Magick Whispers

Sabbats

Here you will find meanings and a brief history of the eight Sabbats that mark the course of the year, the standard holidays of the "Wheel of the Year". These are times of celebration, a time to give thanks to the God and Goddess.
We celebrate Mother Earth and her turns of the wheel as Sabbats and Esbats. The Wheel of the Year marks the Sun's journey across the sky, the solstices, equinoxes and the Earth's changing seasons. Each spoke of the wheel marks an important moment of progression and change in the Earth. We celebrate the holiday starting the day before until the day after the Sabbat date.
Our religious calendar contains 13 Full Moon celebrations and 8 Sabbats or days of power. The Sabbats are solar rituals, marking the points of the Sun’s yearly cycle, and are but half of the ritual year. The Esbats are the Full Moon celebrations. There are 12-13 Full Moons yearly, or one every 28 1/4 days. The Moon is a symbol of the Goddess as well as a source of energy. Thus, after the religious aspects of the Esbats, we often practice magick, tapping into the larger amounts of energy which are thought to exist at these times. Most rites are held at night. The eight Sabbats represent seasonal birth, death, and rebirth.

The Major Sabbats

IMBOLC/Spring...........February 2
BELTANE/Summer........May 1
LUGHNASADH/Fall......August 1
SAMHAIN/Winter..........October 31

The Lesser Sabbats

   YULE/Winter.........................December 21
   OSTARA/Spring Equinox........March 22
   MID-SUMMER/Solstice......June 21
   MABON/Autumn Equinox...September 21

Imbolc/Candalmas
February 2nd

February 2nd. Marks the time to welcome spring. The recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God. A festival of light and of fertility. A good time for self-dedication rituals (performed or renewed). Represents new beginnings and spiritual growth, and the "sweeping out of the old." This is also a good time to look over you magickal cabinet.

Imbolg/Imbolc -- Irish Gaelic for "in the belly." Pronounce this one "IM-bullug" or "IM-bulk" with a guttural "k" on the end. Other names include Candlemas; Brighid (pronounced "breed"), who is the Irish goddess whose festival this is; and Oimelc (pronounced EE-mulk), which means "ewe's milk" in Scots Gaelic. Herd animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year or their wombs are swollen and the milk of life is flowing into their teats and udders. It is the time of Blessing of the seeds and consecration of agricultural tools. It marks the center point of the dark half of the year. It is the festival of the Maiden, for from this day to March 21st, it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal. Brighid's snake emerges from the womb of the Earth Mother to test the weather, (the origin of Ground Hog Day), and in many places the first Crocus flowers began to spring forth from the frozen earth.

Artist Unknown

The Maiden is honored, as the Bride, on this Sabbat. Straw Brideo'gas (corn dollies) are created from oat or wheat straw and placed in baskets with white flower bedding. Young girls then carry the Brideo'gas door to door, and gifts are bestowed upon the image from each household. Afterwards at the traditional feast, the older women make special acorn wands for the dollies to hold, and in the morning the ashes in the hearth are examined to see if the magic wands left marks as a good omen. Brighid's Crosses are fashioned from wheat stalks and exchanged as symbols of protection and prosperity in the coming year. Home hearth fires are put out and re-lit, and a besom is placed by the front door to symbolize sweeping out the old and welcoming the new. Candles are lit and placed in each room of the house to honor the re-birth of the Sun.

Another traditional symbol of Imbolc is the plough. In some areas, this is the first day of ploughing in preparation of the first planting of crops. A decorated plough is dragged from door to door, with costumed children following asking for food, drinks, or money. Should they be refused, the household is paid back by having its front garden ploughed up. In other areas, the plough is decorated and then Whiskey, the "water of life" is poured over it. Pieces of cheese and bread are left by the plough and in the newly turned furrows as offerings to the nature spirits. It is considered taboo to cut or pick plants during this time.

Deities
All Virgin/Maiden Goddesses, Brighid, Aradia, Athena, Inanna, Gaia, and Februa, and Gods of Love and Fertility, Aengus Og, Eros, and Februus.

Symbolism
Purity, Growth and Re-Newal, The Re-Union of the Goddess and the God, Fertility, and dispensing of the old and making way for the new.

Symbols
Brideo'gas, Besoms, White Flowers, Candle Wheels, Brighid's Crosses, Priapic Wands (acorn-tipped), and Ploughs.

Herbs
Angelica, Basil, Bay Laurel, Blackberry, Celandine, Coltsfoot, Heather, Iris, Myrrh, Tansy, Violets, and all white or yellow flowers.

Foods
Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Poppyseed Cakes, muffins, scones, and breads, all dairy products, Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Raisins, Spiced Wines and Herbal Teas.

Incense
Basil, Bay, Wisteria, Cinnamon, Violet, Vanilla, Myrrh.

Colors White, Pink, Red, Yellow, lt. Green, Brown.

Stones Amethyst, Bloodstone, Garnet, Ruby, Onyx, Turquoise.

Activities
Candle Lighting, Stone Gatherings, Snow Hiking and Searching for Signs of Spring, Making of Brideo'gas and Bride's Beds, Making Priapic Wands, Decorating Ploughs, Feasting, and Bon Fires maybe lit.

Ostara/Spring Equinox
March 21

March 21st. Marks the 1st day of true spring. The Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God stretches and grows to maturity. He walks the greening fields and delights in the abundance of Nature. This is a time of beginnings, of action, of planting spells for future gains, and of tending ritual gardens. Eggs are colored and placed on the altar as magickal talismans. The familiar Easter Bunny is a Pagan derivative, as are baskets of flowers.

Artwork by James Christensen

Ostara -- Saxon name for a maiden goddess of spring, loosely connected to Astarte and Ishtar. This one's easy -- "o-STAHR-uh." Other names include Eostre (say "OHS-truh" or "EST-truh"). This is the spring equinox. Ostara is one of the Lesser Wiccan Sabbats, and is usually celebrated on the Vernal or Spring Equinox right around March 21 (although because of its origins, may instead be celebrated on the fixed date of March 25). The name for this Sabbat actually comes from that of the Teutonic lunar Goddess, Eostre. Her chief symbols were the bunny (for fertility and because the Ancient Ones who worshipped her often saw the image of a rabbit in the full moon), and the egg (representing the cosmic egg of creation). This is where the customs of "Easter Eggs" and the "Easter Bunny" originated. Ostara is a time to celebrate the arrival of Spring, the renewal and rebirth of Nature herself, and the coming lushness of Summer.

It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance, yet the light is growing stronger by the day. The forces of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, are also in balance at this time.

At this time we think of renewing ourselves. We renew our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations. We think of renewing our relationships. This is an excellent time of year to begin anything new or to completely revitalize something. This is also an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth.

In the Pagan Wheel of the Year, this is the time when the great Mother Goddess, again a virgin at Candlemas, welcomes the young Sun God unto her and conceives a child of this divine union. The child will be born nine months later, at Yule, the Winter Solstice.

The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of Winter to the exuberant expansion of Spring. Eostre, the Saxon Goddess of fertility, and Ostara, the German Goddess of fertility are the aspects invoked at this Sabbat. Some Wiccan traditions worship the Green Goddess and the Lord of the Greenwood. The Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God stretches and grows to maturity. He walks the greening fields and delights in the abundance of nature.

Pagan customs such as the lighting of new fires at dawn for cure, renewed life, and protection of the crops still survive in the Southern Americas as well as in Europe. Witches celebrate Ostara in many ways on this sacred day, including lighting fires at sunrise, ringing bells, and decorating hard-boiled eggs which is an ancient Pagan custom associated with the Goddess of Fertility. In those ancient days, eggs were gathered and used for the creation of talismans and also ritually eaten. The gathering of different colored eggs from the nests of a variety of birds has given rise to two traditions still observed today - the Easter egg hunt, and coloring eggs in imitation of the various pastel colors of wild birds. It is also believed that humankind first got the idea of weaving baskets from watching birds weave nests. This is perhaps the origin of the association between colored Easter eggs and Easter baskets.

The Goddess Eostre's patron animal was the hare. Although the references are not recalled, the symbolism of the hare and rabbit's associations with fertility are not forgotten. The Spring Equinox is a time of new beginnings, of action, of planting seeds for future grains, and of tending gardens. Spring is a time of the Earth's renewal, a rousing of nature after the cold sleep of winter. As such, it is an ideal time to clean your home to welcome the new season. "Spring cleaning" is much more than simply physical work. It may be seen as a concentrated effort to rid your home of the problems and negativity of the past months, and to prepare for the coming spring and summer. To do this, many Pagans approach the task of cleaning their homes with positive thoughts. This frees the home of any negative feelings brought about by a harsh winter. A common rule of thumb for Spring cleaning is that all motions involving scrubbing of stains or hand rubbing the floors should be done "clockwise". Pagans believe this custom aids in filling the home with good energy for growth.

Deities
Youthful and Virile Gods and Goddesses, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, Love Goddesses, Moon Gods and Goddesses, and all Fertility Deities. Persephone, Blodeuwedd, Eostre, Aphrodite, Athena, Cybele, Gaia, Hera, Isis, Ishtar, Minerva, Venus, Robin of the Woods, the Green Man, Cernunnos, Lord of the Greenwood, The Dagda, Attis, The Great Horned God, Mithras, Odin, Thoth, Osiris, and Pan.

Symbolism
A fertility festival celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the Earth.

Symbols
Eggs, the golden orb of its yolk represents the Sun God, its white shell is seen as the White Goddess, and the whole is a symbol of rebirth.

Herbs
Crocus flowers, daffodils, jasmine, Irish moss, snowdrops, and ginger.

Foods
Eggs, egg salad, hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, first fruits of the season, fish, cakes, biscuits, cheeses, honey and ham. You may also include foods made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts. Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables.

Incense
Jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, dragon's blood, cinnamon, nutmeg, aloes wood, benzoin, musk, African violet, sage, strawberry, lotus, violet flowers, orange peel, or rose petals.

Colors Lemon yellow, pale green and pale pink, grass green, all pastels, Robin's egg blue, violet, and white.

Stones Aquamarine, rose quartz, and moonstone.

Activities
Spellwork for improving communication and group interaction are recommended, as well as fertility and abundance. Ostara is a good time to start putting those plans and preparations you made at Imbolc into action. Start working towards physically manifesting your plans now.

Beltane
(May 1st)

May 1st. Celebrating the union of the Goddess and God, and thus is also a fertility festival. Also celebrates the returning sun (or Sun God). The traditional colors for Mayday are red and white. Flower petals can be strewn about the circle and later swept into a pole and distributed around the perimeter of the house for protection.

Beltane/Bealtaine -- Irish Gaelic for either "fires of Bel" or "bright fires." If you want to try it in Gaelic, you can say "bee-YAWL-tinnuh" or "BELL-tinnuh." Unlike Samhain, this word can within the linguistic structure of its language of origin be pronounced like it looks -- "BELL-tane" -- without totally abandoning its original construction. Other names are Walpurgisnacht (vahl-PUR-gis-nahkt) and May Day. The festival of Beltane, which literally means "Bel's fire" marks the beginning of the summer and the light half of the Celtic year. Traditionally, all fires were extinguished on the eve of Beltane, to be re-lit from the sacred 'needfire' kindled at dawn. The Celts were predominantly pastoral people and Beltane was the time when the cattle were put out to their summer grazing on the higher slopes. In the honor of summer they were lit, and the herds were ritually driven between them, to purify and protect the herds. The fires celebrate the return of life and fruitfulness to the earth. It was also believed that the sacred would bring good

Raistlin and Crysania

fortune, protection and fertility to the people.

Beltane brings hope of love, prosperity, friendship and peace. It is said that if you bathe in the dew of Beltane morn, your beauty will flourish throughout the year.
Beltane literally means "fire of Bel". Bel is known as the bright and shining one. On the eve of Beltane the Celts built two large fires.
Beltane marks the handfasting (wedding) of the Goddess and God, the reawakening of the earth's fertility at its fullest. This is the union between the Great Mother and her Young Horned God. This coupling brings new life on earth. It is the unifying of the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine forms to bring forth the third form, consciousness.

Deities
Fertility Gods and Goddesses, Flower Goddesses, Pan, The Green Man, Flora, Diana, Artemis, Faunus and Nymphs

Symbolism
Time Of The Horned God, Time Of The Greenwood Lady, Time Of The Bonfire.

Symbols
May Pole, flowers, fauna, handfastings, butter churn

Herbs
Almond, angelica, ash, belladonna, bluebells, cinquefoil, clover, daisy, frankincense, hawthorn, ivy, lilac, marigold, meadowsweet, orchid, primrose, rose, rowan, satyrion root, sorrel, woodruff, yellow cowslip

Foods
Fruits, greens, salads, red or blush wine, red or pink punch, Beltaine cakes

Incense
Rose, lilac, florals, frankincense

Colors Red, pink, white, dark green, rainbows

Stones Rose quartz, emerald, sapphire, orange carnelian

Activities
Celebration includes frolicking throughout the countryside, dancing the Maypole, leaping over fires, and "going a maying".

Summer Solstice/Midsummer
(June 20 - 23)

June 21st. Marks the longest day of the year. Midsummer is a classic time for magick of all kinds. Believed that whatever is dreamt of on this night will come true for the dreamer. A celebration of passion and success.

Artwork by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

The tilt to the Earth's rotational axis gives us our seasons. One day in December and the other day in June, the Earth's axis is tilted most directly toward (and away from) the sun. Around June 21, when the North pole is pointed sun ward, people in the northern hemisphere experience the longest day and shortest night of the year. This day is the summer solstice. The word solstice is Latin in origin and solstice means, that the sun stood still. A little before and during the winter and summer solstices, the sun appears to rise and set at almost exactly the same places.

Also known as: Feill-Sheathain , Alban Hefin Midsummer is that point when the Sun's strength is at its apex. From the moment of Midsummer, the Sun begins immediately to wane. The journey into the harvest season has begun.

It is at Midsummer that the Holly King, God of the Waning Year, has encountered the Oak King and succeeded in usurping the reign of the year. In Celtic Mythology the Young God withdraws into the Wheel of the Stars and it is here he waits and learn before his rebirth at Winter Solstice.

Midsummer is the time when all is flourishing. Flowers smell their sweetest, trees are their greenest, faeries are their most playful, and it is the time that nature's lavishness is most acutely perceived.

The passion at Midsummer has escalated from the playfulness of Beltane to a more fervent intensity. Couples who handfasted the year before at Beltane, tend to marry in a more formal handfasting at Midsummer or Lughnasadh. The moon of Midsummer is known as the Honey Moon (because mead, made from fermented honey, was drunk on wedding nights as an aphrodisiac); thus we can observe the roots of modern day marriage practices, in their Pagan soil.

The fire of Midsummer is traditionally kindled from the friction of two sacred woods, fir and oak. Nine different types of herbs are thrown upon the Midsummer fire. These consist of mistletoe, vervain, St. John's Wort, heartsease, lavender, and a choice of four others chosen from herbs typical of this season. The herds were driven through the embers in days long ago to purge disease and illness from them.

This being the season of passion, Midsummer is the perfect time to understand our passions, for they are ever so evident in the height of the summer heat. It is through understanding and acknowledging our deep pounding passions that we can utilize them correctly. For passion will take us to heights unseen, will fuel our creativity, and bring us into realms unrealized in the logical mind.

It is through this season that we can see the bounty of life, the intensity of being, the rapture of love, the exhilaration of awareness, and the possibilities of creation. For it is passion and love that have driven humankind to realize some of its greatest treasures and its most extreme violations. It is only through awareness and conscious action that passion can bring us to the zenith of existence. This is the time to experience our passions and the force within, to be conscious of how we use them and the gifts they can bring and experience true power.

Deities
Gods: Horned Gods - Oak Kings - Sun Gods - Baldur - Mars - Nergal
Goddesses: the Midsummer Bride, the lion-guarded Queen of the Year - Aine of Knockaine - Kupala - Mother Nature - Aphrodite Erycina, Aphrodite of the Heather, the nymph-goddess of Midsummer - Astarte/Anatha, the Love and Death Goddess of Midsummer - Vesta, for whom fires were lit at Midsummer.

Symbolism
Time Of The Horned God, Time Of The Greenwood Lady, Time Of The Bonfire.

Symbols
The spear of the sun god and the bountiful cauldron of the goddess.

Herbs
St. John's Flower, roses, heather, oak, mugwort, mistletoe, vervain, heartsease, lavender.

Foods
Dairy products (goat cheese, milk) seeds, breads, cakesall summer fruits and vegetables, ale and mead.

Incense
Frankincense, Lemon, Rose, Wisteria, Lavender

Colors Blue (for water), green (for growing plants), and yellow (for the sun.).

Stones Emerald

Activities
Celebrate with fire, singing and feasting, with all-night vigils and torch lit processions. Weave green boughs and crowns of flowers. Dance around a bonfire. Decorate your altar with candles and flowers. Perform the Great Rite in the fields. Erect a Midsummer Tree.

Lughnasadh/Lammas/Litha
August 1st

August 2nd. The time of the first harvest. The God losses His strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer. The God is dying, and yet lives on inside the Goddess as Her child. We are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant.

Lughnasadh/Lunasa or Lammas. The first is Irish Gaelic for "festival of Lugh" (a major Irish deity); the second is Anglo-Saxon for "festival of the loaves" or ("hlaf-mass"). The second (which is modern Irish as opposed to old Irish) tells you all you need to know. Say "LOO-nah-sah." (Some people maintain that the Scots dialect says it "LOO-nah-soo.") Lammas is just like it looks, "LAH-mus." The First Harvest. Plants are 'setting their seed" already for the next year as the cycle of Nature continues. The Sun (Son) still burns brightly, but already the passing of the days begins to herald the coming of Autumn. Lughnasadh is a time of bounty, celebration, and hopes for an abundant harvest season. We understand and acknowledge the need for successes in both the physical and spiritual realms. For without success and a fruitful harvest we will not have

Artwork - John William Waterhouse

staples we need to continue our work on all levels. Our religion is one of service, not sacrifice. For there is no service in sacrifice, and no sacrifice in service. We need to fill our own cups and when our cups runneth over, we can't help but splash those around us with the life giving waters.

Many grains, seeds, herbs and fruits can be harvested and dried at this time for later use through the remaining year. Corn is one of the vital crops harvested now, and in some areas the sacrifice of the corn king is performed. Death and rebirth are apart of the cycle Lugh journeys through in his mating with the Goddess, during the waning year. The Goddess oversees the festival in her Triple guise as Macha. She presides in her warrior aspect, the crow who sits on the battlefields awaiting the dead. She is the Crone, Maiden and Mother, Anu, Banha, and Macha, who conveys the dead into the realm of the deceased. Macha is forced, while heavy with child, to race against the King of Ulster's horses. She wins the race and gives birth to twins, and cursed the men of Ulster with the pain of labor when they most need their strength. She becomes the Queen of Ulster through battle for seven years. Her fortress in Ulster is known as the Emain Macha and its otherworldly form known as Emania, the moon Goddess' realm of death.

Deities
Goddesses: The Mother, Dana ( Lugh’s wife & queen ), Tailltiu (Welsh-Scottish), Demeter (Greek), Ceres (Roman grain Goddess - honored at Ceresalia), the Barley Mother, Seelu (Cherokee), Corn Mother, Isis (her birthday is celebrated about this time), Luna (Roman Moon Goddess), another Agrigultural Goddesses, the waxing Goddess (her birthday is celebrated about this time), Luna (Roman Moon Goddess, another Agricultural Goddesses, the waxing Goddess (her birthday is celebrated about this time), Luna (Roman Moon Goddess), another agricultural Goddesses, the waxing Goddess.
Gods: Lugh (Celtic, one of the Tuatha De Danaan), Johnny Barleycorn, Arianrhod’s golden haired son Lleu ( Welsh God of the Sun & Corn where corn includes all grains, not just maize), Dagon (Phoenician Grain God), Tammuz/Dummuzi (Sumerian), Dionysus, plus all sacrificial Gods who willingly shed blood/give their life that their people/lands may prosper, all vegetation Gods & Tanus (Gaulish Thunder God), Taranis, (Romano-Celtic Thunder God), Tina, (Etruscan-Thunder God), the waning God

Symbolism
Lugh's wedding to Mother Earth, Birth of Lugh; Death of Lugh, Celtic Grain Festival. Fruitfulness, reaping, prosperity, reverence, purification, transformation, change, The Bread of Life, The Chalice of Plenty, The Ever-flowing Cup , the Groaning Board (Table of Plenty)

Symbols
Corn, cornucopias, red, yellow flowers, sheaves of grain (wheat, barley, oats), first fruits/vegetables of garden labor, corn dollies, baskets of bread, spear, cauldron, sickle, scythe, threshing tools, sacred loaf of bread, harvested herbs, bonfires, bilberries, God figures made of bread or cookie dough, phallic symbols

Herbs
Berries, Fenugreek, Frankincense, Heather, Hollyhock, Mistletoe, Oak, Oat, Sunflower.

Foods
Loaves of homemade wheat, oat, & corn bread, barley cakes, baking bread (gingerbread man) in honor of the God, corn, potatoes, summer squash, nuts, acorns, wild berries (any type), apples, rice, pears, berry pies, elderberry wine, mead, cider, beer

Incense
Wood aloes, rose, rose hips, rosemary, chamomile, eucalyptus, safflower, corn, passionflower, frankincense, sandalwood.

Colors Red, orange, golden yellow, green, light brown, gold, bronze, gray.

Stones Aventurine, citrine, peridot, sardonyx, yellow diamonds and citrine.

Activities
Games, the traditional riding of poles/staves, country fairs, breaking bread with friends, making corn dolls, harvesting herbs for charms/rituals, Lughnasadh fire with sacred wood & dried herbs, feasting, competitions, lammas towers (fire-building team competitions), spear tossing, gathering flowers for crowns, fencing/swordplay, games of skill, martial sports, chariot races, handfastings, trial marriages, dancing ‘round a corn mother (doll).

Mabon/Autumn Equinox
September 21

September 21st. Marks the completion of the harvest. Day and Night are equal. God prepares to leave His physical body toward renewal and rebirth of the Goddess. A time for thanksgiving and meditation. River and stream stones gathered over the summer can be empowered for various purposes.

Artwork - John William Godward

Mabon -- This is believed to be a form of the Welsh word for "son". [It is named after the Welsh God Mabon, Son of Modron (Son fo the Mother)] Therefore, it would probably be pronounced with the "a" like in "mass." However, most Wiccans and pagans say "MAY-bon." This is the autumn equinox. Mabon marks the Second Harvest, the end of the grain harvest (which begun at Lughnasadh), and rests on the Autumn Equinox. The Equinox mirrors dwindling of life (and eventual progression to rebirth), as well as the struggle for balance; day and night are equal for a single day. This Sabbat can also be known as: the Second Harvest Festival, Feast of Avalon, Cornucopia, Wine Harvest, the Fall Equinox, Harvest Home, the Autumnal (or Autumn) Equinox, Festival of Dionysus, Alban Elfed (Caledonii, Druidic), Winter Finding (Teutonic), or Equinozio di Autunno (Strega).

The full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox is called the Harvest Moon, and farmers would harvest their corps by this moonlight as part of the Second Harvest celebration.

Mabon is very much like Thanksgiving. Most of the crops have been reaped and abundance is more noticeable than ever! Mabon is the time when we reap the fruits of our labor and lessons, both crops and experiences. It is a time of joy, to celebrate that which is passing, looking joyously at the experience the year has shared with us. And it is a time to gaze into the bright future. We are reminded once again of the cyclic universe; endings are merely new beginnings.

Deities
All wine Deities (especially Dionysus and Bacchus), the Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess, Persephone, Thor, Modron, Morgan, Snake Woman, Epona, Pamona, Muses, Mabon, Thoth, Hermes, Hotei, Harvest Deities, and Aging Deities.

Symbolism
Time for Thanksgiving..

Symbols
Burial Cairns, Rattles, and Sun Wheel.

Herbs
Myrhh, Thistles, Tobacco, Oak Leaves, Hazel, Mums, Hops, Acorns, Marigold, Roses, Sage, Milkweed, Solomon's Seal, Asters, Ferns, Honeysuckle, Benzoin, Passionflower, Pine, and Cedar.

Foods
Grapes, Acorns, Wheat Bread, Goat, Indian Corn, Horn of Plenty, Cornbread, Corn, Root Crops (ie Onions, Carrots, Potatoes, etc.), Nuts, Dried Fruits, Apples, Beans, and Squash. Wine, Ale, and Cider.

Incense
Benzoin, Myrrh, Sage.

Colors Red, Deep Gold, Orange, Brown, Maroon, Violet, Russet, Yellow, and Indigo.

Stones Yellow Topaz, Carnelian, Sapphire, Yellow Agate, Lapis Lazuli, and Amethyst. Also, river or stream stones which have been submerged for the Summer may be used.

Activities
Collecting leaves, acorns, berries, and other things symbolic of nature's bounty. This is a time to harvest seeds, pods and dried plants and herbs. A nice way of celebrating would be to help the birds and squirrels of your yard. Leave out a sprinkling of seeds and nuts to feed them. It will help them prepare for the long winter ahead and strengthen your connection and bond with them. A feast for friends and family always provides a cheerful abundance of energy and thanks.

Samhain
October 31

October 31st. The Wicca say farewell to the God. A temporary farewell. He isn’t wrapped in eternal darkness but readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule. It is said to be the time when the veil between the worlds is very thin, when souls that are leaving this physical plane can pass out and souls that are reincarnating can pass in. This holiday is considered the Witches’ New Year, representing one full turn of the seasonal year. A time of reflection, of looking back over the last year. Remembering our ancestors and all those who have gone before. It is said that lighting a new orange-colored candle at midnight on Samhain and allowing it to burn until sunrise will bring one good luck; however, bad luck will befall those who bake bread on this day or journey after sunset. Black candles are used to ward off negativity. Wiccan traditions- rune-casting, making Jack-o-lanterns and standing before a mirror and making a secret wish.

Samhain -- Irish Gaelic for "summer's end." The standard Irish pronunciation is either "SOW-in" with the "ow" like in "cow", or "SAH-win". Other pronunciations that follow with the many Gaelic dialects include "sow-een" "shahvin" "sowin" (with "ow" like in "glow"). The Scots Gaelic spelling is "Samhuin" or "Samhuinn." All Hallows. All Hallow's Eve. Hallow E'en. Halloween. The most magical night of the year. Exactly opposite Beltane on the wheel of the year, Halloween is Beltane's dark twin. A night of glowing jack-o-lanterns, bobbing for apples, tricks or treats, and dressing in costume. A night of ghost stories and Seances, tarot card readings and scrying with mirrors. A night of power, when the veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is at its thinnest. A 'spirit night', as they say in Wales.

Artwork - John William Waterhouse

The Celts called it Samhain, which means 'summer's end', according to their ancient two-fold division of the year, when summer ran from Beltane to Samhain and winter ran from Samhain to Beltane

Samhain is pronounced (depending on where you're from) as 'sow-in' (in Ireland), or 'sow-een' (in Wales), or 'sav-en' (in Scotland), or (inevitably) 'sam-hane' (in the U.S., where we don't speak Gaelic).

Perhaps the most famous icon of the holiday is the jack-o-lantern. Various authorities attribute it to either Scottish or Irish origin. However, it seems clear that it was used as a lantern by people who traveled the road this night, the scary face to frighten away spirits or faeries who might otherwise lead one astray. Set on porches and in windows, they cast the same spell of protection over the household. (The American pumpkin seems to have forever superseded the European gourd as the jack-o-lantern of choice.) Bobbing for apples may well represent the remnants of a Pagan 'baptism' rite called a 'seining', according to some writers. The water-filled tub is a latter-day Cauldron of Regeneration, into which the novice's head is immersed. The fact that the participant in this folk game was usually blindfolded with hands tied behind the back also puts one in mind of a traditional Craft initiation ceremony.

The custom of dressing in costume and 'trick-or-treating' is of Celtic origin with survivals particularly strong in Scotland. However, there are some important differences from the modern version. In the first place, the custom was not relegated to children, but was actively indulged in by adults as well. Also, the 'treat' which was required was often one of spirits (the liquid variety). This has recently been revived by college students who go 'trick-or-drinking'. And in ancient times, the roving bands would sing seasonal carols from house to house, making the tradition very similar to Yuletide wassailing. In fact, the custom known as 'caroling', now connected exclusively with mid-winter, was once practiced at all the major holidays. Finally, in Scotland at least, the tradition of dressing in costume consisted almost exclusively of cross-dressing (i.e., men dressing as women, and women as men). It seems as though ancient societies provided an opportunity for people to 'try on' the role of the opposite gender for one night of the year. (Although in Scotland, this is admittedly less dramatic - but more confusing - since men were in the habit of wearing skirt-like kilts anyway. Oh well...)

To Witches, Halloween is one of the four High Holidays, or Greater Sabbats, or cross-quarter days. Because it is the most important holiday of the year, it is sometimes called 'THE Great Sabbat.' It is an ironic fact that the newer, self-created Covens tend to use the older name of the holiday, Samhain, which they have discovered through modern research. While the older hereditary and traditional Covens often use the newer name, Halloween, which has been handed down through oral tradition within their Coven. (This is often holds true for the names of the other holidays, as well. One may often get an indication of a Coven's antiquity by noting what names it uses for the holidays.)

Deities
Goddesses. All Crone Goddesses, Underworld Goddesses i.e., Hecate (Greek), Carlin (Scottish), Edda (Norse), Pamona (Roman), Crobh Dearg (Irish), Lilith (Hebrew), Psyche (Greek), the Morrigu/Morrigan (Celtic)..
Gods. All Death Gods, Aged Gods, Underworld Gods i.e., Arawn (Welsh), Dis (Roman), Kronos/Cronus (Greco-Phoenician), Xocatl (Aztec), Woden (Teutonic), Pluto (Greco-Roman), Hades (Greek), Nefertum (Egyptian).

Symbolism
End of the old year and the beginning of the new.

Symbols
Jack-o'-lantern, balefire, besom, masks, cauldron, Waning Moon.

Herbs
Rosemary, Rue, Calendula, Sunflower, Pumpkin Seeds, Mullien Seeds, Turnip Seeds, Apple Leaf, Sage, Mushrooms, Wild Ginseng, Wormwood, Tarrogon, Bay Leaf, Almond, Hazelnut, Passionflower, Pine Needles, Nettle, Garlic, Hemlock Cones, Mandrake Root.

Foods
Apples, pumpkin pie, beets, turnips, hazelnuts, corn, gingerbread, pomegrantates, cider, herbal teas, pork dishes.

Incense
Frankincense, basil, yarrow, lilac, ylang-ylang, clove, camphor.

Colors Black, orange, red, brown, golden yellow.

Stones Obsidian, onyx, carnelian.

Activities
Divination, past-life recall, spirit contact, drying of winter herbs. Spellwork can be for: protection, neutralizing harm.

Yule
Winter Solstice
December 22 (on or about)

From December 21st through December 31st. The shortest day of the year and the longest night. The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God. The festival of the Sun’s rebirth, and a time to honor the God. Love, family, togetherness and accomplishments of the past year are also celebrated. It is celebrated by fire and the use of the Yule log. A portion of the Yule log is saved to be used in lighting next year’s log. (Should be oak.) This piece is kept throughout the year to protect the home. The Yule log is burned to give life and power to the Sun. hang mistletoe over doorways, decorate the Yule tree and exchange gifts. Bayberry candles are also burned to ensure wealth and happiness throughout the following year. The reindeer stag is also a reminder of the horned God.