Yearwheel
(Click on Sabbat for info or scroll down)

goto Yule goto Mabon goto Lammas goto Mid Summer goto Ostara goto Imbolc goto Samhain goto Beltane

 

 

The true Cross-Quarter moments are interpolated as the midway points between the Solstices and Equinoxes measured in degrees along the ecliptic. To find the Actual time in your area for the Sabbat please visit: http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/2013.html

 

 

The Yearwheel is the Witch/Druid calendar of celebrations. Listed around the wheel are the eight sabbats. The four greater sabbats are Imbolc, Beltaine, Lammas and Samhain(Lunar). The four lesser sabbats are Ostara, Mid-Summer, Mabon and Yule(Solar). Four are lunar and four are solar thus keeping the balance of male and female. The lesser sabbats are celebrations of the Solstices and Equinox so their exact dates vary each year, it is best to check an up to date calendar for the exact days. The sabbats were also directly linked to the plant and animal cycles and were festivals to honor our connection to the planet. Our ancestors followed a 13 month calendar, based rightly on the 13 New Moon phases per Lunar year. Below is an approximation of how the adopted 12 month cycle corresponds to the Yearwheel.

November: The Wheel of the Year begins anew once more.
December: The Holly-King dies, and the Oak-King is born.
January: Bid the past farewell, and receive the year that has just been born.
February: Welcome Spring! Now is the time for banishing Winter.
March: Feel the shift of balance from darkness to light growing stronger.
April: The time of fertitily and growth is upon us.
May: The time of the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess.
June: Here comes the Sun! The Holly-King replaces the Oak-King.
July: The first harvests begin ; time to give thanks and celebrate.
August: John Barleycorn must die. The harvest begins in earnest.
September: The cycle of growth draws nears its end.
October: The Horned One steps forward bringing darkness, and the end of the year.

We have tried to include both the Witch and Druidic practices below, though they seem to rarely differ. Witches generally worship the Goddess and therefore consider the Lunar Sabbats to be the "Greater Sabbats". Druids generally worship the Male Godhead and therefore consider the Solar Sabbats to be the "Greater Sabbats". A true Pagan observes all the Sabbats equally.

We have also created links(click on Sabbat) from the festivals to the appropriate ritual.

The Lunar Sabbatts truley shift by several days each year. In the modern world the Lunar Sabbatts are celebrated on the 31st-1st days of the Calendar, but for truly effective casting the actual "Time" measured by degree's is what should be used. To find out the "Actual Time" to use in your time zone please refer to http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/2013.html

 

 

Lunar Sabbaths (Witches Greater)

Samhain- Halloween October 31, the most important of the Sabbaths it is the Druid/Celtic New Year. For Wiccan It is the celebration of the end of the Goddess-ruled summer and the beginning of the God-ruled winter. It is the time when the spirits of deceased loved ones are remembered and honored. One tradition is to set a place at the dinner table for the visiting spirits to share in the evening meal, another is to light a candle and place it in the window to guide the souls of the dead home to their families. For Druids it was the time when the veil between the two worlds was lifted, and for those who dared to, a visit to the otherside could take place. Incense: Applewood, Wormwood and Hemp.

Imbolc- Candlemas February 2nd, this is a celebration of fire in honor of the Goddess of Fertility and her consort The Horned One. In the old times this day was known as the celebration of Pan. It was the time that livestock gave birth and for the Druids was the first of three spring festivals. Marking the beginning of the end of winter, the first new plants would be pushing their way through the thawing earth. A time of rebirth! Incense: Mace, Seaweed and Wisteria.

Beltane-May Day-April 30 toMay 1st- This is an Ancient Druidic celebration of the Goddess and her Consort. It is also a fertility festival but for the production of more from the land not human sexual desire per se. It marks the death of winter and the birth of spring and is yet another pagan festival hat has survived Christianity. It is celebrated by the lighting of bonfires at Midnight on the last day of April, a Ritual to the goddess would be performed and feasting and dancing would take place until dawn. In some cultures this was also the time that couples would betroth themselves. The sacred pine tree that was decorated at yule would be cut down at this time for the Maypole. Ribbons were tied to the top- white for the Goddess and red for the God. The pole was a phallic symbol and the dancers below twining the ribbons around the pole represented the union of the Lady and the Horned One. The dancing around the Maypole that still occurs today is a throwback to this ancient festival. Incense: Lilac, Heather and Apple Blossom.

Lammas-(Lughnasadh) Festival of Harvest-August 1st- For the Druids and Wiccans this begins the harvest time, it was the time for gathering and of marriages. In the Druidic belief any marriages entered into at this time could be nulled at the same time next year allowing couples a "trial period". In some Celtic religions this was also the time to celebrate the death of the Sacred King, and for others the festival of Lugh the Celtic sun god when bread would be baked and shared among the village in honor of the harvest. Incense: Marigold, Sunflower, Rose and Sandlewood.

Solar Sabbats (Druidic Greater)

Remember the Equinox's and the Solstices vary by a couple days every year. Check with a good calendar to find the right day and time.

Yule-Winter Solstice-(Dec)The longest night of the year, when Wiccans celebrate the Great Horned God, to Druids this is the time of Alban Arthuan(light of Arthur) when the year is reborn and a new cycle begins. Almost everything to do with Christmas finds its roots in Pagan customs, though the bible states that Christ was born in the spring the Christians of the time chose to move his birthday to this time, therefore utilizing the existing belief that "the light is cutting through the darkness". The burning of the Yule log symbolizes the Yule bonfires, which it was believed gave energy back to the sun. Mistletoe is a symbol of Gods divine semen while Holly is the sacred life blood of the Goddess. The Christmas tree is yet another Pagan custom originating from the Pine groves associated with the Great Mother Goddess, the decorations hung today are symbols of the stars, moons and sun that were hung at this time on the Cosmic Tree of Life. Incense: Juniper, Sandlewood,Cedar and Pine.

Ostara-Eostre- Vernal Equinox-(March) This day pays homage to the Goddess Eostre and like many Christian holidays Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ days after the vernal equinox. This is the pagan celebration of the rebirth of the planet when flowers are reappearing and the sowing would begin. The Easter Bunny is actually the Moon Hare a sacred lunar Goddess symbolizing rebirth and resurrection. Even Easter eggs go back to pagan times when they were decorated with magickal symbols and used in rituals for fertility and reproduction. Incense: Lavenader, Narcissus and Sage .

Mid Summer- Summer Solstice-(June) The longest day of the year when light is at its maximum. In some Wiccan traditions this is the end of the reign of the Oak King and the beginning of the reign of the Yule King who will be in power until Yule. This is the time when Herbs are gathered for spells and potions, it is believed that the power of the plants is the strongest on this day. For the Druids this day is marked with an elaborate ceremony that begins at midnight the day before continuing until noon the next. This is the ceremony that has drawn so much attention at Stonehedge and has been now banned. Incense: Oak/Mistltoe combined, Wild Red Rose and St. Johnswort.

Mabon- Autumn Equinox-(Sept) For both Wiccan and Druid this is the second of the Harvest Festivals. It is the time to celebrate the end of the grain harvest. The day is again equal in light and dark, but the dark will soon be cause the nights to grow longer. The Wiccan pay homage to the Great Horned God, both Druid and Wiccan also celebrate the fruits of the earth by honoring the Mother Goddess. Incense: Mugwort, Sage , Myrhh and Red Poppy.