The Sabbats & Esbats
There are Eight Sabbats, four Great Sabbats relating to the Solar Calendar, and the four “Lesser Sabbats” are seasonal. The Sabbats are our "Holy Days or Feasts" together with the Esbats being the days of the Full Moon where Covens or Solitary Witches either gather or work their magicks and worship the Luna Goddess seen on this night as the “Great Mother”. Here then is the list of of the Sabbats as they are worked in the Southern hemispheres:
1. Samhuinn (or Samhain):: ( April 30th )
2. Yule (Alban Arthuan, Winter Solstice): ( June 21st )
3. Imbolc (or Oimelc): ( August 2nd )
4. Ostara (Spring Equinox): ( September 21st )
5. Alban Heruin or Summer Solstice: ( Octubre 31st )
6. Alban Heruin or Summer Solstice: ( December 21st )
7. Lughnassadh: ( February 2nd )
8. Mabon (Alban Eiler or Vernal Equinox): ( March 21st )
First of all we’ll start with the Planetary Hours which are used to ascertain what influences are happening when working any form of magick and then we’ll deal with the eight festivals in some detail.
Planetary Hours ~ Day
Using
the information supplied by a local Observatory, note the time for
Planetary Hours ~ Night
Using
the information supplied by a local Observatory, note the time for
Festivals for the Southern Hemisphere
Some of this information refers to the traditional dates for the Northern hemisphere but the date in brackets following the name of each festival header is correct for the Southern hemisphere
Samhuinn (or Samhain): ( April 30th )
Samhain (pronounced "Sô-un" or "sow-en" -- not "Sam Hain"): Is known in Modern Irish as Lá Samhna, in Welsh as Nos Calan-gaeaf (Calen-gaeof; that is, the Night of the Winter Calends), in Manx* as Laa Houney (Hollantide Day), and as Sauin or Souney; is the original festival that became "All Saints' Day," or "All Hallow's Evening," which was contracted into "Hallow-e'en" or the modern Halloween It is, also, know as All Souls Day, Day of the Dead, Third Harvest, Samana, Old Hallowmas, Vigil of Saman, Shadowfest, Samhuinn, and Martinmas.
* Note: Manx is the Celtic language of the inhabitants of the "Isle of
It's the Wiccan New Year. A time for meditation and remembering of those who have passed away, coinciding with the end of the harvest, and when they say the veil between this world and the other thins to it's most. In the Anglo-Saxon countries it's celebration lived on with the Halloween feasting, taking some of it's symbols like Jack O'Lanterns. A Sabbath traditionally considered as excellent for divination, and on which offerings are left at the doorsteps for the souls of the Dead which come to visit. At this Sabbath we celebrate de death of the God and the promise of his rebirth in Yule
Samhain, meaning "Summer’s End," is celebrated on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 (Northern Hemisphere). A solemn occasion. As darkness overwhelmed the world, the days grew short, and the earth became barren and cold and the veil between the mortal and the supernatural was temporarily drawn aside. Samhain is the beginning of the Celtic New Year. This is the time when the rising of Pleiades, heralds the triumph of night over day. Now it is the “time of the little sun” and the portion of the year which is ruled by the realms of the moon.
Samhain was a time of fairs and festivities. As with all the fire festivals, fires were lit on the hilltops at Samhain. This festival was one of the two when all hearth fires were extinguished and re-lit from the communal bonfires. The cattle were driven back from the mountains where they had been sent for the summer. At this time of their return they were driven between two bonfires to purify and protect them. People and cattle both had now returned from the hills and glens to their winter quarters and were engaged in actively re-tying the social bonds. Just prior to this, the stores that had been put up had been assessed. Part of this assessment was how many could be fed during the cold months ahead. Rather than have whole herds starve to death in the winter, the herds were culled and the weakest harvested and the meat was preserved.
The taking of life was done in a sacred way, and the utilitarian killing of the excess livestock had a sacrificial nature. Another area were the religious philosophy is addressed was in the bonds of kinship which were renewed in the clan spirit that was invoked at this time of year. Traditionally Samhain begins the time of storytelling by the fires of the hearth, as there isn’t much to do outside during this “time of the little sun.”
Among other things, it is the beginning of the Winter Half of the Year (the seasons of Geimredh & Earrach) and is known as "The Day Between Years." The day before Samhain is the last day of the old year and the day after Samhain is the first day of the pagan "New Year". Being a day "between years," it is considered a very magical night, when the dead walk among the living and the veils between past, present and future may be lifted in prophecy and divination.
Samhain marks the beginning
of the pagan year and is considered a time when the separation between life and
death becomes thin. Accordingly, it is set aside as a time to honour ancestors
and remember the dead. This is the third and final harvest of the year. In
religions with "dying gods" this is when the old god dies and the
goddess reigns alone as the wise and powerful Crone (pagan Trinity is the Maiden
~ Matron ~ Crone)
Samhain basically means
"summer's end" and many are the important mythological events
that occurred on that day. It was on a Samhain that the Nemedians captured
the terrible
Yule (Alban Arthuan, Winter Solstice): ( June 21st )
The Winter Solstice Festival,
when the sun, after it's withdrawal and the longest night of the Year, starts
to come back closer to the Earth. This new closeness marks the rebirth of the
God from his own seed planted on the Goddess, and was later taken by
christianity as Christ's birth day (keep in mind Yule falls near christmas in
the northern hemisphere). It's a solar festival, in which traditionally all
lights and fires were put down, lighting a new one by
The Winter Solstice, (also
called Yule, Jul, Midwinter, and Saturnalia): This is a day sacred to the Sun, Thunder, and Fire
deities. Large fires were built outdoors and Yule Logs lit indoors, in order to
rekindle the dying Sun and help it to return brightly to the Northern skies.
Burnt logs and ashes from the Midwinter fires were kept as a talisman (charm)
against lightning and house fires. It was also a custom in many parts of
Paleopagan Europe to decorate live evergreen trees in honor of the gods Thus,
the REBIRTH (Annual Birthday) of the
Note: In 46BC, when the Roman "Julian" calendar was adopted, December 24th. was the shortest day of the year. Therefore, December 25th. was the first day of the year that the days started to get longer.
Yule marks that point in the year which celebrates the return of the light. It begins with the longest night ("Eve") of the year after which the daylight increases. This is also the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, and all the "dying" gods of various religions. The reborn god is generally depicted in child form. The Roman Sol InvictusCult was an ancient Sun god worshipping group who worshipped the Sun god Apollo. Interesting note here is that on the original Roman Julian calendar this "Eve" date was originally set as December 24th, 46 BC., but was shifted to December 21st. in 1582 AD by the Roman catholic Gregorian calendar. However, Xmas (the Birthday of the Sun gods) kept the traditional December 25th. date.
This was a time of both fun and fear. The fear engendered by the failing of the light shaped a striking legend in Greek culture. It's the story of the Kallikantzaroi (ugly monsters of chaos) who, during most of the year, are forced underground, but during the 12 days of Yule (now Xmas), the gremlin like demons are said to roam freely on the earth's surface. They are known more for malicious practical joking than any real harm (braiding horse's tails, souring milk, putting out the home fire in a particularly indelicate manner). To scare them away, the Greeks kept their Yule logs burning. They also burned old shoes, believing the smell would repel the creatures. Any child born during the twelve days of Yule (Xmas) was in danger of becoming a Kallikantzaroi. The antidote? Binding the baby in tresses of garlic or straw or singeing the child's toenails!
Imbolc (or Oimelc): ( August 2nd )
Fire festival, taken by the
christians later to their Candlemass celebration. At this time we celebrate the
first hints of spring after the long winter. It's the childhood of the God, and
a Celtic traditions honours on this day the Goddess, calling that feast
Brigantia.
The next festival on the Celtic Calender took place on Feb. 1st or 2nd (Northern Hemisphere) and was called Imbolc. It centered around the fertility goddess Brigit and was concerned with the fertility of livestock and other pastoral matters. Brighid is invited into the house on the eve of this holiday. Candles were blessed. Auguries were often taken at this time. From from Samhain to Imbolc was considered the winter. As there were few daylight hours during the season of cold work outdoors, the family spent their time round the fire which was the source of their light, heat and warming food. It was also the gathering point for the seannachaidh (story teller) who, with the fire of inspiration, would tell the stories of the people.
The sacred fire is strongly associated with Bride. Her name translates as 'fiery arrow'. One of her aspects is the Goddess of poetry and it is She who is the 'flame of inspiration'. Another term given to Bride is 'the flame in the heart of all women'. This relates to the absolute authority of the woman in the house. Imbolc was a fire festival only for the household.
Oimelc ("ee-melc"): Known in Modern Irish as Imbolc and as Lá na Féile Bríde (Festival of Saint Bridgit), in Manx as Laa'n Arragh (Day of Spring), and as "Candlemas" in English. Brighid, Bride or Bridget is yet another pagan goddess (actually a witch) turned into a "saint" by the catholics in order to co-opt her worship. This goddess was a triple-aspected (Trinity) deity (originally a Sun goddess) of Poetry, Divination, Healing and Smithcraft, whose followers kept an eternal flame burning in her honor. By analogy with the Gaelic names of the other High Days, we may safely assume that the holiday was originally called La'áOimelc and was the festival of the lactation of the ewes. In Paleopagan days (and, indeed, until the recent past) the sheep were very important animals, providing both food and clothing. The occasion of the birth of lambs (not to mention kids and calves) was a cause for rejoicing and a sign of life in the "dead" world of a Northern winter."Candlemas" is a catholic term for a holiday occurring February 1st or 2nd. This supposedly is in honor of a "Saint Blaise" and has no official connection with "Saint Bridget" (a witch) and her cult of fire, nor with the fact that this day was one of the four major fire festivals of Paleopagan cultures throughout Western and Northern Europe. Of course, the catholics don't mention a certain Slavic god named Vlaise, who was the Patron Saint of cattle, wealth and war, and who was worshipped with fire.
Oimelc begins the spring season of Earrach. February 2nd is also known as Groundhog's Day, a holiday so-called because American groundhogs were the local counterpart to the Irish hare (bunny) that was sacred to Bride or Bridget. Celtic belief is that good weather on Oimelc means that winter will continue, and that bad weather means winter is on the way out; hence the importance of the presence or absence of a sacred animal's shadow (a Bunny or a Groundhog).
Ostara (Spring Equinox): ( September 21st )
The Spring Equinox, although sometimes known as the
Festival of the Trees, is better known as the feast of (the German fertility
goddess) Eostara (Ostara or Astarte), and (the Babylonian
goddess) Ishtar or "Easter."
Spring Equinox. The God is young, and him and the Goddess fall in love, their love renewing Nature like the sun that gently caress the earth, also inspiring the animals to multiply. It's a feast of love and growth.
Beltane: ( October 31st )
Celebrated with famous fires, it's perhaps the most well known Sabbath after
Samhain. It's The Fertility Festival, where we celebrate the union of the
Goddess and the God. It still survives in the May Poles in some places of the
Northern Hemisphere. This celebration was condemned by the Church, saying it
promoted indecent sexual behaviour.
Beltane, known in Modern Irish as Lá Bealtaine, in Welsh as Calan-Mai (Calends of May), in Scottish Gaelic as Bealtiunn, and in Manx as Shenn da Boaddyn, Laa Boaldyn, or Laa'n Tourey (Day of Summer); is, of course, the day we know in English as May Day. It is also called by a variety of other names, such as Roodmas, Summer Day, Walpurgistag, St. Pierre's Day, Red Square Day, etc. It is the beginning of the Summer Half of the Year (the seasons of Samradh & Foghamhar) and is a festival of forbidden joys. In some traditions this is the celebration of the coronation feast of the god, or the goddess' consort. It had always been a time of sexuality and passion during which normal constraints of fidelity are set aside. It is intended as a time to enjoy the bounty of the earth and the pleasures of physical sex.
A very large
number of important mythological (and not so mythological) events are
connected with this day, which balances out Samhain on the opposite side of the
"Wheel of the Year." It was on a Beltane that Partholan and his
followers, the first inhabitants and partial creators of
*Note: Tuatha De Danann is the Irish title for the ancient
"Tribe of Dan," which was (is) supposed to be one of the original
twelve tribes of
The following places in
Additionally, the following places
appear to be other areas of conquest outside of
So why wasn't there a more Hebraic influence established on these areas of Dannite conquests? Yahweh, The Creator, would never have allowed the ancient Israelites to be conquered by the Assyrians had they loved Him, and kept their Covenant (Marriage Vow of Obedience) with Him. Instead they practiced pagan rituals and worshipped pagan gods. Therefore, Yahweh took away his protection, because He no longer favored them (gave them grace). So what is the implication here? Simple, the Dannites were pagan, and possibly more pagan than the nations into which they merged.
This holiday was called Beltaine, probably because of the name Belenus, the god of light. At this time, all household fires were extinguished and great bonfires were kindled on hilltops. From these sacred fires all household fires were relit, thus gaining the blessings of the God. People and cattle jumped across the bonfires in a symbolic ritual of purification and protection from evil; getting the cattle to jump over the fires must have been a difficult matter, even though cows are capable of clearing five- or six-foot fences.
Young women will wash their face in the dew of Beltaine morning to preserve their youth. May dew was indeed considered to be holy water. This day was one which saw visits to the holy well. A visitor would walk three times around the well, then they would throw in a silver coin, after which while thinking of their wish they would drink from the well using their hands. When those things were done, they would then tie a bit of colored cloth or a piece of clothing to a branch of a nearby tree. The above had to be done in complete silence as well as when the sun wasn’t in sight. The final part of the procedure had the visiting person well out of sight of the well before sunrise.
In many places, a May Queen was elected. She was crowned by an elder lady of notoriety, after the new queen and her court had arrived at a predetermined place. Some believe that in the older times, it was the May Queen who lead the hymns to the rising sun, as all the people congregated on the appropriate hill at Beltaine. She is also believed to have led some of the “marches” in the older times.
Alban Heruin or Summer Solstice: ( December 21st )
Summer's Solstice, where the
God reaches the peak of it's power before starting it's withdrawal again. The
shortest night of the year, and traditionally good for magick and love rites.
Note: The Summer Solstice: usually occurring around June 21st or so. Also known as St. John's Day, Litha, and Midsummer, it shares mythical elements with both Beltane and Lughnasadh. Like both, it is a feast celebrating the glory of summer and the peak of the Sun god's power. But in many systems of belief, it is the day of the biggest battle of the year between the Dark Sun god and the Light Sun god (the dangerous vs. the safe one), Who are usually brothers or otherwise intimately related. Midsummer is a peak from which the Sun can only fall, for it is the day on which the hours of light slowly begin to shorten.
Litha is the celebration of the longest day of the year when light is abundant. In some traditions it is considered the peak of the consort‘s strength before he begins his decline. The god is frequently depicted in his aspect as The Green Man . All night vigils and celebrations are common.
This day originally observed the first harvest of the year’s crops. The god is in decline as the nights grow longer but food is bountiful as the goddess continues to gain in strength and wisdom.
Lughnassadh: ( February 2nd )
The feast of the Celtic god
Lugh, identified with the Sun, and one of the names the God can take upon
Himself. The power of the God is lesser, but even then he blesses the cattle in
a traditional ceremony where they're driven over the ashes of the fires lit
during the festival.
August 1 brought the feast
of Lugh, the sun god; the feast was called Lughnasadh.
The Celtic Religion, like that of ancient
Throughout Gaelic lands Lughnasadh is to this day known as "the festival of first fruits". It does in a very real way honor Thallium, who as a Goddess of the Land (and sovereignty), is the Earth Mother. In addition to the games, there were recitations of poems, genealogies and romantic tales. Music was provided by “cruits” (harps), timpans, trumpets, horns and “cuisig” or “piob” (pipes). Feats of horsemanship were performed. There were also jugglers and clowns. It seems that there were usually three distinct market places; one for food and clothes, one for livestock and another for luxury goods. If it rained during this festival, it was believed that Lugh himself was present.
Lughnasadh was the season of handfastings, or trial marriages that lasted a year and a day. After that time the couple had to return to the same place at the fair the following year to make their contract a permanent one. They also had the right to declare themselves divorced by walking in opposite directions away from each other. Trial marriages of a year and a day lasted up until recent centuries in many Gaelic areas. During this time young people would often simply "pair up" with a 'brother' or 'sister' for the duration of the fair, after which they went their separate ways. In some places one whole day was dedicated to horse and chariot.
Lughnasadh: Known in Modern Irish as Lá Lúnasa, in Welsh as Gwyl Awst (August Feast), in Manx as Lla Lluanys, as Laa'n Ouyr (Day of the Harvest Season) or as Lammas, and to the English as Apple Day and Harvest Home. Essentially it is a harvest festival that signals the beginning of the harvest season and the ripening of the apples (as well as other fruits and vegetables). Applejack, hard cider, mead and other alcoholic beverages are consumed at this time (it's expected!) by many enthusiastic Neopagans.
This holiday is a day of mixed joy and woe (Irish wakes are an old tradition), for it is by now obvious that the days are getting shorter. Stories of the battles between Lugh and Balor (the light, Sun & Fire Yahweh and the dark one) are retold, as the autumn quarter of Foghamhar begins.
Mabon (Alban Eiler or Vernal
Equinox): ( March 21st )
The Autumn Equinox, when
the Earth gets ready for the absence of the God and the days start to get
sensibly shorter. It's a good time for meditation and introspection.
Autumn (Fall) Equinox: (often called Michaelmas) is the last pagan holiday of the year and occurs somewhere around September 21st or so. This is a thanksgiving feast and signals the beginning of the 'Hunting Season', for deer and other large game, in many parts of Europe and North America. Thus, it is dedicated to the Hunting and Fishing deities and the deities of Plenty, in thankfulness for benefits received and hoped for. Outdoor picnics in the woods are a popular tradition in those areas where the weather is still good at this time of year. It is, also, known as Mabon, Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Alben Elfed, and Cornucopia.
This is the time of the year when the god’s power weakens toward his death as the goddess reaches her full maturity as the Crone. It is considered the end of the harvest and a time of gathering in for the forth coming winter. It is a family oriented period during which pagan families draw together and reflect on the value of home and hearth.
