Morgan Hanna
We’ve all heard of holidays such as Christmas, Halloween, and New Year. These holidays and others have shaped our country, our individual family traditions, and certainly our retail stocks and share prices. Since the western world has largely been influenced by Christianity, it is no surprise that most people in our country are unaware of the 8 Sabbats. The 8 Sabbats are Pagan (not Christian) holidays that are celebrated by those who follow Neo-Paganism, said followers often being of the Wicca faith. The Sabbats are represented on the Wheel of the Year, a modern conceptualization of cyclical seasonal celebrations, basically serving as a circular guide of the Sabbats. Today, let’s take a look at the eighth different Sabbats of the Wheel, and explain what they include and what they mean for paganists. Each description of the Sabbats will also include the best foods, crystals, and plants one can use during celebration.
Yule
Yule, otherwise known as the Winter Solstice, occurs between the 20th and 22nd of December, or during June in the southern hemisphere. This Sabbat represents the rebirth of the sun and the turning point in the year where the days begin to grow longer. This holiday is celebrated with winter foods such as gingerbread, cinnamon, roasted meat, and apples. Some of the best crystals for Yule include clear quartz, garnet, obsidian, bloodstone, and citrine. Popular traditions with this Sabbat include making a Yule log, hanging ornaments of dried fruit and plants, and making a feast of popular Yule foods. Some Yule-festive plants include mistletoe, holly, pine, and wintergreen.
Imbolc
Imbolc, or Imbolg, is the Sabbat that takes place on February 1 and ends at sunset on February 2nd. This Sabbat signifies the middle point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Imbolc was connected to the Gaelic goddess Brighid, who is the goddess of healing, childbirth, and inspiration. Imbolc is a great time to cleanse oneself of Winter energy and bring forth fresh energy for the beginning of the new year ahead. Imbolc is celebrated with plants such as dandelions, chamomile, and rosemary. Crystals that can be utilized for the Sabbat are amethyst, blue lace agate, and rhodonite. Special foods of the time include bread pudding, sunflower/pumpkin seeds, and vegetables from the Allium family. Because Imbolc is the Sabbat of new beginnings, one can celebrate the occasion with spring cleaning, starting new projects, planting a garden, or making an Imbolc feast.
Ostara
Ostara, otherwise known as the Spring Equinox, takes place on March 20th. The name Ostara comes from the 9th century Germanic Anglo-Saxon people, who believed in the goddess Eostre, the goddess of dawn, fertility, and new beginnings. This is also where we get the word “Easter”. The Sabbat of Ostara represents the period where nature begins to awaken from the cold of Winter. People can celebrate Ostara by planting flowers such as violets, daffodils, and tulips, or perhaps one would prefer to take a nature walk or meditate, two popular ways to celebrate. Some crystals associated with the equinox include moss agate, selenite, and sunstone. Some foods that you can add into your Ostara feast include rabbit’s meat, green vegetables, spring fruits, and eggs and milk.
Beltane
Beltane takes place on May 1st, acting as the middle point between Ostara and the Summer Solstice. Beltane represents the wildness of change, and is associated with fertility and marriage. Since Beltane is opposite of Samhain on the Wheel of the Year, the barrier between the living world and spirit world grows especially thin at this point, so one should spend Beltane warding off bad spirits and welcoming the good. Because this Sabbat focuses on the wildness of change, some celebrations to put on include making a bonfire or dancing. Special plants for this Sabbat include birch, hemlock, hazel, and lilac. Crystals include citrine, moonstone, and malachite. Fun foods for the time are cherries, almond bread, and oat cakes.
Litha
Litha, otherwise known as the Summer Solstice, is the longest day of the year and takes place between the 20th and 22th of June for the northern hemisphere. This Sabbat represents prosperity and light, demonstrated by the sun shining its rays onto the world. Popular celebrations include watching the sunrise, building a Litha fire, burning one’s yule wreath, and making pouches of herbs. Crystals to use include carnelian, lapis, pyrite, and fluorite. Some plants to be used include sunflower, lavender, and sage. Some foods include honey cakes, cheese, and mead.
Lammas
Lammas takes place on August 1st and marks the halfway point between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox. The Sabbat represents the beginning of the first of three harvest seasons of the Wheel, and also the waning of deity power, signified with the shortening of days. The word Lammas comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase “loaf mass”, which was a Christian holiday where the first loaf of baked bread for Fall was placed in a town’s church to be blessed. Since this Sabbat is to represent the beginning of harvest, one can celebrate by baking a plethora of goods, such as pies of apples, cranberries, and blackberries. Some crystals that can be utilized during this time include amber, tourmaline, and rutilated quartz. Plants that can adorn your residence include dried corn, hollyhock, and grape leaves.
Mabon
Mabon, otherwise known as the Autumn Equinox, takes place on September 22nd. Since this Sabbat takes place on the date of equal day and night, it represents the turning from the light half of the year to the dark half of the year. Mabon is also the time of celebrating good harvest, since it is the second of three harvesting seasons on the Wheel. Certain Mabon traditions include decorating your home with gourds and pinecones, cooking a warm meal for your family and friends, or beginning a journal, since Mabon is a great time to reflect on the past year. Plants that can be used to decorate or liven your home for celebration include cinnamon, marigolds, and thistles. Crystals that can be utilized include red jasper, labradorite, and obsidian. Some delicious foods you can make for the occasion include berry pies, dishes with squash, dried meats, and stews.
Samhain
Samhain is the third harvesting season of the Wheel, and takes place in the evening of October 31st through the morning of November 1st. This Sabbat marks the halfway point between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, where darkness begins to claim the hours of day. Samhain is considered to be the time of the year where the realms of living and dead are closest. If one believes in spirits, then this is the time of year where they’ll begin to seep into the world of the living, likely to cause mischief and hijinks. There is no better time to learn and apply protection spells to oneself and one’s home. Other celebrations include hosting a bonfire, honoring the dead via offerings and rituals, carving pumpkins, and dressing up to hide your identity from spirits, so as to not be bothered by the less friendly of such. Plants that can be used to decorate your home include sage, nightshade, and mushrooms. Crystals to be utilized include howlite, smoky quartz, and spirit quartz. Some foods you can cook for this Sabbat include dishes of pumpkin and squash, stew, and soul cakes.
I’d like to end this article by encouraging you, the reader, to dive deep into the world of holidays, national or international, religious or not. Holidays and traditions shape our world in more ways than you can think, and it is always important to learn about the things that bring people together.