The Sabbaths

Written by Max Genie

In Pagan and Wiccan traditions, the Sabbaths are a series of eight seasonal holidays that mark the turning of the wheel of the year. Each Sabbat is associated with a particular phase of the natural world and has its own unique customs and rituals.

The eight Sabbats are:

1. Samhain (October 31st/November 1st) - This is the Celtic New Year and marks the end of the harvest season. It is a time to honor ancestors and the dead.

2. Yule (Winter Solstice, December 21st/22nd) - This Sabbat marks the longest night of the year and the return of the sun. It is a time for reflection, renewal, and celebrating the return of light.

3. Imbolc (February 1st/2nd) - This Sabbat marks the beginning of spring and is a time for new beginnings, purification, and cleansing.

4. Ostara (Spring Equinox, March 20th/21st) - This Sabbat marks the first day of spring and is a time for celebrating renewal, growth, and fertility.

5. Beltane (May 1st) - This Sabbat marks the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice and is a time for celebrating the fertility of the earth and the coming of summer.

6. Litha (Summer Solstice, June 20th/21st) - This Sabbat marks the longest day of the year and the peak of summer. It is a time for celebrating abundance, growth, and the power of the sun.

7. Lammas/Lughnasadh (August 1st) - This Sabbat marks the beginning of the harvest season and is a time for celebrating the abundance of the earth and the harvest.

8. Mabon (Autumn Equinox, September 22nd/23rd) - This Sabbat marks the second harvest and the beginning of fall. It is a time for giving thanks for the abundance of the earth and preparing for the winter months ahead.

Each Sabbat is a time to connect with the natural world and to honor the cycles of life and death. Through the practice of ritual, meditation, and celebration, practitioners seek to deepen their connection with the earth and the divine, and to align themselves with the rhythms of the natural world.