SABBATS - THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR

Celebrating the Holy Days of the Solar cycle that comprise the Wheel of the Year is an ancient way of honoring the Mother Earth Goddess and her relationship with the Sun God. The Goddess can also be honored by celebrating the Lunar cycle at the New and Full Moons.

Note: Please check with an Astrologer for the exact times and dates for the two equinox and solstice each year.

The Solar Waxing of Energy

Yule - Winter Solstice When the Sun reaches 0º Capricorn December 20-23

The ancient peoples used this time of "longest night" to focus on the power of darkness. Not the negative image of darkness, but the richness of that unknown, dark, fertile, deep part in each of us wherein our intuitive, creative forces abide. In modern terms, it is a time for owning one's shadow, so as to transform any negative energy associated with it into the energy of creation and psychic ability. We must accept and know our Darkness before we can fully know our Light.

The Christ energy enters the earth at this time of our yearly cycle, infusing our world with the ideal of perfection and the desire for a re-merging with the One. As the Essenes prepared for this infusion at the beginning of the Piscean Age, so do we prepare for this entry of Christ energy at this season. On the morning following Solstice, the Yule log is lighted, signifying the return of the sun (Son) after our long night of inner preparation.

Imbolc - Candlemas February 2

This transformation is occurring in each of us, as we experience the shift from an inner contemplative focus toward an outer focus of conscious manifestation. The time is approaching when we will gather together all of the inner peace and love and wholeness that has quietly permeated our beings during the long regeneration of winter, and we will find that it becomes available for us to use in our daily lives. As we share this wholeness with others, it becomes even more available to us.

Ostara - Spring Equinox When the Sun reaches 0º Aries March 20-23

We are at the point in the yearly cycle when balance exists between light and dark. The day of Spring Equinox has equal times of daylight and darkness.

As the Sun moves from Pisces to Aries, it will cross the earth's celestial equator, and momentary balance of day and night is achieved. Thereafter, the hours of light will predominate and the hours of dark will fade into the background.

The Equinox then, is a time for us to examine our own balance. Does a balance exist between our poles of yin and yang, or are we prisoners of images of how we "should" behave? As we move toward our outer nature (the light), do we honor our inner nature (the dark)? It was Carl Jung who reminded us that without the darkness we could not see the light of the candle flame.

Beltane - May Eve April 30

The first day of May has been celebrated for thousands of years as the point of fertility, as a time when nature blatantly displays its beauty to bring about the conception of new life. In Celtic tradition, it is known as Beltane, or Bealten, the magic of flowers. The virgin aspect of the Earth Mother now grows into the aspect of a young woman on her journey to the fullness of summer. And as with each of us, the focus is now on the acceptance of our adult role and owning of our fullness. We are here upon this earth for a purpose, and a major aspect of this is to be of authentic service, to share our light and our love genuinely as we grown in consciousness.

This is a time of doing, of making love manifest on the physical plane, and of drawing down the Light in very real ways to guide and strengthen us all.

The Solar Waning of Energy
Litha - Summer Solstice When the Sun reaches 0º Cancer June 20-23

The sun now exerts its maximum power upon our part of the earth as its rays strike us head-on. The time of full outward physical manifestation is here. The powers of inner contemplation are at their lowest point, and everywhere are the energies of "doing," of exerting the will.

The sun moves from Gemini into Cancer, signaling the point of Solstice, of highest solar energy for this year. This was the ancient time of celebration, of outward joy in the fullness of life, the richness of our worldly blessings.

It is just as true for us today. As we experience the warm, full power of the solstice sun, we are called to make true on earth these words, "I am one with all." To understand this is to recognize the divinity in everyone we meet. Use this day to see Creator in each face that you meet.

Lughnassad - Lammas - Teltane August 1

Even as the fullness of the sun hung heavy in the summer sky, our ancestors noticed that each succeeding day saw the sun rising later and setting earlier. As an assurance that the sun would retain its power until the harvest was complete, the Celts celebrated a ritual marriage on this day between Lugh, the sun and Eire, the earth. This cosmic mating of the male and female energies was vital to the maintenance of harmony and abundance.

We have seen in our time of effects of imbalance of yin and yang. The restoration of this harmony and abundance in our lives and on our planet is a sacred task that each of us must shoulder. The male and female in each of us must learn to love itself and from that, to love the other.

On Lammas, Lugh, the Celtic god of Light, buried his foster mother, Tailltiu beneath a great mound in Ireland. This signifies the withdrawal of the Mother Goddess into the earth in preparation for the falling seeds that will need her care if they are to germinate in winter.

Mabon - Fall Equinox When the Sun reaches 0º Libra September 20-23

This is the point on the wheel of the year when there is a balance between the energies of outward, physical, yang manifestation and inward, psychic, yin creativity. There will be equal hours of daylight and darkness this day.

This balance point of the rational and the intuitive will exist for a moment, and then the forces of intuitive, dark, inner contemplation will slowly ascend and rule the seasonal wheel through the winter. At Winter Solstice, the inner world of yin will be at its zenith.

We now enter the all-important time of inner growth. During summer, there was little time for the juices of contemplative creativity to bubble up from deep within us. Now is the time to prepare for this to occur most fruitfully. Only when we surrender to our inner nature can we being to hear the still small voice within, and we must set our outer affairs in order now to be ready when it calls.

Samhain - Hallows October 31

We have come to a very important point in the cycle of the seasons. Samhain (pronounced SOW-WAIN) is the doorway to the sanctum sanctorum. Beyond this doorway lies the deep cavern of the Earth Mother's womb, the creative abyss, from which grows all that is intuitive and contemplative and natural on this earth.

From the ancient Celtic peoples, it was the beginning of the new year, and a huge ritual bonfire was used to burn away the images of the old year, freeing the people from the fears and worries of the past.

On this day, the world of our physical reality and the world of spirit reality come together and communicated. This has given rise to Halloween and the masquerading as ghosts and goblins. In ancient days, the costumes were actually the horns and skins of game animals, which were worn to show respect for the life that had given itself so that the tribe might survive.

Samhain marks the end of a cycle. The seed now begins its time of gestation in the rich, dark earth. Author: unknown

Additional Ceremonies: Created in liaison with you to bring honor and significance to the events in your life. Any event can be commemorated in Ceremony or Ritual and are not limited to the following list of Ceremonies or Rituals that I perform.

Maiden Ceremony-private or group

Group Maiden Ceremony for young women who have begun their Moon Time during the past year. Performed yearly at Ostara, Spring Equinox.

Crone Ceremony-private or group

Group Crone Ceremony for Wise Women, Sages, Elders and Grandmothers who began holding their blood during the past year. Performed yearly at Samhain.

Releasing-Letting Go

Life sometimes affords grand opportunities to let go and release something major in our life, representing a major shift at many levels. The significance of the release and shift can be commemorated in a sacred and symbolic way in ceremony thereby extending the vibratory energy of the changes at a deeper level of consciousness.

Belly Mask Ceremony-Honoring your Ability to Create

A gathering of women friends to commemorate the new life stirring within you! Create and decorate a mask of your beautiful body.

Naming Ceremony-Honoring the New Baby

Welcoming the new member of the family, into the circle with special words, and symbolic gifts. A presentation of this new being into the circle of friends.

House Blessings-New Beginnings

A gathering of friends to honor, celebrate and energize your new sacred space.

Transition-Death

Cherished moments, memories and symbolic gestures to honor the transition of Spirit for our dear friends and family.