The Sabbats
 The eight sabbats which are now known to Western Pagans were not always the eight sabbats of the Old Religion of Ireland. Once Bealtaine, Midsummer, Lughnasadh, Samhain, and Yule were the only actual sabbats, and even then the Roman and Nordic invaders had a profound influence on the prominence and significance of Yule. The sabbats are given different spellings and pronunciations within different traditions. Here, I use the Irish spellings and give the Irish Gaelic pronunciations.
The word sabbat is from the Greek word sabatu meaning "to rest." And since to perform an act of magick is work, it is customary that no magickal working be done on a sabbat unless there is a pressing, life-threatening need. Sabbats are for relaxing, enjoying friends, and celebrating life.
The eight solar sabbats represent the turning of the wheel of the year, and each of them honors a stage in the eternal life cycle of the Goddess and God.
To the Celts the "day" begins with sundown the evening before. For instance, the beginning of the Samhain sabbat officially begins at sundown on October 30th.
Samhain marked the beginning of the old Celtic new year and it is with this sabbat that we begin our journey through the wheel of the year.
Samhain (Sow-in or Sah-vin) October 31stSamhain, also known as Halloween, still retains much of its original form and meaning in Ireland despite the efforts of the Church to turn it into a massive observance of feasting and prayer for its vast pantheon of saints. When the Church diabolized Paganism and its deities they began a campaign of fear among Ireland's Christians concerning Halloween. In many parts of rural Ireland leaving the safety of hearth and home is still discouraged on this night.
The idea that evil spirits walk the earth on Samhain is a misinterpretation of the Pagan belief that the veil which separates the land of the living from the land of the dead is at its thinnest on this night. However, if good spirits could walk the earth, a few bad ones could also sneak in. Just in case of this, the idea of the jack-o'-lantern was born. The first ones in Ireland were carved turnips which could be easily carried if one needed to be abroad during the night. All these carved faces are probably relics of the even earlier custom of placing candles in windows to guide the spirits along their way. Today it is still a custom to place candles in the windows and to leave plates of food for the visiting spirits.
Samhain marked the beginning of the Irish winter, as Bealtaine marked the beginning of summer in May - the only two recognized seasons.
With October comes the apple harvest, and it is a tradition before Samhain to take an apple, carve it in half, pour your illnesses or bad habits into it, put it back together, and bury it in the ground.
The cauldron, so intimately linked with the crone who is in her full aspect at Samhain, features prominently in this sabbat circle. The cauldron, representing the primal melting pot where life begins, ends, and is reborn, is often the centrally featured item during Samhain worship. Cauldrons are used as centerpieces on altars and in circles. Some even wish to have the Samhain bonfire burned within the cauldron's confines.
Samhain sabbat circles usually involve an invitation to, and blessing of, the crone, called the caillech in Ireland and Scotland, and mourning for the dying God. It is a time to reaffirm our belief in the oneness of all spirits, and in our firm resolution that physical death is not a finality. Acorns representing the harvest god, Lugh, usually adorn the altar along with the bounty of the harvest for which we thank the Goddess. Yet the observance is not all somber. Like its secular counterpart, Halloween, Samhain is a time for pranks, circle games, and merrymaking which could be teasingly blamed on nearby spirits.
A time of reflection, of looking back over the last year. Remembering our ancestors and all those who have gone before. It is said that lighting a new orange-colored candle at midnight on Samhain and allowing it to burn until sunrise will bring one good luck. Stand before a mirror and make a secret wish on Samhain and it just might come true. A candle placed in the window guides the spirits to the lands of eternal summer, and burying apples in the hard-packed earth "feeds" the passed ones on their journey.
With the death of the God, the wheel of the year turns again, bringing us to Yule and his rebirth.
Yule/Winter Solstice December 22ndAt Yule the God is reborn of the Goddess. The God represents the sun which "returns" after this night to again bring warmth and fertility to the land. The profusion of lights on every house and tree at Christmastime is a carry-over of candles and fires lit in sympathetic magick to lure back the waning sun. Today it is still an Irish custom to leave lights burning all through the house on midwinter night to honor the sun's return.
Yule in both old Roman Paganism and in the Norse tradition was the start of the new year. The word "yule" comes from a Nordic word meaning "wheel." In the tenth century Nordic Pagan influence moved the date of the accepted Celtic new year from Samhain to Yule, where most Pagans now observe it, though die-hard Irish Pagans will still insist on Samhain for this.
The tradition of Yuletide gift giving also comes from Rome. Early Roman explorers brought this tradition to Ireland where it remained as part of the Yule celebration. Pine trees were decorated at this time of year with images of what one wished the waxing year to hold for them. Images of items to be used at future sabbats, fruits for a seccessful harvest, love charms for happines, nuts for fertility, and coins for wealth adorned the trees. Even on today's Christmas tree many of these images remain intact, though their original meaning is long forgotten. Pine trees are sacred to the Goddess. Because they don't "die" from year to year as do deciduous trees, they represent the eternal aspect of the Goddess who never dies. And their verdant greenery was symbolic of the hope for the sun's return to make the earth green once more.
When Norse influence moved the new year from Samhain to Yule, the practice of new year's divination came with it. Looking into the future was a favorite pastime on Yule night. Asking a question, throwing nuts into a Yule fire, and watching how they popped foretold the future. If they jumped high your answer was favorable, sputtering indicated a negative reply.
The Yule log was probably a custom of the Druids, though scholars feel the practice predates them. The log is a phallic symbol and is inherent in fertility magick. A log, usually of the God-related oak tree, is carved into a small section which can be brought easily into a dwelling. Three holes, to represent the Triple Goddess, are bored into the top and the log is "impregnated" with three candles. The candle are the Goddess' tri-aspect colors of white, red and black. The entire log is then decoratively covered with holly and evergreens to represent the intertwining of the God and Goddess who have been reunited on this sabbat.
Feel free to have a lighted tree in your home, hang a wreath (a symbol of the wheel of the year) on your door, and give gifts in memory of loved ones. Remember that Yule is a Pagan festival.
Imbolg (Em-bowl/g) February 2ndImbolg was not a sabbat in early Ireland, but this was a special day to honor the Great Mother Goddess Brigid. By Imbolg the waxing year is assured and thanks were given to her for turning the wheel of the year once more. So ingrained in Ireland was this festival that the church was forced to name it Saint Bridget's Day.
Grain dollies, often called corn dollies in other traditions, are woven into human or symbolic form. Weaving straw, corn, wheat, or barley to form an image was an old form of fertility magick. Any form of grain was acceptable, but barley was the grain of choice in Ireland.
Imbolg is also the sabbat where magickal wells (cauldron images) are visited and coins thrown in them in Brigid's name to grant wishes. Go to a well or body of deep water when you can be alone and throw in three coins while stating and concentrating on your wish for the coming year. Before you leave ask the guardian spirits of the well to look after the energies you have left behind and to bless them until they manifest.
Crossroads also figure prominently in this sabbat. This is a night that spirits of the dead are said to walk among the living, and for centuries the Irish have seen them at the safety of a crossroads. The crossroad also represents an equal-armed cross which throughout ancient Europe was seen as a symbol of balance and protection. Saint Bridget's cross, Brigid's cross, or the sun wheel, is also represented by a perfect intersection. Since the cross is a protective symbol, the Irish often went on the eve before this sabbat to bury negativity at a crossroad so it couldn't escape, much in the same way a Latin cross on a coffin was designed to keep vampires contained. But Irish Pagans know that Saint Bridget's cross is a symbol of the sun god and of their beloved Brigid. Both Pagans and Christians in Ireland weave them for home ornamentation. They can be used to decorate an Imbolg circle, and kept to use year round in your celebrations.
Imbolg is a festival of lights. Candles are lit in profusion, and even worn in crowns on young girls' heads, a custom which also came from the Norse invaders, and is intended to be a representation of the virgin aspect of the Goddess. At Imbolg, spring is not far away and the lights act again as a sympathetic magickal draw for the sun and its warmth.
An Imbolg altar might contain a profusion of candles (as many as are safe) to represent increasing warmth, sun wheels, a cup of melted snow, and any symbols of the coming spring which can be found in your climate.
Ostara (Oh-star-ah) Spring Equinox March 22ndThe Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God stretches and grows to maturity. In old Ireland this sabbat was virtually overlooked until Nordic invaders brought it into prominence. In Celtic Cornwall and Wales, Ostara was known as Lady Day, and was the official return of the Goddess after her winter hibernation. Though most branches of the tradition refer to the old Latin name, we usually just call it the Spring Equinox.
The practice of decorating eggs is as old as the first human who saw life miraculously come from them. Eggs were held as sacred objects of life, carried as fertility amulets, decorated to honor the deities, and given as cherished gifts.
An Ostara altar might contain early spring flowers, symbols of balance such as sun wheels (Brigid's crosses), or painted eggs. It is important at this time of renewed life to plan a walk (or a ride) through gardens, a park, woodlands, forest and other green places. This is not simply exercise, and you should be on no other mission. It isn't even just an appreciation of nature. Make your walk celebratory, a ritual for nature itself.
Bealtaine (Beel-teen or Beel-tawn-uh) May 1stBealtaine falls opposite Samhain in the wheel of the year. These were the two greatest sabbats in the Irish calendar, marking the beginning and ending of the two recognized seasons. As Samhain marked the start of winter, Bealtaine marked the start of summer. The Goddess and God are in full youthful bloom, she as Mother and he as her lover who will impregnante her with his next incarnation which will be born again at Yule.
The sabbat name of Bealtaine is derived from a word meaning "balefire." Balefires, or bonfires, are lit all over Ireland on May Eve, just as they were in the past. It is traditional to take home a smoldering piece of the Bealtaine balefire to bring summer blessings into your home.
Another custom of Bealtaine which has never died out is that of the May Day maypole. In Ireland, Britain, and the United States, people are still encouraged to grab the ribbons and dance. The original maypole was the pine tree which had been decorated at Yule, with all but it uppermost branches now removed. Stripped of its Goddess-like greenery, it now functions as a phallic symbol. The ribbons attached to it are traditionally white and red, white for the Goddess and red for the God. Female dancers take the white ribbons and males the red. Then they do a morris dance, the Anglo name for May Day dances, and interweave the colored ribbons into a pattern.
Smoke was always seen as a cleanser and a purifier, but so much more so was the smoke from the waning balefires. People were willing to risk injury to themselves to pass them over the nearly extinguished fire for the benefits of the magickal smoke. A safer method consists of going three times around the fire in a clockwise circle. Anything you wish to have ritually purified can be done so over the balefire smoke. Pass ritual tools, cherished possessions, heirloom jewelry, newly acquired items whose history you do not know, or yourself.
Irish Pagans decorated for Bealtaine with much the same frenzy with which people decorate today for Christmas. Greenery, flowers, and other symbols of spring were placed on dorrs and hearths. Wreaths, symbolic of the wheel of the year, were gaily festooned with ribbons and flowers. Occasionally a flowered wreath is still seen topping a modern day maypole.
Women rode besoms hobbyhorse-style over fields and through pastures. (This is were the idea of Witches flying on broomsticks came into play) Women riding phallic symbols over areas where any animals or plants were meant to multiply was a fertility symbol.
In old Ireland, meade made the year before was taken from its cask and drunk in celebration. Meade is a savory honey ale rich in tradition and folklore in the British Isles. In the Celtic tradition it is an aphrodisiac - a direct gift of the Great Mother Brigid. Meade, akin to the Irish word midhe meaning center, represented spirit, and drinking this potion of the deities made one more attuned with that elusive fifth element, spirit. Making meade is not easy. Like wine it requires a fermentation period and much care.
Bealtaine is a time for feasting, rejoicing, frivolity, and celebration. No solemnity is permitted. It is a time to look outward and forward, a yearly re-enactment of the primal joy all creatures and plants of the earth feel at spring after a long cold winter's rest.
Midsummer / Summer Solstice June 22ndThe Goddess is heavy with pregnancy just as the earth is pregnant with the coming fall's bounty, the animals in the field await calving, but the fertility rites continue. Believed that whatever is dreamt of on this night will come true for the dreamer. A celebration of passion and success. But motherhood is not the sole focus of this Sabbat. For every mother there is a father, and so it is in Paganism. The sun is at his peak in the sky, the Sun God at the peak of his life, and we celebrate his approaching fatherhood.
Because this is a Sabbat which glorifies the sun, and the sun is a symbol of protection, many Pagans choose to make protective amulets in the week before the Sabbat that are later empowered over the Midsummer balefire. Some Witches choose to bury their protective amulets each Midsummer Eve and construct new ones. Rue, rowan, and basil, tied up in a gold or white cloth, is a good protective trio that can be carried in your pocket year round. A few cinnamon sticks tied over the door of your home is another good protective charm. Or you might search for a special stone that represents protection to you.
A midsummer altar might contain a chalice of milk, a besom, summer herbs, or young food plants. The rituals are again full of fertility images celebrating the mother and father aspects of the deities.
Lughnasadh (Loo-naas-ah) August 1stLughnasadh is a sabbat in honor of the Celtic God Lugh, and represents the first of the three harvest sabbats. In Western Paganism it is a grain festival sometimes called the Sabbat of First Fruits. Corn and barley are ready to be picked by August, as are many other grains. Native Americans celebrate early August as a grain festival in honor of the Corn Grandmother.
Lugh was a God of harvest, fire, light, and of the sun. He was the king of the Tuatha De Danann and the consort of Dana, the first Great Mother Goddess of Ireland; some later versions of the myths make him her father or brother. Though this sabbat is named in honor of Lugh the God, the Goddess aspect figures prominently. Dana, as Lugh's queen, is also honored and her stories told round the circle. The Goddess, as Dana or Brigid, is honored and thanked for bringing forth the first fruits.
The feast of Lughnasadh is the largest of any sabbat. All first fruits of the season are consumed, especially any and all grains which have been harvested. Breads, especially ones made with newly harvested grain, are very appropriate. Potatoes, long a staple crop of Ireland, are also harvested at this sabbat and should be featured at the sabbat meal.
Rituals contain enactments of growth and birth, and honor and thanks to the Goddess from whose earth womb they grew. Thanks are given to Lugh in his aspect as sun God for blessing and impregnating the earth womb with heat and light.
Mabon (May-bone) Autumn Equinox September 22ndCalled simply the Autumn Equinox in Ireland. Mabon is named for Mabon, the Welsh god-son who symbolized the male fertilizing principle in the Arthurian myths.
Marks the completion of the harvest. Day and Night are equal. God prepares to leave His physical body toward renewal and rebirth of the Goddess. Nature declines, draws back its bounty, readying for winter and its time of rest. The Goddess nods in the weakening Sun, though fire burns within Her womb. She feels the Presence of the God even as He wanes.
A time for thanksgiving and meditation. River and stream stones gathered over the summer can be empowered for various purposes.
Mabon altars can contain a fiery bouquet of autumn leaves, wine, berries, gourds, and other fruits of the season. The God is dying and preparing for death at Samhain, and the Goddess is entering cronehood, though deep inside her maiden aspect the impregnated seed of the God lives on to be born at Yule as the wheel of the year eternally turns.
Most of this information is from the book: "Witta" by Edain McCoy
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