Sabbats

Yule- December 22

Yule is the celebration of the rebirth of the young Solar Lord.  This is the longest night of the year and the shortest day. The Aging God has taken his respite in the Underworld. But the Goddess feels his presence stirring in her belly. She has pulled life from the green earth and channeled it into the unborn babe.  

Imbolg- February 2

Imbolc or Candlemas is a fire festival and a time of purification of the mind, body, and soul, which comes through Goddess and the Sun God. It is a time of cleansing and airing out the winter’s cold, making way for the fertile spring. This litmus aspect gives rise to Imbolc’s association with the United States’ secular observance of Groundhog’s Day, marking the dwindling number of cold days and spring’s arrival in six weeks. 

Ostara- March 22

Ostara occurs at the Spring Equinox, the first day of Spring and a fertility festival. Colored eggs are presented to the Goddess, symbolic of the earth’s fertility and impregnation. 

Beltane-

May 1

Beltane is the last of the fertility festivals, the midway point between spring and summer. The Solar Lord has flourished into a young man of vitality and requests the hand of the Earth Goddess. Romance is in the air, and the sensuality of life thrives beneath our feet. Maypoles are erected to symbolize the union of the  Lord and Lady on this rite. 

Midsummer- June 21

Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, with the shortest night. Despite its name, Midsummer marks the first day of summer. The Wheel of the Year comes to a half-circle here. The growing season is in full bloom as farmers tend to their summer crops. The Solar God and Goddess are sprinkling their blessings of fertility all across the land.

Lammas- August 1

Lammas is the first harvest and the festival of apples and grains. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word half-maesse or Loaf Mass. This is the Solar God’s last festival, and it should be a party. This is the origin of John Barleycorn, and the aging deities are crowned as the King and Queen of the Corn with a giddy last day of dancing. 

Mabon- September 21

Mabon is the first day of Autumn and is the second and largest of three harvest festivals. Farmers start preparing their fields for the winter months ahead, and wine is made from the ripened grapes of summer.

Samhain- October 31

Samhain is the third and final harvest of the year. The veil between the realms is at its thinnest, allowing the living to honor ancestors and commune with loved ones crossed over.