“The year is marked by 13 moons and 8 solar festivals. There is no specific tradition for what these teach or what meaning they hold on a religious basis beyond the natural cycles of light and dark throughout the month and year.”
This post is a follow-up for this post.
You will find extensive information on the Wheel of the Year in any Wicca 101 book. There texts will outline what each festival is about in terms of its importance in the cycle of life and you’ll find a variety of viewpoints from various mythologies applied to those festivals; according to the preferences of the author. One of my favorite texts for learning about the Wheel is Wicca by Vivian Crowley. In my opinion, Sabbats or solar festivals are for celebration and creating a deeper relationship with the elements and with the Goddess and God. It is also to contemplate on the mysteries contained within mythic themes throughout the year and how they apply to your personal development as a human being. Any magic that is worked during a Sabbat should be with that in mind. Crowley’s book is written for the priestess who wants a traditional education, but has no access to such a teacher. You’ll find all sorts of traditional teachings and hints about the meaning within the various initiations of the Wiccan priesthood and other important topics in her Wicca book.
As well, in these many texts covering the topics of the Sabbats available in print, you’ll find the moon cycles will be discussed in-depth (perhaps even more in-depth than the Sabbats) too. You’ll find a variety of viewpoints in which many mythologies are explored, especially the Triple or Four Aspected Goddess liturgical stories from around the world. Some texts are especially informative about magick and I think that makes them very important because in traditional teachings, it the priesthood is instructed that the esbats or lunar rituals” are for active magic.” I would make that instruction more focused and specific by saying that the esbats are for learning about Wicca, Self, mythology, ethics and the very necessary tasks of casting and restraining one’s will. My favorite instructor/author for esbat and magickal study is Scott Cunningham. His exercises are very simple and easy to follow…but by doing each of the spells, charms or meditations, you’ll learn something vital about yourself. More importantly, you’ll learn about how Nature expresses itself around you and how you can befriend It to empower your magicks. This is a vital lesson…because when we befriend instead of imposing our will, we find a vastness of power available to us that wouldn’t otherwise be…and a blessing of deep and lasting friendship too. In my mind, that’s better than learning to wield my will on the world. I do not say this lightly…but you will learn as you befriend Nature that it will respond to you with miracles…even storms will change their behavior and path if your request it for the good of all and your request is made as a true friend. Cunningham’s books teach the cultivation of this sort of relationship. He wrote many books in his life. Some are better than others, but every one of them is worthy of reading. While they aren’t an exhaustive treatment of any chosen topic he wrote about, they point the way and following his instructions will leave you able to find your own way safely from there.
Another really great book is Sisters of the Dark Moon: 13 Rituals of the Dark Goddess by Gail Wood. At the time I read it, I felt she had a fresh perspective on this topic. That’s saying something considering the huge number of books I consumed on the topic of Wicca.
From my traditional notes:
Ritual Outline:
1)Purification
2)Casting the Circle
3)Invocation
4)Cone of Power (energy raised for the chosen magickal working)
5)Cakes and Wine/Great Rite
6)Grounding/Feasting
7)Dismissal
8)Closing
My own notes are that if the Great Rite is practiced, there would be ten steps, not the same eight. You still need to ground and feast after sacred sex for magickal purpose!
The traditional esbat deities of my tradition are Artemis, Selene, Pythia and Hecate.
Leftover holy water (saline) from the purification should be offered to a running stream.
Leftover Cakes and Wine should be left outside as an earth offering. An hour beside a window will suffice.
If working magick during all phases of the moon, take the 3 days of the Dark Moon to rest and thank the Goddess by burning a candle each night…preferably a black one.
Balance the Give with the Take…worship should go hand in hand with active magick throughout the year and the month.
Yule and Litha considered the lesser Sabbats, while Beltain and Samhain are the greater. Eostar and Mabon are considered the most powerful times to invoke Magick. Imbolg is the sacrifice of the inner for the outer, while Lughnasadh is the sacrifice of the outer for the inner. Plant bulbs in a soil and pot at Yule and put on the porch to rest until Imbolg.
Samhain is the beginning of the year. All potential life starts in darkness; both the seed and the babe.
The 13 days of Yule relate to the Druidic alphabet.
Olmelc or Immolg or Imbolg or Brigid…end of the reign of the Lord of Misrule. Beginning of a period of learning self discipline. Get some seeds to sprout and bring in your pot so flowers will grow for Eostara
Oestar, Eostar, Ostar, Eostara…Feast of the daughter or the return of Persephone.
Bealtinne or Beltane or Beltain…Fairy Queen is the Queen of May
Litha is the maturity of the sun and with that maturity comes discipline. Between the moon and the sun is the balance of dynamic tension.
Lamas or Lughnasadh…death of Lugh, a willing sacrifice, death of the corn. The scorge is used once on each present to take the sacrifice they bring. Consume the body of the corn god during your ritual and then make a corn dolly of the shucked leaves. The dolly is embellished and inbued to represent something you wich to transform or bless. Work with the dolly until Samhain and then give it to the Samhain fires.
Mabon…salmon is a traditional food to impart wisdom…from the myth of the god Mabon and Modron…is knowledge coming to reckon with what has been learned through discipline…also the feast of Demeter.
“Within the Bright Mother is hidden the Dark Mother. Within the Dark Mother is hidden the Bright Mother.”
Two distinct mythic stories play out in the Wheel; the solar theme and the natural-fertility theme.
My note on this last is that it can be rather confusing to study these theme simultaneously to start with. As you deepen your understanding of each theme, they can easily exist hand in hand in the same ritual context. To start I think it is easiest to consider one theme on certain Sabbats and the other theme on the remaining Sabbats. It is up to the priestess to figure out what those are.
Two books my teachers found really important were Wheel of the Year by Pauline and Dan Campanelli and The Witches Bible by the Farrars. The latter is not my favorite to read. There’s quite a few “should’s” and as such, it feels stuffy and controlling. There’s a great deal of unnecessary discussion about costuming in my mind too. Nevertheless was an indispensable resource for a time during my learning. I’ve already mentioned the Campanelli book in other posts. It’s really an excellent example of what it means to be a priestess.
The Heiros Gamos is considered an advanced ritual in my tradition. Instruction on the practice was not offered prior to second degree training began and it was not encouraged either. Thus it will be treated separately from these basics.
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