How often do you hold Esbats...

[Dravius]

Just curious, but I was wondering how often everyone holds circles :)

[MammaStar]

Once a month. On the full moon. Ideally. ;)

I know some people do both the New Moon and the Full moon. I have enough trouble remembering the full moon. :cool:

[Jenett]

I work with a training coven - we have rituals for the Sabbats and for the full moons which are open to everyone, and the Initiates get together on the new moon to work together privately.

However, as students, now that we've covered all the various bits of circle casting, we're supposed to be casting a circle and spending a bit of time in it at least once a week. This is largely to help us get comfortable with the whole process that we've been taught (and firm up visualisations/etc) and to help us memorise the specific words used in the tradition we're learning. However, we can also use the time for meditation, specific things we're working on personally, etc.

(Erm, not that I'm managing once a week. But I know I'm missing out by not managing that.)

[MidnightSun]

We have Esbats once a month on the Full Moon, but we have a circle at least once a week. We celebrate the Sabbats as well, so it varies.

[Flaire-FireStar]

1-2 times/month. I do both New Moon and Full Moon...

[Jazzmine]

Right now I'm working the graveyard shift at my plant. So when the moon is up, I'm at work. Kind of difficult to hold an Esbat. And it's just not the same to do it during the day.

But next year, at the first of the year, I'm going back to the day shift and can get in some quality Esbat time. I can't wait.

[Pan]

Less than once a month here. I just don't see any reason for myself to do them. 8O I'm not a big goddess person.. nor am I a big moon person (save for looking at it).

[FlamedLilly]

I didn't vote, but I don't hold them that often. I've never done an official ritual, but have tried to cast circles for meditation and practice. WEll I seem to have problems directing the energy out of my body. I can build up, what I think is, quite a bit, but can't get past that, it usually takes 2 or 3 days before the energy in my body tototally dissapates and it leaves me drained so I"m working on controlling the energy before I do it again.

[Ganga]

Full Moon.

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Lilly, since you can build vast amount of energy - maybe you should work on grounding it before you work on sending it. Do you know how to do that?
It would be better to ground it than to have to walk around with all that energy pent up inside you.
After you work on grounding it and can do that effectiently then you can start sending it.
Let me know if you have questions.;)

[Raevyn]

Witchy Cowgirl is one step ahead of me :)

I don't really do Esbats - right now I'm studying Kemeticism among other paths, so esbats aren't really a part of that. However, my roots are still Wiccan, and I still feel the divine whenever I see the moon so I do pay her respects whenever I see her, or whenever I'm outside waking across a field or in the trees.

[Dravius]

Witchy Cowgirl has a good point...when learning something new, always find the off switch before you hit the big red button :P

[FlamedLilly]

I thought that I knew how to ground but maybe not? can you tell me how you do it?

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Well, just like with so many other things, there are several different ways to ground.
Some folks imagine a root system that stems from them into the earth and they send energy (usually negative) through those roots into the ground - riding themselves of the negative and allowing the earth to absorb and desynstize (sp?) them.
Sometimes I use a grounding stone. I send those negative thoughts and energies into a stone, then leave the stone by a tree and allow the stone to sort of time release the negative.
Other times you can use your shower or bath to rid yourself of the negative and picture thoses energies going down the drain with the water.
I used negative energies as an example because that is the most commom thing that people need to rid themselves of, but this would work in your situtation as well. Many people would wonder why you'd even want to rid yourself of positive energies? and you've actually answered that question in your previous post. Kinda like a too much of a good thing type deal. So if you can ground this type energy effectively it won't be long before you'll be ready to direct it and send it elesewhere.
Also note that when your able to direct and send, sometimes there is still much of that energy lingering with you. This is not always bad if you have particular personal need that you can direct it to. If not, it would be best to ground the "leftover" energy so that it doesn't leave you drained within the next day or two as you mentioned earlier.:)

[FlamedLilly]

Thanks I'll have to try that. So much going on right now that I haven't even had any time to practice calling up the energy. I've been too tired!

[Mareth]

I voted for "less than once a month," since I don't do much in the way of formal ritual these days.

Part of the reason for that is my living situation; I share a small home with a not-so-Pagan-friendly sister who rarely goes out in the evenings. I no longer have guaranteed privacy to do my rituals.

The other reason is that I've got Fibromyalgia and I'm usually so tired by the time I get everything ready that I don't have enough energy left for the ritual itself...

I do spend a lot of time soaking in the tub and I try to spend a little time on New and Full Moon nights there, meditating and doing some simple Chakra work.

B*B,

-Mareth

[Sequoia]

I have actually only "cast a circle" maybe twice. . . and they were nowhere near "traditional". . . 8O

For the most part, I just do energy workings instinctively. So far, things work out just fine. :)

And yes!! Never, never push the red button, unless you know where the cutoff switch is. ;) it's very bad *chuckles* The first lesson I ever got, by way of a very cute single-frame cartoon, was this: "never summon/invoke something you cannot banish." . . . the image was a woman in a halloween costume with alien-antenna-fluffball headband and a toy wand standing staring up into the face of a big, bad@ss monster, with this "oops. . . crap." expression on her face. :D!! I wish I knew where it was!

[Flar's Freyja]

I'm fortunate to live in an area that has several active pagan groups. Esbats are held each full moon by all of them and they work to try not to conflict with each others' scheduled events. When I can't attend any of them, I do solitary rituals at home. Formal Sabbat and New Moon rituals are also held with the same considerations. There are also special healing circles and all-night vigils held for special causes, such as 9/11 and other current concerns. I have been attending a monthly Women's Circle for over two years now and make it a point to be there if it's the only thing I attend. Another Women's Circle has recently been established and although I'd like to attend that one, I just haven't been able to get there.

Living 60 miles away from my fiance', I haven't been able to attend like I used to and am becoming more and more solitary. I enjoy the combined energy of a group and am again fortunate in that we have individuals from many paths attend, so I have learned so much. We frequently go out to dinner after circle and I am really starting to miss that. There are no pagan groups where Flar lives, so I see myself starting one at some point in the future.

[Theres]

after a very stagnant lull, i have gotten back to practicing on a regular basis during the past year..
i celebrate most Full Moons, sometimes with my wife alone, but lately with a small group.
and since starting my year-and-a-day with Hekate last Fall, i do New Moons religiously (sorry for the pun), but almost exclusively alone.

[Partly Cloudy]

I voted less than once a month... Not that that's the way I'd have it.

My main problem is my parents... I'm only fourteen turning fifteen and aparently 'when I'm sixteen I can do whatever I want' which is fair enough but even though they don't oppose anything to do with Wicca or anything they are definitely edgy about it. I get around it by doing rituals etc at night when they're asleep and less likely to walk in on me, but that means I need to be really quiet so I don't wake them up. It's really inconvienient really... plus, they have a major candle-phobia (And I mean major). This means I can't do as much as I would like.

I remember we went down to Nannup (a small town in the middle of nowhere) where we have a property and there's this huge paddock out the front, no grass or anything. What did I think? PERFECT! (I figured that with no grass, sticks, twigs, etc there would be less risk of a fire from candles). Then what happens? Mum appears at 3:30 in the morning when I was out there because she thought there was a fire... from a lightning strike (It was a thunderstorm). Somehow, I get the feeling that it was more to see what I was doing. At the time I was a bit embarrased because, quite frankly, being caught out in the middle of a padock in an overlarge t-shirt and a sarong at 3:00 in the morning must have looked just a little wierd...

And then, my grandmother somehow hears about it and the first thing she asks me when she sees me next is "What exactly do they do?" in a tone of voice that says "Prepare yourself for the worst!" kind of thing. Like she was expecting me to say I slaughter something every thursday. I mean, honestly.

Has anyone else had these kind of problems with their parents?

[*NeraViolet*]

I voted for 1-2 times a month.

I live in Finland and well... There aren't much Wiccans here, I don't know anyone from my area (but I'm sure there are some). So no gathering groups or anything.

Practicing home is sort of complicated too. There's always someone home and as I'm still in the broomcloset, there's always the risk that someone might step in to my room in the middle of something... And when you have to beware all the time, it's kinda hard to concentrate or anything... That ruined my Imbolc ritual...

Next winter I'm gonna get my own apartment, thank Gods, so things will be easier then.

[SpiritWings]

I voted for one or two times a month. Full moons for me. Though I try to do devotionals every evening and a small offerig at least 2 or 3 times a week, it can be quite difficult to find any private time as my eldest children are now young adults and my bedroom is an area in the lounge (not enough rooms so I gave my bedroom to my youngest son when he became too old to share a room with his sister).