How to Harness the Magick of the Wheel: A Wiccan Guide to Sabbats and Festivals
For our ancestors, Sabbats were a time of both revelry and reverence. Families traveled great distances to partake in the festivities, bringing with them the very best they had to offer. Bread, cheese, oil and wine- all were valued sacrifices for the Sabbats. Sacred fires would be lit in honor of the turning Wheel; spiritual leaders called upon the Goddess and the God to request their blessings and favor upon the people and land. Through the night, communities would sing, dance and play games amongst friends and strangers. And in the eerie silence of predawn, groups would gather to call upon the powers of the universe to perform the sacred rites of the Dance.
Sabbats are sacred celebrations based on the cycles found in nature. The calendar Wiccans use to determine their Sabbats and festivals is called the Wheel of the Year. Based upon the Wheel of Life and the Celtic agricultural calendar, the Wheel of the Year denotes the dates for the changing seasons, and marks the high and low tides of the sun and moon.
Following the cosmic tides, the eight Sabbats are divided by dark and light. The four dark, or Grand Sabbats, are celebrations based on the moon’s yearly cycle. These are feminine in nature and dedicated to the Goddess. The four light, or Solar Sabbats (often referred to as Lesser Sabbats or festivals), are celebrations based on the sun’s yearly cycle. These are masculine in nature and dedicated to the God. There are two Grand Sabbats and two Solar Sabbats in each half of the Wheel of the Year. Names of the Sabbats can vary among traditions, but the timing is universal. The exception being those in the southern hemisphere would celebrate the opposite Sabbats as they experience opposite seasons and tides.
Samhain, the most sacred of all Wiccan Sabbats is celebrated on November 1st and is also known as Allantide, Shadowfest, All Hallows Eve, Hallowmas and of course; Halloween. In keeping with the tradition of the Celtics, Sabbats begin on the previous night and are observed from sundown to sundown. And like the Celtics, Wiccans consider Samhain their New Year. Samhain is a Grand Sabbat dedicated to the Crone Goddess. According to the Dance, this is the time of the Goddess sleeping and dreaming. The nights are long and cold; the earth is barren. It is a time for sacred bonfires and masked dances to call forth the spirits of the dead. It is a time for single men to bob for apples and foretell who will marry in the coming year. It is a time to celebrate death, practice divination, and walk the underworld.
Yule, also called Alban Arthan, Midwinter, and the Longest Night, begins on December 21st (winter solstice) and continues until January 1st. Yule is a Solar Sabbat dedicated to the Old God, marking the lowest ebb of cosmic light energy of the Wheel. On the evening of the solstice, a giant log is set ablaze, and evergreens are brought indoors to decorate. Throughout the night, the Old Sorcerer God would fly through the darkness and bestow presents upon the pure of heart. He represented the gift of life and the coming birth of the Son (sun). It is a time to gather with family and friends; a time of feasting and merriment and; of goodwill towards all.
Imbolc, also known as Candlemas, Imbolg, Earrach, and Groundhog’s Day, is celebrated on the 1st or 2nd of February. Imbolc is a Grand Sabbat dedicated to the Maiden Goddess, and marks the increasing tide of light energy The infant Son grows, and nature responds with the dawn of spring. Candles are lit to help banish the winter darkness and encourage the increasing sun. It is a time to clear out the old and prepare for the new.
Ostara, also known as Eostre, Alban Alir, or Spring Equinox, is celebrated on March 21st. Ostara is a Solar Sabbat dedicated to both the Young God and Maiden Goddess. The cosmic tide is in perfect balance, and the hardships of winter have come to a close. It is a time to decorate newly-laid eggs, to celebrate the beginning of Spring and to honor the courtship between the Goddess and the God.
Beltane, also called Bealteinne, May Day, Samradh, Kalenda Maia, or Roodmas, is celebrated on May 1st. It is a Grand Sabbat dedicated to the Goddesses’ transformation from Maiden to Mother, and marks the beginning of the light half of the Wheel of the Year. Bonfires are lit to symbolize the turning Wheel, and maypoles implanted in the ground to represent the God fertilizing the Goddess. It is the time for the Sacred Rite, to honor the Mother, and to acknowledge the sacrifices She makes to bring forth and nurture life.
Midsummer, also called Litha, St. John’s Day, or Summer Solstice, is celebrated on June 21st. Midsummer is a Solar Sabbat dedicated to the God. As the polar opposite of Yule, it marks the high tide of the light half of the Wheel of the Year. The God’s virility is witnessed in the growing crops and animals fat with young. It is a time to honor the sacred Father and to acknowledge His contributions in the Dance.
Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, Festival of Loaves, First Fruits, Bron, or Lunasa, is celebrated on August 1st. It is a Grand Sabbat dedicated to the Mother Goddess, and marks the end of the light half of the Wheel of the Year. The bounty of the earth declares the fulfilled promises of Beltane. Trees and shrubs are laden with fruit; golden fields are ripe with grain. It is a time to celebrate the first fruits of the harvest, and give thanks for the bounty of the earth.
Mabon, also called the Autumn Equinox, is celebrated on September 21st. Mabon is a Solar Sabbat dedicated to both the Old God and Crone Goddess; once again, light and dark are in perfect balance. Harvest season has come to a close and preparations for the long, cold winter have begun. The God, whose virile energy has brought forth and sustained life, is now sacrificing Himself as He returns to the Goddess from whence he came. It is a time of great thanksgiving- for the bounty of the harvest- for the life of the sun- and for the Wheel that continues to turn.
Sabbats are the Wiccans’ way of honoring the spiritual while celebrating the physical. For us, they are a time to gather with family and friends in great revelry, and a time to worship the Creator in quiet solitude. Sabbats are a time to honor our past ancestors- our mothers and our fathers. They are a time to acknowledge all the wonderful gifts we receive- and to give gifts in return. They are a time to honor nature as the physical representation of the union between the Goddess and the God. Most importantly, Sabbats are a time for Wiccans to work our magick, for us to infuse the cosmic tides with love, peace, and healing energy. And as the Keepers of the mysteries of the Wheel, Sabbats are our time to unify and to become One with the Dance of Life.
– The Goddess Kingdom©2022
