Practicing in Australia

[Golliath]

So I've recently moved to Australia from America, and I was wondering how do the sabbats and esbats work/'practiced when it's all opposite from America? Are they on same or different dates? Are they practiced differently?

You can't quite practice the winter solstice in summer...

thanks in advance for any help and info you may have :boing: !

[Tanya]

I'm also an American transplant to OZ. Since most pagan traditions are focused on placing oneself in tune with the seasons, most of us flip the wheel.

Thus:
Dec 21-22 = Litha
Feb 2 = Lammas
March 21-22= Mabon
May 1 = Samhain
June 21-22= Yule
August 1 =Imbolc
Sept 21-22= Oester
Oct 31= Beltane

some folks cast their circles windershins, personally, I don't (despite the simpson's australian episode).. since I think casting the circle is more about east and west than north and south, and I like to greet the East first, since even down here.... well.. that's where the sun rises ;)

[Philosophia]

Well, I'm from Australia and I switch the sabbat dates to suit the seasons. I loosely follow this:

Samhain - 30 April
Yule - 21 June
Imbolg - 31 July
Ostara - 23 September
Beltane - 31 October
Midsummer - 22 December
Lughnassadh - 2 February
Mabon - 21 March

However, where I live, the seasons aren't so clearly defined so I take my cues mainly from nature than specific dates. I don't know about practicing differently because I haven't experienced
Northern Hemisphere rituals but I think they would be, especially considering we have different plants and seasonal weather.

I found this which could help with esbat information:


From where we are in the Southern Hemisphere, the moon appears to wax from left to right. The reason is a matter of perspective. The moon orbits more or less above the Earth's equator. The Moon follows a path across the southern sky in the Northern Hemisphere, and across the Northern sky in the Southern Hemisphere.
Waxing crescent Moon - left quarter visible
Waning crescent Moon - right quarter visible
From here (http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/kindlethefire/esbats.htm)

My esbats are very quite affairs but they generally have the same dates as everywhere else.

Here are some websites to read:
http://www.iamawitch.com/article.php?story=20070121075251192
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2962/
http://www.geocities.com/shadows_of_oz/index.html

[EvieLee]

However, where I live, the seasons aren't so clearly defined so I take my cues mainly from nature than specific dates.

Ditto. Last year Spring came early here so I did my Spring celebrations earlier. And now it's meant to be Autumn but it's still hot-ish during the day. However, it started getting colder at night a few weeks ago so I did my Autumn celebration then. Don't even ask me what date it was. lol.

And depending on your trad, some people (internationally as well, it's not just an odd Aussie thing) place their quarters according to their local environment instead of traditional correspondences. Like Adelaide as coastine to the west, desert to the north, the cold winds come from the south and the hills are to the west. *shrugs*

Whatever floats your boat I guess. Just give it time to adjust to the conditions and go with your gut.

[RubyRose]

It's as simple as shifting each sabbat by six months.

[Golliath]

thank you all so much! you have been great help. ooo im so happy I can start my rituals again!

thank you all again :)

[Tanya]

where in OZ are you now?

[Darbla]

There's a Moon Magic class in CoT, and the instructor is from Oz. I know she's brought it up so you might take a peek in there and see if anything is useful to you.

Darbla