as the sun literally is in the
sky longer and longer, this is a symbolism of how he grows into a boy and then
a man and then an elderly man and eventually his death throughout the seasons.
Ways in most Pagans celebrate Yule usually has us look
upon the death and darkness of winter but with great hope of new life and
fertility in the Spring time. We often
celebrate this by lighting candles, and decorating evergreen trees to welcome
back the greenness of our lands and to welcome God as he grows giving us those
longer days and shorter nights.
Imbolc (Pronounced
Im-ulk)
Imbolc is the sabbat that marks the early
beginnings of spring time.
The longer days and new growth the Goddess is
recovering after giving birth to the God.
It is also the sabbat that brings us warmth from the Suns new fertility
as he has matured, causing the seeds of life to germinate and sprout.
Imbolc is a celebration of surviving the dark freezing
death of winter, and beaming with new life, longer days, new beginnings, growth,
and new light. It is a time when most
Pagans literally clean their living spaces and is most powerful to cleansing,
cleaning and concentrating workings.
Ostara aka Spring Equinox
(Equinox meaning day and night are the same length.) The Spring Equinox is the festival that marks
the first true day of Spring time.
It is this part of the year that God has reached his
maturity and entering into young adulthood where he is most fertile.
We celebrate Ostara as the light that has taken
over the darkness. It is considered by
Pagans and Witches alike to be the best time of year to do workings for future
gain.
Beltane aka May Day
Beltane is the Sabbat where the Goddess and God lay
together and unite as one. It is also a time for marriage and union.
This is often celebrated with dance, or more
specifically the dance of the May Pole – The May Pole is used as a symbol of
both the flame of the Sun (God) and also that of the fire of the cauldron
(Cauldrons are often a symbol of the womb or goddesses womb). – And the weaving in and out of the May Pole
is a symbol of the the Goddess and God coming together as one.
We also celebrate this Sabbat with a lot of plants. It’s
said to be the best time to do workings of fertility and love.
Litha aka Summer Solstice aka Midsummer
This day marks the longest day of the year and is
the sabbat where nature is at its highest peak and absolutely flourishing with
life.
Litha is often celebrated literally from sun rises
to the point where the sun sets and this is demonstrated with magic of all
kinds - a very powerful day. Many Pagans
celebrate this sabbat around a fire to represent the sun.
Lammas / Lughnasah (Pronounced Loo-na-sad)
Lammas is the marking of the Harvest festifval, it
is where the first harvest of the year takes place and we celebrate this as a
sign of being thankful to both the God and the Goddess for providing us with
such a bountiful crop.
It is the time where God is now reached that
elderly adulthood and is slowly fading and is beginning to die, though he live
on within the womb of the Goddess don’t forget!!
This sabbat is where we reflect and show how we are
thankful and in thought of nature and the world and all that it has given us
this year and how each meal is such a gift.
Most Pagans celebrate this sabbat only with food this is often a meal
containing and also offering a symbolism of the harvest such as bread as a
token of thankfulness and appreciation, it is also to honour.
Mabon aka Autumn Equinox
(Like Spring Equinox, Again the Autumn Equinox is
when day and night are the same length) At
this time of the year the Darkness once again takes over our lands and the
seasons shy away from the light.
The God gets ready to leave his physical body now
until he is reborn, from The Goddess at Yule.
Samhain (Pronounced
Sow-Hane)
Samhain is said to be the Pagan / Witches New
Year. It marks the start of winter and
of death and darkness. It is one of the most important times; as it is a time of the year for
reflection, not just of ourselves, but to remember those we have lost and pay
our respects to them, to our ancestors it is also a time to celebrate what has
been accomplished over the year and be thankful for the harvest and all what we
have.
We celebrate this Sabbat in may ways which may include setting a dinner place for the dead at your table, visiting the resting places of ancestors past, lighting of candles and more.
As said it is also a time of personal reflection, a lot of shadow workings are done around this time especially entering into the darker months.
Physical Activity:
Optional - There are many different ways in which the Sabbats are celebrated.. Perhaps research them maybe even mock practice them?
At the time this blog post was released it is the week before Yule.. Also since this is technically the Birth of God it truly would be a good place for you to start your study.
Book Activity:
