Another wild notion many uninformed people have about the Sabbat is that of nude and lustful Witches engaging in bizarre sexual orgies around a blazing bonfire. There is some evidence which suggests a possible connection between the Witches’ Sabbat and the orgiastic Bacchanalian and Saturnalian rites once indulged in by worshippers in ancient Greece and Rome, and it most likely was from this theory that the idea of an orgiastic Black Mass first arose.
While it is true that there are certain Wiccan traditions that choose to worship skyclad (in the nude) and some circles practice what is known as Tantric rituals, or sex magick, it is highly unlikely that full-blown orgies ever take place at authentic Witches’ Sabbats—especially in modern times when sexually transmitted diseases can result in fatality. Most Witches regard sexual intimacy as a sacred and private act, and the idea of a forest clearing full of naked Sabbat celebrants getting it on is probably as far-fetched as the thought of a church full of God-fearing Christians engaging in a Sunday morning orgy.
Many covens gather for Sabbat celebrations either in a sacred outdoor space or indoors, depending upon various factors, such as weather conditions, access to worship areas, personal preferences, and so forth. Fire festivals can be held indoors utilizing candles, fireplaces, or cauldron fires if outdoor bonfires are not possible. Outdoor gatherings can be held just about anywhere. Whether it be a forest clearing, a beach, a hillside, a field of wildflowers, a suburban backyard, or even a rooftop garden in the city, the important thing is that you feel comfortable and spiritually connected to the energies of the Earth and to the magick of Mother Nature’s spell.
Solitary Witches who do not belong to a coven often gather with other solitaries at Sabbat time; however, there is nothing wrong with a Witch observing a Sabbat alone at her altar as long as the spirit of the Goddess and the Horned God is within her heart. (Remember, the main purpose of a Sabbat is to honor the Old Ones and to commemorate the turning of the Wheel of the Year. It is not necessary to throw a lavish party or belong to a coven in order to do this.)
Each of the eight Sabbats possess their own traditional herbs. Many of these are used in the making of special Sabbat potions, incense, foods, and magickal teas. Some Witches also use them to create seasonal potpourris which are kept on the altar during ceremonies. Some give them as Sabbat gifts to loved ones, and others cast them into sacred fires as offerings to the ancient gods. The essential oils which correspond to these herbs are used to anoint Sabbat candles and to make magickal perfumes.
Please note: Each year the astronomical dates of the four lesser Sabbats (the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, and the Summer and Winter Solstices) change, usually by one or two days. To be sure of the exact date of each lesser Sabbat, consult an up-to-date astrological calendar or any other current calendar of days showing the exact dates (and times) of the equinoxes and solstices.
Candlemas
Also known by its Gaelic name, Imbolc, this Sabbat is traditionally celebrated on February 2. It was originally observed by the ancient Celts, who celebrated it as a festival marking the reawakening of the Earth from her long winter sleep.
Many Wiccans celebrate Candlemas as a Sabbat which symbolizes the transformation of the Threefold Goddess from Her aspect of the dark Crone of Winter into that of the Maiden, or Virgin, of the Spring season. Some Wiccan traditions celebrate this day of the year as the festival of the ancient Celtic goddess Brigit (or Brigid)—a deity who presided over fire, wisdom, poetry, and sacred wells, and also the arts of prophecy, divination, and healing.
The traditional ritual herbs and oils of Candlemas include angelica, basil, bay, benzoin, celandine, heather, myrrh, and all yellow flowers. As this Sabbat occurs while the Sun is in Aquarius, all herbs under the astrological influence of this sign are sacred to this Sabbat as well.
Spring Equinox
Occurring approximately on the twenty-first day of March, this Sabbat celebrates balance. It is a time when the hours of daylight are equal to the hours of night’s darkness, thus symbolizing the balance of the Goddess/Moon by the Horned God/Sun.
In some Wiccan traditions the Spring Equinox is celebrated as the sacred day of Eostre—an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess who presided over fertility, and from whose name the Christian holiday of Easter is derived. Interestingly, before being observed as the resurrection day of the crucified Jesus Christ, Easter was in pre-Christian times celebrated as an erotic Pagan fertility rite!
The traditional ritual herbs and oils of the Spring Equinox include acorns, celandine, cinquefoil, crocus, daffodil, dogwood, Easter lily, honeysuckle, iris, jasmine, rose, strawberry, tansy, and violets. As the Sun enters Aries each year on the Spring (also known as Vernal) Equinox, all herbs under the astrological influence of this sign are sacred to this Sabbat as well.
Beltane
Also known as May Day, this is a Sabbat that celebrates the fertility of the Earth and the sacredness of Mother Nature. Observed on the first day of May, Beltane is regarded by many Wiccan traditions as a time to celebrate the sacred union of the Goddess and Her consort, the Horned God. Others dedicate it solely to the Goddess in Her form of Maia, the ancient Roman goddess of springtime, from whose name the month of May is derived. The ancient Druids celebrated Beltane with huge feasts, the lighting of bonfires, and the sacrificing of newborn cattle to the god Belenus (after whom Beltane was named).
The traditional ritual herbs and oils of the Beltane Sabbat include almond, angelica, ash tree, bluebells, cinquefoil, daisy, frankincense, hawthorn, ivy, lilac, marigold, meadowsweet, primrose, roses, satyrion root, woodruff, and yellow cowslip. As Beltane occurs while the Sun is in Taurus, all herbs under the astrological influence of this sign are sacred to this Sabbat as well.
Summer Solstice
Occurring on approximately the twenty-first day of June, this Sabbat marks the longest day of the year and is a time for celebrating the Sun (the sacred symbol of the Goddess’s consort). It is also a time of fertility rites, bonfires, frolicking fairy-folk, and fortune-telling.
In the days of the ancients, this was the time of year when the white-robed Druid priests would perform their sacred mistletoe-cutting ceremonies with a golden sickle, followed by the traditional sacrificing of two white bulls. Often, captured enemies and criminals were encased in great wicker effigies and burned alive as sacrificial offerings.
It was also the most important fire festival of the solar calendar and was celebrated with sacred flames and magickal fires.
According to occult tradition, the mysterious and magickal powers of all herbs are at their peak on this special day. Therefore, the Summer Solstice is the ideal (as well as traditional) time of year for Witches to go out into the wild and gather their various herbs for potions, spellcraft, divination, and healing.
Traditional ritual herbs and oils of this Sabbat include chamomile, cinquefoil, elder, fennel, hemp, larkspur, lavender, male fern, mugwort, pine, roses, Saint John’s wort, wild thyme, wisteria, and verbena. As the Sun enters Cancer each year on the Summer Solstice, all herbs under the astrological influence of this sign are sacred to this Sabbat as well.
Lammas
Also known by its Gaelic name, Lughnasadh, the Sabbat of Lammas is traditionally celebrated on the first day of August. It commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and is, for many Witches, a time for performing special harvest rites, baking homemade corn bread and berry pies, visiting sacred wells, and performing divinations.
The ancient Celts dedicated this day to their tribal god Lugh (after whom Lughnasadh is named). He was a shapeshifting divine being whose name means “Lord of Skills.” The fact that he was said to have had a single eye (the “Eye of Heaven”) suggests that he was also worshipped as a solar deity.
Many Wiccan traditions honor the spirit of the harvest by the ritual blessing of a new corn dolly or kirn baby (a human-shaped figure formed from the last sheaf of corn) and the sacrificial burning of the old one from the previous year. This practice is rooted in a European folk tradition dating back to pre-Christian times.
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