|
|
Commonly, there are eight Sabbats which are
celebrated over the course of the year. Each Sabbat has a specific time,
theme and meaning, although the intent of an individual ritual also has a
part to play. See the section on my Wheel
of the Year on the Welcome page for an idea
of the importance of intent in ritual.
In brief, the meanings of
the Sabbats are thus:
 |
Yule
 | The first Sabbat of
the New Year. |
| The Winter Solstice |
| Generally celebrated
around the 21-22 December. |
|
| Imbolc
| Festival at the
mid-point between Winter and Spring |
| One of the four fire
festivals. |
| Generally celebrated
around 2 February. |
|
| Ostara
| The Vernal Equinox |
| Generally celebrated
on that date. |
|
|
Beltaine
| A celebration of the
union between the Goddess and the God. |
| One of the four fire
festivals |
| Generally celebrated
at the beginning of May. |
|
|
Litha
| The Summer Solstice |
| Generally celebrated
around 21 June |
|
|
Lughnasadh
| The first of three
harvest festivals - the grain harvest |
| One of the four fire
festivals |
| Generally celebrated
in August, when the grain harvest is completed |
|
| Mabon
| The second of the
three harvest festivals - the fruit harvest |
| The Autumn Equinox |
| Generally celebrated
in September |
|
|
Samhain
| The final of the
three harvest festivals - the 'meat' harvest |
| The end of the pagan
year and, for many, the most important of the eight Sabbats |
| Generally celebrated
on 31 October |
|
The following individual
Sabbat pages give some of the explanatin of the Sabbat and the spiritual
significance, as I see it, associated with
each Sabbat.
All the photos on these
pages were taken by David Pilsworth. This is just a small sampling of his
work, most of which are photographed when he takes his dog for a walk.
Please use the contact page if you would like a 'jpeg' version of any
picture. If you wish to use any of his pictures, please make an honest
donation to the Witchcraft Museum at Boscastle, and acknowledge his
copyright. |
