Meanings?

[random]

What is the meaning of each Sabbath? Why are they celebrated?

[Mariposa De La Luna]

You had to start with a big question didn't you. ;)

The meanings and interpretations are many just like everything else. There is the cycle of the relationship of the Goddess and God, There is the Oak King and the Holly King. I believe there are mor but I can't think and I'm rather new at this too.

IMHO they are celebrated to help attune ourselves to the turning of the seasons and the Earth and nature. Ostara, Spring Equinox, is seen as a time of planting new seeds, not just literally. One of the seeds I planted was to get closer to the Goddess and God. Now hopefully I will tend that and make it bloom. So far I'm sure I can do it but I'll look back on my progress come harvest time. Others, I'm sure, have more info for you but it varies with tradition.

[Mairwen]

This discussion would go well in the Ritual section! :D

[Red Dragon]

I think it would be even better in new pagans. :) It seems that's what the question relates to. IMHO ;) Hee,hee

[random]

Originally posted by SAHM
You had to start with a big question didn't you. ;)

:D

[Mariposa De La Luna]

Originally posted by Red Dragon
I think it would be even better in new pagans. :) It seems that's what the question relates to. IMHO ;) Hee,hee

Where is the Site God when you need him? Maybe we should cast circle and invoke him! 8O

[Litha]

Great question! I'll share some info I have on some of the Sabbats and leave other Sabbats for the rest of our prolific community to chime in :)

The Meaning of each Sabbat is one of Celebration!

While every day of life should be celebrated, there are
8 special times during the year that we come together, either in person or in spirit, to celebrate the changes taking place. These 8 great days are called Sabbats, or if you prefer, holidays.

The calendar is called a wheel, because all holidays relate to others either in similarity or in opposition. For example, Yule is the Winter solstice, while the sabbat directly opposite of it on the wheel, is the Summer Solstice.

The Wheel of the Year is based upon the changing seasons. It also depicts the birth/life/death of the Sun God, and the life progression (maiden, mother, crone)
of the Goddess.

While you will notice that the words "death" and aging appear in the Wheel of the Year, the Sabbats carry virtually NO sadness. Upon death, the past life is celebrated, the Goddess is in the "teaching" stage, and, because of re-incarnation, it is only a matter of months before the Sun God returns. Aging is celebrated in Paganism, as these are the people to look to for guidance and wisdom, and we all may learn a thing or two from those who have come before us.

Samhain (Halloween) is the Witches' New Year and the turn of the wheel is most celebrated at this time.

Summer is truely gone at this time, and the related growing season. The welcoming of Winter is just around the corner. We fully realize that the Sun God is dying and that the nights are getting longer. During this time of the year, the Moon Goddess is the dominating figure - hence we welcome and honor Her as being so.

Common practices include looking back upon the last year and rituals that help to promote a happy and healthy New Year. We also recognize the havest from the last "growing season" - the harvest can be prosperity, health, love, and other bounty .. and should not be limited to just "foods".

We find that the veil is thinnest between the living and persons that have passed on. At this time we honor them (usually relatives and families), "say goodbye", and "say hello". We offen set plates of food on the table for our friends and relatives that have passed on. This is done to honor them and to promote the belief that no one or no thing should be left out of the "bounty" from the past year (Many believe that this is where "trick or treating" originated from) .

You will find that because the veil is thinnest, divination can be very powerful at this time. Deceased ancestors and other spirits are easiest to contact. Rituals to honor the dead are performed on this night, and divination is at its high point. Scrying into fire, glass, or a dark bowl is a popular method of contacting the dead on this night, and guided meditation for the purpose of past-life regression is successful on this night as well. Spirits will help you in divination, and you may also wish to contact the recently departed to strengthen your karmic ties with them if you wish to help ensure that you will be together again.

It is an Irish-Wiccan (or Wittan) custom to place black candles in the windows for protection against evil spirits and to leave plates of food out for the spirits who will come and visit you on this night.

The Crone is called upon during this night, the dying God is mourned, and we reaffirm our beliefs in the oneness of all spirits and in the knowledge that our own physical deaths are not a finality.


Other names for this Sabbat include Halloween, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scottish/Celtic). Samhain is the Celtic name for this Sabbat.


Yule is celebrated at the Winter Solstice, so it can vary slightly from year to year. This Sabbat celebrates the Winter Solstice and the birth of the Sun God.

This day (Yule) is the day with the least amount of sunlight for the year. Many trees have lost their leaves, very few foods are growing, and the cold is setting in. From this day forth, the days will get longer and the nights shorter, hence, the Sun God is born on Yule and he will grow in strength to bring us our "growing season". The fact that the Goddess gives birth to the Sun God emphasizes the duality of power ... it is from the fertility of the Goddess that brings us the Sun God and his power to grow the foods.

Most rituals on this day celebrate the coming of the Sun God, and the fertility of the higher power. We tend to feast on foods that represent, and contain, the energy of the sun. For example, lemons are very popular at Yule.

In terms of the Wheel of the Year - Yule indicates the point where we start moving forward again.



The name Imbolc means "in the belly" in Gaelic. This sabbat celebrates the first evidence of the return of life. The Sun is slowly starting to make its return and the very hardiest of plants will begin to grow again from this day forth.

Imbolg is also the holy day of Brigid, who is the Goddess of fire, healing, fertility and is the muse of the poets. It is a fire celebration, but the emphasis is mainly on the light aspect of the fire and not so much the warmth. It is seen as light piercing the dark (the slow return of the sun).

Celebrations during this sabbat are some of the most beautiful. They tend to include a large amount of candles in addition to the bonfire. There is typically many poems and stories told, in addition to music and art. Many tend to make St. Brigid crosses at this holiday. The crosses tend to be made from straw and usually are of the Celtic variety with 4 equal-length arms.

In the Christian Calendar, this holiday is called Candlemas and all church candles are blessed for the year.

The Northern Hemisphere (above the equator) and the Southern Hemisphere (below the equator) celebrate the Sabbats at slightly different times. There is a 6 month difference in the Wheel of the Year. When the Northern Hemisphere is celebrating Winter Solstice (Yule), the Southern Hemisphere will be celebrating the Summer Solstice. Aside from the change in dates, all other items should be the same.

It is believed that the name Ostara comes from the Germanic Goddess Oestara. Oestara is the Goddess of Fertility. From this day forth, the Sun will be giving its growing energies to most all items on Earth. The first indications of Spring, and her green fields, are now appearing.

At the Spring Equinox (Ostara), light and dark are in complete balance and from this day forward the scales will tip in favor of the Sun.
Most seeds are planted around this time for summer gardens. Indicating the future growth potential of the Sun. As like seeds for the garden, our plans for our year should be implemented into full force at this time.

Most rituals at this Sabbat emphasize blessing and the laying of plans. All seeds that are to be used for garden purposes should be blessed on this day for a fuitful "harvest". The hardy seeds can be planted after blessing.

On a personal level, we should make plans for our own personal growth ... be it in Love, happiness, wealth, and the like. Many of these plans are the ones that were written out or memorized at Yule. These plans should now be reavaluated and finalized. Many may not need to be implemented at this time, but the ones that require the longest time to become reality ... we should implement. The Summer months are the time for growth, so we should start looking forward to this.

The Beltane sabbat was traditionally celebrated on May 5th, but in current times is usually celebrated on May day (May 1st.) in the Northern Hemisphere.

Beltane is commonly refered to as the "start of Summer" sabbat. While Beltane does not fall on the solstice ... look to the next sabbat ... many areas are beginning to receive the warmth of the Summer sun by this date. So, the warmth of Summer, not the Summer solstice itself, is first celebrated at this time.

On Beltane, the fertility of the God and Goddess is celebrated. (Traditionally, this is the time when the God and Goddess are joined in union, and the God impregnates the Goddess) It is a time of pure joy, bliss, and playfulness. Inhibitions are put aside during this great rite ... allowing the warmth of the Sun to work its "growing" abilities on personalities and filling your soul with courage.

Eggs, that first appeared for the Ostare ritual, are once again used during Beltane. They are used to symbolize fertility, this time of the God and Goddess rather than of the Earth, and the breaking of the egg can symbolize the breaking of ground for crops or seedlings breaking thru the soil to reach the summer sun.

The May Pole is a featured event at most Beltane celebrations. Tradition tells of a prominant figure moving their Yule (christmas) Tree to an open field, stripping it of all but the very topmost branches, and standing it upright out of the ground. From the top hangs red and white ribbons ... red to symbolize the God, white to symbolize the Goddess. Men/boys take the red ribbons, women/girls the white, and they dance around the tree ... intertwinning the ribbons. The May pole is a symbolic falic symbol, with the intertwing of the ribbons symbolizes the union of the God and Goddess.

While Ostare was the planting sabbat for warmer regions, Beltane is the planting sabbat for colder regions.

[Selenia]

Thanks for this great post
Where do you keep all this knowledge/info Litha?
Do have a hugh and enormous brain????

[Litha]

I've got my pics up in the forum, if you want to surf over and see...my brain is the regular size I think, at least my head is <g>

[rantnraven]

These are the Sabbats as they apply to Wicca.

1 November, Samhain
Popularly known as Hallowe'en. The Feast of the Ancestors and Witches' New Year. Trick-or-Treating evolved from Pagan "Souling," when children representing ancestors collected food and blessed the houses they visited.

22 December, Yule/Midwinter
The Winter Solstice. Longest night of the year, Feast of the Rebirth of the Sun, after which the days begin to grow longer again. Many Christmas customs have a Pagan origin: the Yule Log, Christmas Tree, Evergreen Decorations, Wassailing.

1 February, Imbolc/Brigid
Feast of Returning Light. Also called Candlemas. In honor of the Irish Brigid, Goddess of holy wells, fire, healing, smithcraft, and poetry. Brigid's Fire warms the Earth after Winter.

22 March, Eostre
Named after the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of the Dawn; origin of the word "Easter." The Vernal Equinox, Feast of Planting and Rebirth.

1 May, Beltaine
Also called May Day. The first day of Summer, the beginning of the light half of the year. A feast of fertility and burgeoning life.

22 June, Litha/Midsummer
The Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Feast of the Sun on High or the Solar Hero; activities are mostly those to do with civilization/culture.

1Aug., Lughnasadh/Lammas
"Feast of Lugh," or "Loaf-mass." Feast of the Hero-God Lugh, who undergoes a shamanic death-rebirth initiation, and/or the Barley God, who dies and is transformed into beer. Festival of the First Fruits, the first harvest.

22 Sept., Harvest Home
Celebration of the Harvest. Has its analog in the American Thanksgiving, which was indeed originally a harvest festival.


This information was taken from the Covenent of the Goddess at www.cog.org.

RnR