How to Celebrate Sabbat

A Sabbat is one of the eight major festivals or celebrations of the Wicca religion. The minor Sabbats coincide with the equinoxes and solstices and are celebrated between the 20th and the 23rd of the month in March, June, September and December. The major Sabbats are observed on February second (Imbolc), April 30th (Beltane), August first (Lammas) and October 31st (Samhain or All Souls' Night). Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Celebrate the Wicca Calendar

1. Celebrate the Imbolc Sabbat, also known as Brigid or Candlemas, by emphasizing healing and rebirth. Imbolc is a time to prepare for the rebirth that comes with spring. Wiccans celebrate it by lighting candles, bringing flowers home and cleaning their homes of unwanted or broken items.

2. Enjoy the Spring Equinox, also known as Ostara, by planting seeds, creating a new garden and learning to grow your own herbs. Many Wiccans celebrate this Sabbat by painting eggs, a pagan tradition that has become widespread among the regular population.

3. Celebrate Beltane by honoring fertility, either in your own family or in nature. This can take the form of a maypole dance, a food feast or the lighting of green candles.

4. Celebrate the Summer Solstice or Litha with a bonfire to represent the power of the sun and the gathering of herbs. Those with access to a river often take purification baths under the light of the moon. Magic wands are often prepared and consecrated during Litha.

5. Observe Lammas by honoring earth's abundance. Most Wiccans bake special cakes or breads on this day as a symbol of how the earth feeds us. Lammas is also associated with corn, the most basic of all grains, which is why many Wiccans base their celebrations on harvested crops, corn mazes and similar things.

6. Recognize the Fall Equinox or Mabon by burning a straw man, gathering pumpkins and learning how to dry gourds. Mabon is the celebration of the Harvest Moon, during which crops are picked and put away for winter. Wiccans who live in the country often make their own wine, apple cider or vegetable preserves on this day.

7. Pass Samhain, also known as Hallowmas and All Souls' Night, by remembering those who have died. Samhain, from which Halloween is derived, is considered the end of the pagan year and a time for honoring our ancestors. Wiccans usually light candles, talk about lost ones and prepare their favorite foods as an offering.

8. Observe the Winter Solstice or Yule by watching the sunrise on December 21st (the shortest day of the year) and exchanging gifts and greenery.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are just starting and find so many celebrations overwhelming, start by learning about the major Sabbats, which are the occasions that carry the most importance for Wiccans.