sylvan traditions

SYLVAN

WICCA /SHAMANISM

LESSON 12

Lesson Twelve: Sabbats

Homework: Before beginning this lesson,

read The Sabbats: Part I and The Sabbats: Part II

As we look at the Sabbats, we find we have eight magickal days which

divide the solar

year. Beginning with Winter Solstice (when the sun is symbolically born,

represented in

the growing hours of daylight in the natural world and the birth of the

Oak King in the

divine myth) the energy of the solar cycle waxes and wanes throughout the

solar a year.

Modern Witches often refer to this cycle as The Wheel of the Year

and the

changing seasons are often labeled, "The turning of the Wheel."

To understand the Sabbats fully, we need not to just understand why we

celebrate

them (The Sabbats: Part I) or even the modern Traditions associated with

them (The

Sabbats: Part II). Both of these concepts are important pieces of the

puzzle, but they are

only a small part of the overall picture. Like much of what we've covered

in this guide,

we're interested in energy, in the application of the magick of these

days, and in how we

can add this sacred site to our personal tool box of magickal tools.

One of the difficult things about teaching the Sabbats to a wide audience

is, much like

the naming of the moons, learning how to apply the Sabbats where you live

is based on

environmental factors. I didn't come to discover this issue until a

couple of years ago

when I was discussing magickal theory with a Los Angeles based Wiccan. We

were

discussing the shifting of energy in the Wheel of the Year and how it was

tied to the

changing energy of the seasons. She informed me that Southern California

has fairly

static seasons; one day is much like the next. And for my friends in the

Southern

Hemisphere, the symbolism of the Sabbats is reversed. While we're

celebrating Winter

Solstice in the Pacific Northwest, their in the middle of their summer.

So you will need to

adjust the concepts that you use to celebrate the Sabbats according to the

environmental factors in the area you live.

While Esbats are usually (but not always) celebrated at night, I teach

that four of the

Sabbats (the Solstices and Equinoxes) are most appropriately observed at

sunrise. And here's why.

In our modern world, we often think of the Solstice and Equinox Sabbats

as being days

when the hours of sunlight are at their greatest extremes (Solstices) or

when the hours

of daylight and darkness are equal (Equinoxes). However, if we look back

to our

homework, we find that the magick of these days isn't found by using a

stop watch to

determine how many hours of sunlight we experience, but in the journey of

the sun as it

peaks over the horizon. It's at that moment, when the sun begins to

appear in our world,

when the heralding light predawn is joined by the fiery orb of our

closest star, that the magick is born into our world.

While we have no way of being certain, it was most likely these four days

that gave birth

to our modern Sabbats. Determining the days of the Cross-Quarter Sabbats

(non-Solstice and non-Equinox)

takes an understanding of the concepts of astronomy, something our

Pagan ancestors may have developed in time, but something they most

likely didn't

develop until we began our shift into an agricultural society and

developed traditions and lore associated with the Pagan view of life and Nature.

When you find a Sabbat approaching and are trying to determine how you

will celebrate

it, you need to look at two factors. First of all, consider what is going

on in the natural

world. Is it a Solstice and the sun is beginning its journey once more

after stopping at it's

most distant point? Is it an Equinox where the hours of daylight and

darkness are equal?

Imbolc when the life of spring is beginning to stir? Samhain, when the

last harvest has

been gathered and the natural world begins to "die?" By applying many of

the same

techniques to the natural world that you learned to determine if

spellwork was appropriate,

you can analyze the energy around you. Once you have a handle on what is

happening in

the natural world, it is a simple task to build your ritual around the

symbolism of that energy.

The second thing you will want to consider is when the most appropriate

time to hold the

ritual falls. Is it a Solstice or Equinox when we honor the sunrise?

Samhain when our

rituals often take place in the darkest part of the night? As you begin

to look at the

symbolism behind each time of day, you may find additional inspiration in

creating your

rituals. And if you're not sure what the symbolism is, simply go through

the same process

you used to connect with the items on your altar or the various types of

energy we

studied. Simply focus on the time of day and let yourself feel what it

means to you. It's no more difficult than that.