Here you will find the 8 Sabbats. Included is a brief description of each one. Soon to come, I will include some suggested rituals/rites, songs and some Altar decorations. Remember, these will be suggested, they are not carved in stone and you may alter them as you see fit. It's more what you put into it, not necessarily sticking to "tradition".

Candlemas/Imbolc - February 1st

1. Feast of Brigid (Irish) - The Goddess Brigid was worshipped by the Celts as a triple goddess. This idea of three deities in one is a very ancient concept, going back maybe as far as the Ice Age. Brigid, or the Three Mothers, or the Three Blessed Ladies of Britain seemed to have a lot to do with poetry, arts, crafts, smithcraft, agriculture and women. She is the patroness of bards, inventions, good harvests, and healthy babies. Brigid was worshipped by groups of women, and her priestesses kept an eternal healing fire going at her shrine in Kildare, just like the vestal virgins of Rome. Brigid was a great healer. Her sacred wells appear all over British Isles and are reported to give sight to the blind and heal hopeless wounds.

2. Candlemas - The first Spring festival. Those who have studied for at least a year-and-a-day and are thought to be ready, gather in earlier months to request coven membership and initiation. If they are ready, then Imbolc is the traditional time for initiation and dedication. This rite was considered a form of being “born again” into the membership of the Crafte. It is common for the new initiate to be brought into the Circle by being pulled through the spread legs of the women of the coven (using a blanket, or a bit of rug) into the ritual circle where they will make their vows and take up membership.

Ostara/Vernal Equinox - March 20th-23rd

1. Persephone and Demeter(Greek) or Kore and Ceres (Roman). Demeter/Ceres mourned the loss of her daughter - Persephone/Kore - until her return on this day, which represents the return of Spring. There are two versions of this myth. Persephone was a young and lovely maid. She was quite curious and explored the whole world. Her mother, Demeter, was proud of her daughter and the two were very close. Like all mothers Demeter was concerned that Persephone not get into more than she could handle, but she respected her daughter’s judgment and would never restrict her explorations. One day Persephone came to the gates to the Underworld. She had never been there, and so was intrigued. As she made her way through the underground passages, she found a world of beauty, peace and rebirth. She also found Hades, the God of the Underwold. It was not often that other Gods came to Hades realm, and he fell in love with the beautiful Persephone and she with him. Through Demeter’s sorrow, the world began to grow cool, and the plants to sleep. Demeter was pleased at the happiness of her daughter, but over time, Demeter missed Persephone so much that she begged her to visit. For the first time, crystalline flakes of moisture began to fall. And Persephone, who had not realized how much time had passed, also missed her mother, even as much as she loved Hades. Over time, a compromise was reached - since Hades could not leave his underground realm, Persephone would stay half the year on the Earth with her Mother, and half the year with her husband in the Underworld. Each Winter we see the depth of Demeter’s loneliness and each Spring we see the anticipation Demeter exhibits for Persephone’s return. Summer is the height of their time together, and Fall of course shows Demeter’s sadness as she knows that Persephone will be leaving once again. The second is a patriarchal story of how Persephone was led to the underworld, raped and then tricked into eating of the Pomegranate seeds so that she would have to stay. Since she ate only six seeds, she would have to stay six months of the year. In this version Demeter had to threaten the world with extinction before the head God intervened and forced Persephone’s release for six months. Not politically correct, or even a nice story. I like the first one better.

2. The second Spring festival. In the Caledonii Tradition this holiday is known as Alban Eiler and represents the warrior aspect of the god. It is a celebration of balance - not really Winter, but not yet Spring. Women should treat themselves to a new broom, men should make a new staff. The festival is considered one of fertility and cleansing for the coming year. Seeds are blessed, twisted bread and sweet cakes are prepared to be served at dusk - or prepare a family breakfast with the sunrise.

3. Eostre - is the Greek Goddess of Spring and fertility. Her symbols are the hare, eggs and flowers. There is little doubt where Easter came from. But I have always been baffled at how the Christian myth became entwined with the Greek Holy Day.

4. New beginnings and plans for the coming year are being made. Time to hold ritual to banish misfortune and doubt, and to promote success and new growth.

Beltane - May 1st

1. The third Spring Festival.

2. People, plants and animals prepare for the warm months ahead. Plants are emerging, the nourishing rains are about to begin. New beginnings and plans for the future are confirmed. This holiday celebrates love, union and the traditional May Day celebrations such as the Maypole as the representation of the God and the flowing ribbons the symbol of the Lady - a traditional joining.

3. Traditionally for the Wiccan community, this represents the coming together of the Goddess and God to create the next cycle of life.

Litha/Summer Solstice - June 20th-23rd

1. The height of Summer. The longest day. And of course, the longest night. This is the height of the Goddess’ power. Her bounty is evident in all the crops growing, and in the abundance of green plants, flowers and growth all around us. Drawing on the power readily available, this is the most traditional time to do magick for healing, love magick, and protection.

2. Caledonii Tradition calls it Alban Hefin, celebrating the Kingly aspect of the God. Of course, from the tradition focusing on the Sun as a representation of the male energies, this is also the most powerful time for God energies. Success, growth, overcoming barriers - these would all be good magickal workings to focus on.

3. Midsummer Night’s Eve. A traditional time to speak with the fairies, sprites and little people.

Lammas/Lughnasadh - August 1st

1. Dionysis, god of the vine, was torn apart by the Titans every year (by Hera’s orders). As the vine is pruned, every branch is cut away, leaving a stock to survive the winter, that seems incapable of bearing fruit, but puts forth great bounty every spring. Dionysus dies and rises joyfully every year. In one of our favorite celebratory rituals, a God is fashioned from bread dough, and cooked to be a God-shaped loaf of bread (or obviously male in some way) which is to be torn apart and devoured by worshippers. A cup of wine to honor the dying God also should be passed. In this way each year the God makes the ultimate sacrifice, and becomes the God of the Harvest. And through his sacrifice, he becomes the seeds and the fertilizer for the coming year. Only through this continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth, can we survive.

2. The first of the three harvest Festivals, this feast represents the first fruits of the harvest. Now is the time to work magick for continued success. For goals to be furthered. For one’s dedication to their goals to be strengthened.

Mabon/Alfan Elfed and Winter Finding - September 20th-23rd

1. The full harvest is begun, the first loaf baked of the new grain was broken and eaten with thanks to Demeter. In ritual, a drink of barley water flavored with mint (the sacred Eleusian beverage) is an excellent cup. The altar should be decorated with sheaves of wheat (symbolizing the harvest) and poppies (for when Demeter’s daughter returns.)

2. The second of the three Harvest Festivals - the original Thanksgiving Day - with the fruits of the harvest emphasized in the feast. When the pilgrims came to the new world, their harvest was very later - one of the reasons for so much emphasis on it - and they were fortunate enough to have harvest in November. If the season had not stayed mild, there is serious question on whether or not the first settlers would have survived the winter. Originally, Thanksgiving was celebrated at Mabon, and in some places still is.

3. Winter Finding stretches from the equinox in September until the Winter Night - October 15th - which is the Norse New Year.

4. The Caledonii festival is Alban Elfed and focuses on the Lord of the Mysteries

Samhain/November Eve/Hallows Eve/Halloween - October 31st

1. Celtic New Year. Feast of the Dead. The dead crossed over the veil into the afterlife. This is belief that the dead linger until the veils between the world thin between the new and old year. At this time of year many Pagan or Wiccan groups hold ritual to assist and guide in the Crossing of these persons from one world to the next.

2. Ancestors day. Revere family members and dress in their costume. On a very similar note, many practicing Witches may be found dressed up in a costume representing one of their ancestors.

3. The last of the three harvest festivals. Final harvest. Here was a time to store foods, to prepare for the coming Winter. There was less celebration in this activity, as people took stock of their situation and began to assess whether or not they could last through the Winter to come.

4. On the Celtic eve of Samhain, Summer’s End, this night and the first week of November - the Celts had ritual bonfires to symbolically burn all the frustration and anxieties of the preceding year. It was organized by the Druids. They also drove their cattle through the fires for luck. This was the time when they decided how many of these cattle they could afford to feed through the Winter. With only what they had on hand, those cattle they could not feed would be butchered now, and the meat smoke and dried for soups and stews over the Winter.

Yule - December 20th-23rd

1. Return of the Sun God. As the solstice approaches, the return of Spring and Nature’s bounty cannot be too far off. It is difficult to belief that earlier people’s were uncertain about continued cycles, but there was not the scientific basis we have today. This was the height of Mid-Winter, and it was evident that there would be sufficient food, or that they would have to do with less until the Spring brought hunting and agriculture.

2. The longest night was also a mystical event. There is a strong tradition for staying awake all through Solstice night and holding vigil that the dawn might arrive. These can be powerful rituals. This was a time when the Goddess Hecate was considered strong, and her magickal world controlled the lives of those caught in heavy winter, and putting all their hopes and energies into surviving until the next season. Deaths were common, and the Lord of the Underworld was seen as real and near.

3. In contemporary culture, we are not at risk from the lack of Harvest and we focus on this solstice as the Day the Great Mother gives birth to the Sun. This is the culmination of the cycle of life and sexuality that began last May at the Beltaine festivities, and now the young God comes forth to begin the cycle anew.

4. Celtic Festival of Alban Arthan. Druidic festival. When the chief druid cut the sacred mistletoe from the Oak. (ABC of Witchcraft).

5. The Romans celebrated the Solstice with the Festival of Saturnalia, giving presents and social distinctions were erased. Masters served servants a feast. Riotous fun and merriment. This event celebrates an inversion of tradition.

6. Saxons celebrated the feast of Yule with blazing fires in the form of a Yule Log, one of the only remnants passed down to present day. They saved a piece of the Yule log from the current year to kindle the next Yule blaze.