THE
DAYS OF POWER
In the past, when people lived with Nature, the turning of the seasons
and the monthly cycle of the Moon had a profound impact on religious ceremonies.
Because the Moon was seen as a symbol of the Goddess, ceremonies as adoration
and magick took place in its light. The coming of Winter, the first stirrings
of Spring, the warm Summer and the advent of Fall were also marked with
rituals.
The Wiccans, still celebrate the Full Moon and observe the changing of
the seasons. The Pagan religious calendar contains 13 Full Moon celebrations
and eight Sabbats or days of power.
Four of these days are determined by the Solstices and Equinoxes, the astronomical
beginnings of the seasons. The other four ritual occasions are based on
old folk festivals. The rituals give structure and order to the Pagan year,
and also remind us of the endless cycle that will continue long after we're
gone.
Four of the Sabbats - perhaps those that have been observed for the longest
time - were probably associated with the agriculture and the bearing cycles
of animals. These are Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (April 30), Lughnasadh
(August 1) and Samhain (October 31). These names are Celtic and are quite
common among Wiccans, though many others exist. When careful observation
of the skies led to common knowledge of the astronomical year, the Solstices
and Equinoxes (circa March 21, June 21, September 21 and December 21; the
actual dates vary from year to year) were brought into this religious structure.
Who first began worshipping and raising energy at these times? That question
cannot be answered. However, these sacred days and nights are the origins
of the 21 Craft ritual occasions.
Many of these survive today in both secular and religious forms. May Day
celebrations, Hallowe'en, Ground-hog Day and even Thanksgiving, to name
some popular North American holidays, are all connected with ancient Pagan
worship. Heavily Christianized versions of the Sabbats have also been preserved
within the Catholic Church.
The Sabbats are Solar rituals, marking the points of the Sun's yearly cycle,
and are but half of the Pagan ritual year. The Esbats are the Pagan Full
Moon celebrations. At this time we gather to worship the Goddess. Not that
Wiccans omit the God at Esbats - both are usually revered on all ritual
occasions.
There are 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, Wiccans often practice magick, tapping into the
larger amounts of energy which are thought to exist at these times.
THE SABBATS
The Sabbats tell os one of the stories of the Goddess and God, of their
relationship and the effects this has on the fruitfulness of the Earth.
There are many variations on these myths, but here's a fairly common one,
woven into the basic descriptions of the Sabbats.
YULE
The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule (circa December 21).
This is in no way an adaptation of Christianity. The Winter Solstice has
long been viewed as a time of divine births. Mithras was said to have been
born at this time. The Christians simply adopted it for their use in 273
C.E. (Common Era).
Yule is a time of the greatest darkness and is the shortest day of the
year. Earlier peoples noticed such phenomena and supplicated the forces
of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights. Wiccans sometimes
celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the Sun rise as a fitting finale
to their efforts.
Since the God is also the Sun, this marks the point of the year when the
Sun is reborn as well. Thus, Wiccans light fires or candles to welcome
the Sun's returning light. The Goddess, slumbering through the Winter of
Her labor, rests after Her delivery.
Yule is remnant of early rituals celebrated to hurry the end of Winter
and the bounty of Spring, when food was once again readily available. To
contemporary Wiccans it is a reminder that the ultimate product of death
is rebirth, a comforting thought in these days of unrest.
IMBOLC
Imbolc (February 2) marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth
to the God. The lengthening periods of light awaken Her. The God is a young,
lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer days. The warmth fertilizes
the Earth (the Goddess), and causes seeds to germinate and sprout. And
so the earliest beginnings of Spring occur.
This is a Sabbat of purification after the shut-in life of Winter, through
the renewing power of the Sun. It is also a festival of light and of fertility,
once marked in Europe with huge blazes, torches and fire in every form.
Fire here represents our own illumination and inspiration as much as light
and warmth.
Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia, Feast of
Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brighid's Day, and probably
by many other names. This is one of the traditional times for initiations
into covens, and so self-dedication rituals, can be performed or renewed
at this time.
OSTARA
Ostara (circa March 21), the Spring Equinox, also known as Spring, Rites
of Spring and Eostra's Day, marks the first day of true Spring. The energies
of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of Winter to the exuberant
expansion of 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.
On Ostara the hours of day and night are equal. Light is overtaking darkness;
the Goddess and God impel the wild creatures of the Earth to reproduce.
This is a time of beginnings, of action, of planting spells for future
gains, and of tending the ritual gardens.
BELTANE
Beltane (April 30) marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred
by the energies at work in Nature, He desires the Goddess. They fall in
love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite. The Goddess becomes
pregnant of the God. Wiccans celebrate the symbol of Her fertility in ritual.
Beltane (also known as May Day) has long been marked with feasts and rituals.
May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal point of Old English
village rituals. Many persons rose at dawn to gather flowers and green
branches from the fields and gardens, using them to decorate the May pole,
their homes and themselves.The flowers and greenery symbolize the Goddess;
the May pole the God. Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion
and hopes consummated.
May poles are sometimes used by Wiccans today during Beltane rituals, but
the cauldron is a more common focal point of ceremony. It represents, of
course, the Goddess - the essence of womanhood, the end of all desire,
the equal but opposite of the May pole, symbolic of the God.
MIDSUMMER
Midsummer, the Summer Solstice (circa June 21), also known as Litha, arrives
when the powers of Nature reach their highest point. The Earth is awash
in the fertility of the Goddess and God. In the past, bonfires were leapt
to encourage fertility, purification, health and love. The fire once again
represents the Sun, feted on this time of the longest daylight hours. Midsummer
is a classic time for magick of all kinds.
LUGHNASADH
Lughnasadh (August 1) is the time of the first harvest, when the plants
of Spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as
to ensure future crops. Mystically, so too does the God lose His strength
as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer.
The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy as She realizes that the God is dying,
and yet lives on inside Her as Her child.
Lughnasadh, also known as August Eve, Feast of Bread, Harvest Home and
Lammas, wasn't necessarily observed on this day. It originally coincided
with the first reapings. As Summer passes, Wiccans remember its warmth
and bounty in the food we eat. Every meal is an act of atunement with Nature,
and we are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant.
MABON
Mabon (circa September 21), the Autumn Equinox, is the completion of the
harvest begun as Lughnasadh. Once again day and night are equal, poised
as the God prepares to leave His physical body and begin the great adventure
into the unseen, toward renewal and rebirth of the Goddess. Nature declines,
draws back its bounty, readying for Winter and its time of rest. The Goddess
nods in the weakening Sun, though fire burns within Her womb. She feels
the presence of the God even as He wanes.
SAMHAIN
At Samhain (October 31), the Wiccans say farewell to the God. This is a
temporary farewell. He isn't wrapped in eternal darkness, but readies to
be reborn of the Goddess at Yule. Samhain, also known as November Eve,
Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, Hallows, All Hallows and Hallowe'en,
once marked the time of sacrifice. In some places this was the time when
animals were slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of Winter.
The God- identified with the animals - fell as well to ensure our continuing
existence.
Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the last year, of
coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which we have no control
- death. The Wiccans feel that on this night the separation between the
physical and spiritual realities is thin. Witches remember their ancestors
and all those who have gone before.
After Samhain, Witches celebrate Yule, and so the Wheel of the Year is
complete.
Surely there are mysteries buried here. Why is the God the son and then
the lover of the Goddess? This isn't incest, this is symbolism. In this
agricultural story (one of many Craft myths) the everchanging fertility
of the Earth is represented by the Goddess and God. This myth speaks of
the mysteries of birth, death and rebirth. It celebrates the wondrous aspects
and beautiful effects of love, and honors women who perpetuate our species.
It also points out the very real dependence that humans have on the Earth,
the Sun and the Moon and of the effects of the seasons on our daily lives.
To agricultural peoples, the major thrust of this myth cycle is the production
of food through the interplay between the Goddess and God. Food - without
which we would all die - is intimately connected with the deities. Indeed,
Wiccans see food as yet another manifestation of divine energy.
And so, by observing the Sabbats, Wiccans attune themselves to the Earth
and to the deities. They reaffirm their Earth roots. Performing rituals
on the nights of the Full Moon also strengthens their connections with
the Goddess in particular.
It is the wise Witch who celebrates on the Sabbats and Esbats, for these
are times of real as well as symbolic power. Honoring them in some fashion
is an integral part of Witchcraft.
THE ESBATS
When our earliest ancestors first painted images of their religious rituals
on the walls of sacred caves and understood all of Nature to be inhabited
by Spirit, there can be little doubt that they first reckoned time by the
waxing and waning of the Moon. The primary reason for this is that the
monthly cycles of the Moon are far more visible than the slow and subtle
changes in the position of the Sun, even to someone who is not especially
looking for repeated cycles. One of the earliest calendars known (although
its use is still a controversy that may never be settled) is a 30,000 year-old
piece of bone from Europe. It is pierced with variously shaped holes in
a series of sevens, suggesting the quarters of the Moon, in a loop design,
which represents the Lunar cycle from New Moon to Full and back to the
New or Dark of the Moon. The artifact, just a few inches across, describes
three such Lunar cycles - three months or one season.
Because there are 13 Lunar months in a year, and because the first New
Moon does not necessarily coincide with the first day of the first Solar
month, the Full Moon, midpoint of the lunar month, may not always fall
in the Solar month that is given here. And because there are 13 Full Moons
in a Solar year, one month will have two. The second Full Moon to occur
in a Solar month is popularly called the Blue Moon.
JANUARY
To each Lunar month the ancients assigned a name in accordance with the
nature of the activity that took place at that time. The Moon of deepest
Winter is the Wolf Moon, and its name recalls a time when our ancestors
gathered close around the hearth fire as the silence of the falling snow
was pierced by the howling of wolves. Driven by hunger, wolves came closer
to villages than at any other time of the year, and may have occasionally
killed a human being in order to survive.
The wolf in northern countries was at one time so feared that it became
the image of Fenris, the creature of destruction that supposedly will devour
the world at the end of time. The Christian version of the myth would leave
it at that, but the myth continues. Like the wolf in the fairy tale of
Little Red Ridinghood, which preserves the full idea of the myth but is
used only to frighten children, the wolf is slain; and the grandmother,
like the world, is brought forth once more.
As the light of the new-born year slowly increases and the Wolf Moon waxes
full, it is a good time to look back upon that which has just ended and
learn from our experiences. Bid the past farewell and let it go in order
to receive the year that has just been born. Learning to let go of that
which we would cling to is one of the greatest secrets of magick.
FEBRUARY
The Moon following the Wolf Moon is the Storm Moon. Whether you meet with
a coven on the night of the Full Moon, salute Her in a solitary ritual,
or simply blow Her a kiss, bear in mind the magick of this night and the
nature of the storms of February. Unlike the boisterous storms of the light
half of the year, which are accompanied by the clashing of thunder and
the flinging of lightning bolts, the storms of February come in silence.
They blanket the world in coldness in keeping with the nature of the dark
half of the Wheel of the Year. But beneath the blanket of cold and silent
snow, Nature rests, as we do when in the realm of the Spirit that is called
death; and like those in the world of Spirit, Nature prepares for life
anew.
MARCH
The Moon following the Storm Moon is the Chaste Moon. Like Diana, chaste
Goddess of the Moon, all of Nature at this moment is pure potential waiting
to be fulfilled. The Goddess has many forms: The maiden pure and lovely
as the snow of February, the seductive enchantress of the night, or the
Crone ancient and wise. As the Goddess can change Her form according to
the Moon or according to Her will, ever renewing Herself, ever beginning
again, se can we, Her children, always begin again by discovering new potential
within ourselves. When you cast the Circle of the Chaste Moon, when the
candles have been lit and the incense burned, look deep within yourself
to discover what potential lies there waiting, like the Maiden, to be fulfilled.
As it is the time for the planting of seeds on the material plane, so may
it be time to do so on the psychic planes as well. On the night that the
Seed Moon (another name for the Chaste Moon) of March is full, cast your
magick Circle. Then before the rite has ended, select the spiritual seeds
you would like to plant. They may be seeds of wisdom, seeds of understanding,
or seeds of certain magickal skills. Then by an act of will, plant these
seeds in the fertile soil of your subconscious mind with the firm commitment
that they will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lie ahead,
so that they will grow and flower and bear fruit.
APRIL
As the Hare Moon of April waxes full, observe the rabbits leaping and playing,
carefree in their mating and joyful in their games, and as you cast your
Esbat Circle and joyfully dance the round, feel within your heart the carefree
nature of the wild creatures that are also children of the Old Gods.
MAY
This time of the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess is the Dyad Moon,
the time when the two become one, when all things meet their opposites
in perfect balance and in perfect harmony. As you cast your Circle this
night of the Dyad Moon, adorn it with apple blossoms, and light candles
of white. When the sacred round has been danced, sit a moment and reflect.
Seek harmony in all things. As the dark half of the Wheel of the Year balances
the light, as heat balances cold, recall the words of the Goddess, "Let
there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth and reverence, within you." And then before the rite is ended,
if it is appropriate, become one with your working partner, physically
as well as spiritually.
JUNE
After the spectacular flowers of May have passed and the bees have gathered
their pollen and nectar, the hives are filled with honey that is waiting
to be gathered. In ancient times much of this honey was made into a drink
called mead by a fermentation process similar to that of making wine. The
"Moon in June" is the Mead Moon. Mead has been considered to
have magickal and even life-restoring properties in many of the countries
of ancient Europe, and it was the drink of many of the great heroes of
legend.
The legendary figure Robin Hood, who is accepted historically as being
a composite of several peasant leaders during the reign of King Richard
I, is also generally accepted by Pagans as being one of us. One reason
is that Robin was a popular Witch name, and also because he was always
described as being dressed in green, symbolic of the Green Man of Sherwood
Forest. Lincoln green, which is made from woad, the dyestuff used by the
Picts of ancient Britain and the Druid priestesses, is also a color that
symbolizes, historically, the Pagan peasantry. Among the articles robbed
from the rich by Robin Hood are "met and met." This probably
means "meat and mead." In the myth of Odin, one of His quests
is for the Poetic Mead of Inspiration, which He returns to the realm of
the Gods where it belongs, but a few drops fall to Earth, and this may
be had by anyone who can find them.
On the night that the Mead Moon waxes full, after the Circle has been cast
and dancing done, fill the cup with mead (if it is available), sweet wine,
or an herb tea sweetened with honey. Sip the sweet drink and sit quietly
and make yourself a vessel ready to receive the inspiration of the higher
realms. Become a mead cup ready to be filled, not with the brew of everyday
life but with the clear, bright liquid of illumination. Every time this
ritual is performed, even if there are no immediate results, you are becoming
a more perfect vessel for divine inspiration.
If the night of the Mead Moon is very close to the Summer Solstice, the
results of this exercise can be very powerful. If the Mead Moon is full
on Midsummer Night, then the priestess into whom the Moon is Drawn should
be prepared.
JULY
As the Wort Moon of July waxes full, this is the time for gathering of
herbs. The word wort is old Anglo-Saxon for "herb." When the
magickal herbs have been gathered and hung to dry, the time of the Wort
Moon is the time to give thanks to the spirits who dwell in the herb garden,
and to leave them an offering. Perhaps as you place an offering in the
moonlit garden, they will whisper to you other secrets of herbal magick.
AUGUST
One day at mid-month we realize that the robins and wrens that were nesting
nearby have simply vanished. Their lovely songs have been replaced by the
shrill calls of the bluejays, who were so silent during the nesting season.
As August progresses the days are still hot but nighttime temperatures
are beginning to cool, and the late afternoon thunderstorms that bring
the cooler air also bring about the ripening of tomatoes.
In the fields and meadows and along roadsides now there are wild herbs
to be gathered. There are goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, and milkweed -
all awaiting the natural dyer who can extract from them tan, green, and
bright yellow respectively, for dyes and for natural inks for talismans.
Among the medicinal herbs to be collected at this time is boneset, which
does not help broken bones to heal but is a febrifuge that was used as
a remedy for "Breakbone Fever" in the 1840s. Milkweed pods with
their silken fluff, goldenrod, and wild grasses and grains gathered now
will be dried in time to adorn the altar at the Autumnal Equinox.
As the aromatic herbs begin to fill the rafters in the dry heat of the
attic, and the braids of onions and garlic fill the cool darkness of the
root cellar, the golden grain and yellow corn ripen in the fields under
the waning August Sun.
To the Ancients this was the Barley Moon, a time to contemplate the eternalness
of life. Just as we are descended from the first woman and the first man,
who descended from the Gods, so is the grain of the bread that we eat descended
from the first grain ever gathered. By ritually eating the Lammas bread
we are participating in a chain of events that stretches back through time
to the Gods themselves. And here before us in the ripening fields is the
promise of the future.
Everywhere there is abundance - in herb garden, the vegetable garden, the
field, and the orchard. The pantry shelves are lined with glistening glass
jars that are filled with colorful fruits and vegetables preserved for
Winter days; quarts of red tomatoes, cucumbers in slices or spears, dark
red beets with cloves and cinnamon sticks, the yellow of corn, the orange
of carrots - a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. The house is filled
with delightful aromas as pickling spices are added to crocks of brine
and exotic chutneys simmer on the stove.
But the time of abundance is drawing to a close. The fireflies of June
and July have given way to katydids, whose scratchy calls to one another
fill the evening air of August with the promise of frost in six weeks.
SEPTEMBER
Since wine was, and is, such a sacred fluid, the Pagans of old naturally
named this Lunar month the Wine Moon. As you celebrate the night of the
Full Wine Moon and dance the magickal round in the moonlit Circle, pour
some white wine in a silver cup. Before the rite is ended, if possible,
catch Her reflection in the liquid, then take a sip. As the Moon-blessed
wine casts its inner glow, sit quietly and feel your own spirit, of which
the wine is a symbol. As the body is stilled and the spirit soars, feel
on this night of magick a sense of the kind of transformation that takes
place during true spiritual initiation.
Today the term Harvest Moon is applied to the Full Moon nearest to the
Autumnal Equinox. This is because, it is said, in other times when harvesting
was done by hand, as the days grew shorter farmers were able to work into
the night in the brightness of Her light.
OCTOBER
At this time of year the abundance of fruit and vegetables begins to slow.
It is a time when our ancient ancestors gathered what they could store
and then supplemented their Winter diets either by hunting wild animals
or by slaughtering domestic ones. So this Lunar month is called the Blood
Moon. As you cast the Esbat Circle on this moonlit Autumn night and fill
the cup with blood-red wine, know that you will be joined in the sacred
dance not only by the unseen presence of departed friends and family so
close at this time of year, but also by the spirits of animals as well,
perhaps of those that have died so that we may have food. In this age of
assembly line slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants, it is especially
appropriate that on this night of the Blood Moon we who are on the Pagan
path ritually ask the understanding of our animal sisters and brothers,
bless them, and bid them merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
NOVEMBER
As the Winter Sun wanes and the Snow Moon waxes full, cast your Circle
in the warm glow of candlelight. Salute the Moon in Her snowy whiteness
and breathe in the coolness of Her light. Become as still as this Winter
night, and know that the activity of the warm light months is behind us.
Ahead are the dark months of the year. The Spirit is most active when the
body is most still.
DECEMBER
The Full Moon nearest the Winter Solstice is the Oak Moon, the Moon of
the newborn year, the Divine Child. Like the Divine Child who is born to
die and dies to be reborn anew, the ancient Oak has its trunk and branches
in the material world of the living, while its roots, the branches in reverse,
reach deep into the Underworld, symbolic land of the Spirit. As the roots
probe downward into the grave-like darkness of the Earth, its branches
grow ever upward toward the light, to be crowned by sacred Mistletoe. At
this most magickal time of the year, as the light of the old dying year
wanes and the Oak Moon waxes to full, cast your Circle wearing Mistletoe
in your hair. Let this token remind you that like the Oak, we too dwell
simultaneously in two worlds - the world of physical matter and the world
of Spirit. As you invoke the Goddess of the Moon, ask that you become ever
more aware of the other side of reality and the unseen forces and beings
that are always among us.