Wheel of the Year and Sabbat Story

Samhain (sow-en)/Halloween Celebrated 31st of October.  It is a temporary goodbye to the God.  This is the time when the God crosses over to the other side, and will be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.  This is the time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest.  The souls leaving this plane, and those coming back in, can easily pass through.  This holiday repsresents a full turn of the wheel of the year and is regarded as the Witches' New Year.  Samhain is a time to reflect upon the past year and remembering our ancestors that have gone before us.  Lighting a new orange candle at midnight on Samhain and letting it burn until dawn brings good luck, only it is bad luck to bake bread or travel after sunset.  Some of this lore may come from it's association with the faery world.  Black candles are used to ward off negativity and popular activities are rune casting, making Jack-o-laterns, and standing before a mirror and making a secret wish for the coming year.  All divination magick is appropriate and "Silent Suppers", dinners with settings and plates filled for those passed, are also common activities.  Traditional foods are pumpkin pie, hazelnuts, corn, cranberry muffins and breads, ale, cider, and herbal teas.  Tradtitional colours are black and orange, and associated gemstones are jet, obsidian and onyx.  Incenses often used are apple, mint, heliotrope, sage, and nutmeg. Yule/Winter Solstice Generally celebrated from 21st December until the 31st December.  It is the shortest day of the year and the longest night.  In the story of the year, the Goddess gives birth to a son, which is the God.  Yule is a celebration of the Sun's (or God's) rebirth and this is the time to honour the God.  Family and accomplishments of the past year are also traditionally celebrated this time of year.  The use of a Yule log is popular and fire is common.  A bit of the Yule log is used to light the Yule log of the next year.  The purpose of the Yule log is to give strenght and life to the Sun.  Common popluar activities is to hang mistletoe, decorate a Yule tree, and exchange gifts.  Bayberry candles are used to bring wealth and happiness in the following year.  A common God symbol seen often in this season is the reindeer stag, as a reminder of the Horned God.  Traditional foods are roasted turkey, nuts, eggnog, and mulled wine and traditional gemstones are the cat's eye and ruby.  Associated colours are gold, red, green, and white.  Commonly used incenses are bayberry, cedar, pine, and rosemary. Candlemas/Imbolc Celebrated the 2nd of February in most tradtions, but I have also heard of it beind celebrated on the 21st.  This sabbat begins to welcome spring and symbolises the recovery and rest of the Goddess after giving birth to the God.  This is a good time for a self-dedication ritual, first time preformed or renewed.  Candlemas represents new begins and spiritual growth.  This is also the time I like to start my "spring cleaning" and an ecspecially good time to look over your magickal goods and repelensh supply of anything that may be growing scarce.  I also like to start any magickal herbs for my herb garden in the spring on this day.  Traditioanl foods are poppyseed breads and cakes, herbal teas, and sunflower seeds.  Associated gemstones are garnet, onyx, turquoise, and amethyst and commonly used incense are basil, wisteria, and myrrh.  Traditioanl colours are brown, pink, and red; however I often use white also. Ostara/Spring Equinox Usually celebrated on the 21st of March, however this is not a set date and to find the exact date of the equinox you may want to check a calander.  This sabbat marks the first day of actual spring.  This is when the Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility waking from her sleep and the God stretches and beings to grow into a young man.  This is a time of beginnings, action, spellcasting for future gains, and tending ritual gardens.  Weather allowing, this is the day I transplant my young herbs into my herbal garden, and tend to the herbs that are already there.  Coloured eggs are popular, and can be placed on the alter as magickal talismans.  The Easter bunny is a Pagan character, along with the baskets of flowers.  Lovely pastel colours such as light green, lemon yellow, and pale pink are traditional colours for this holiday and tradtional foods include hard boiled eggs, honey cakes, and the first seasonal fruits.  Some commeon candle colours seen on many alters at this time are gold, green, and yellow and popular incenses are african violet, jasmine, rose, strawberry, and sage Beltane/Mayday Commonly celebrated on the 1st of May.  This sabbat is symbolic of the union of the Goddess and God, and is a fertility festival.  Beltane celebrates the abundance and budding of the Earth and the return of the sun (aka the God).  Traditional colours are red and white and activites are dancing around a May Pole, and flower petals, or flowers, are often used as decoration.  Traditional foods are red fruits, herbal salads, red or pink wine punch, and large,round oatmeal or barley cakes.  I usually used dark green candles and frankincesen, lilac, and rose incense at this time.  Associated gemstones are emerald, orange carnelian, rose quartz, and sapphire. Midsummer/Summer Solstice Midsummer is usually celebrated in the 21st June and marks the longest day of the year.  Classically, Midsummer is thought to a be a time for all kinds of magick and a time when the fae are very active.  A popular belife is that whatever is dreamt on this night shall come true and is a celebration of passion and success.  Traditional colours are blue, green, red, and gold and frankincesen, myrrh, lemmon, rose, pine, and wisterta incesene are often used.  Associated gemstones are green stones such as emeralds and imperial jade.  Traditional foods are summer fruits, fresh vegetables, ale, mead, and pumpernickel bread. Lammas/Lughnasadh Lammas is celebrated the 2nd of August and is the time of the first harvest.  At this time the God begins to lose his strength as the length of days being to wan and nights begin to grow longer.  At this time the God is dying and lives on inside the Goddess as her child.  This is a time to remember nothing is constant in our universe.  Traditioanl colours are orange and yellow while incenses are sandlewood, aloes, and roses.  Associated gemstones are citrine, sardonyx, peridot, and aventurine.  While traditional foods are homemade breads, such as oat, corn bread, and wheat, wild berries, apples, rice, nuts, elderberry wine, ale, berry pies, and meadowsweet tea. Mabon/Autumn Equinox Generally celebrated the 21st of September and marks the completion of the harvest.  This is when Day and Night are once again equal.  This is when the God prepares to leave his physical body and cross over.  This is a time for thanksgiving and meditation.  Traditional foods are wheat products corn breads,bread,nuts,vegetables, cider,apples,potatoes,onions,carrots, and pomegranates.  Associtaed gemstones are lapis lazuli, yellow agate, carnelian, and sapphire and incense is benzoin, sage, and myrrh.  Traditional colours are brown, green, yellow, and orange.