Keeping the Sabbats

I like to hope that I am not alone in having difficulty in keeping the Sabbats as I move through the year.

Traditional Wheel of the Year

I view Sabbats as times to be celebrated with ritual, but to be very honest I’m just not much for making a big hullabaloo. It’s not that Sabbats pass by and I realise 3 days later “Oh, wow! It was the Sabbat and I forgot.” No, I do remember it’s there and I will start paying attention to what is happening in the world a bit more. Looking at what foods are coming into season, at the weather, and at what is currently growing and blooming around me.

It could be that were I part of a coven group I would make more of an effort to do more formalised ritual celebrations. It could also be that if I were to be living a more agriculture-centred life I would take more notice and find need to make a formal acknowledgement.

But neither of these things is true for me. These days it’s me and sometimes my youngest son joins me as we honour our Family Gods. And while I have roots in farming (my grandparents and their parents going back many generations before them were all farmers and or raised livestock), my contact with nature these days is to be found within the cracks of an urban pavement or the nearest city park.

The thing to ask myself at this point is “Do I feel that something is missing from my life because I don’t hold formal rituals to celebrate the Sabbats?”

And the answer here, is “No, I don’t.”

I am quite content to keep the Sabbats by observing the seasonal changes of the earth around me – The blooming of the May tree (hawthorn) signals the arrival of Beltane, while the emergence of crocuses and snowdrops signals the arrival of Imbolc. The arrival of locally grown asparagus and strawberries in the shops indicates that the Summer Solstice will be coming soon.When winter squashes come into season that is my indication that Autumn is well under way. Darkening skies at 4pm tell me that Winter is coming and it will soon be the Winter Solstice, while the sun still shining in the windows after 9pm tell me that Summer is here and it will soon be the Summer Solstice.

Since Mother Nature doesn’t always follow the Julian calendar, thetimes these things occur can be days or even weeks vefore or after the official Sabbat date.

So what can I do? What do I do?

• I offer up a quick hello to the world. Hello Earth, I see the world changing as we move through the year.
• I try to eat local, seasonal foods as much as possible. Besides, these are healthier, better for the environment and the local economy, and less expensive.

It may be that in years to come I may become part of a group again, or I may decide to invite friends and family round to celebrate. For now though, I am happy and content to keep the Sabbats in my own simple way.

How do you Keep the Sabbats?

Can You Wish a Witch a Merry Christmas – Revisited

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Each year I pull up and dust off a blog post I wrote a few years ago entitled “Can You Wish a Witch a Merry Christmas?”

In this past week I have gone to 2 carol concerts, and I have a third to go to next week. I will be meeting friends for a Christmas luncheon later today. In the coming week my children and I will be putting up our Pagan Solstice tree. We will be having our family celebratory meal on the Solstice, but come the morning of the 25th my sons and I will be waking to stockings from Father Christmas and a round of gift-giving, followed by Christmas dinner with their aunt and uncle and cousins and even more gift giving.

The answer then, and now is a most resounding “Yes!” Or, you can say Happy Holidays, or Joyous Yule. Whatever words you use to express your joy, however you may celebrate, it’s all okay.

Christmas is one of many celebrations around the Winter Solstice, celebrated by people from cultures across the world. So much so that many practices and beliefs have merged and crossed to create a secular celebration which is observed by many, whether they follow a religious practice or not.

Since Mabon at the Autumnal Equinox the days have been growing shorter, the nights longer. The Winter Solstice is a time when we welcome back the Sun. On this day it seems to stand still in the sky, neither moving further away nor growing closer, but from this day until the Summer Solstice the days will begin to gradually lengthen once again. Light triumphs over darkness and the world is reborn.

Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, Jews celebrate Hanukkah, Hindus celebrate Pancha Ganapati, Persians celebrate Sadeh and Chahar Shanbeh Suri. to name but a few amongst many world holy days. What these all have in common is the celebration of the triumph of light (the sun/Son) over darkness.

That sounds like a good reason to celebrate to me.

Feel free to tell me Happy Christmas, and I will wish you a Merry Christmas or a Joyous Yule in return.