Creation and Holidays

Next I will explain how our world came to be through the Goddess and the God. When I was a little girl my mother used to tell me of this and since then I read several books and visited several sites. Out of all those this story remains true.
     In the beginning there was Spirit. Spirit was of pure energy and pure love. Spirit fashioned itself into the Great Goddess. The Great Goddess fashioned herself a mate, the God. Here is where I will relate to the Wheel of the Year, the never ending cycle of the God's death and rebirth. This subject goes hand in hand with the talk of the 8 Sabbats (holidays). The first thing most people think of when they think of a witch's holiday is Halloween, or as we call it Samhain. They think of flying women on broomsticks, black cats, cauldrons filled with deadly potions, cemeteries, and other ominous symbols. The funny part is all of these have their roots in actual Wicca, except of course the deadliness. As it is well known Wicca is a natural and season based religion.
    Samhain is like the witches "New Year" and is celebrated on October 31st as a major Sabbat. It signifies the death of the God, though he is growing inside the womb of the Goddess. It celebrates the last harvest and is often celebrated with baking breads and spreading out corresponding foods on the altar such as pumpkins (of course), pomegranates, squash, corn, beets, turnips, and apples. There are of course many more late fall foods to choose from but that is just to name a few. As with all Sabbats, at the feast all these foods are eaten, save for the libations (we will get to that later though). The colors of the holiday are in fact red, gold, and black (shocker), not orange and black The veil between the realm of the spirits and ours is incredibly thin.
    Yule, kind of like the Wiccan Christmas, is celebrated on the winter solstice and is (believe it or not) a minor Sabbat. It represents the God's rebirth (no it wasn't originally a christian idea). The altar is coated in evergreen plants such as pine, cedar, and rosemary. There is a great tradition I always did growing up, that I actually extremely surprised to have recently also found mentioned in a great book I read. (Where to Park Your Broomstick by Lauren Manoy. If you get a chance definitely check it out, beginner or not.) When i was little we used to put candles in every window and we would turn out all the lights in the house before lighting them. I love the phrase Lauren Manoy uses when she talks about how it represents the light at the end of the tunnel. It does represent bringing light and strength to the Sun on the darkest night of the year. Gift giving, the burning of a yule log, rituals to promote prosperity and peace, and carving figures of the God are just a few of the ways used to celebrate Yule. The colors are of course red, green, white, and purple.
      Imbloc, sometimes also referred to as Candlemas, is celebrated on February 2nd and is a major Sabbat. The God is now a young boy, playing and growing as the Great Mother Goddess recovers from giving birth. This holiday celebrates the coming of spring and the further strengthening of the sun. It is often called the witch's "Festival of Lights". Lighting of many lamps and many candles in celebration is customary. If there is snow on the ground where you live at this time a great thing I read once was to draw an image of the sun into it (Wicca: A Guide to the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham).Imbolc is a great time to clean up, set goals for the future, and start fresh. Many also honor the artistic side to the Goddess. This would be an excellent day to paint, draw, sing, dance, or do anything artistic really in Her honor.
      Ostara is celebrated on the spring equinox and is a minor Sabbat. This is the time to plant, start a garden, do rituals to promote fertility. The God is an adult and the Goddess is now fully recovered. They are completely in love and the Goddess and God have become lovers. Flowers should be laid on the altar and everywhere, even in your hair if you wish. Spring is in the air and spirits should be through the roof. Now is a great time for healing and hope. Ostara is the original Easter. Egg hunts and everything a person would normally do for Easter is done is on this day. Decorate the home and dress in extremely bright joyous colors. When I was about 11 years old my Mom bought me my second book on Wicca and it had an excellent suggestion to do for this Sabbat . Starting exactly one week before the day of Ostara, write down every injustice or act done to friends or family and throughout this week, go back to that person and rectify what you did wrong (Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation by Silver Ravenwolf). What I decided to do, was take it a step further, and rectify everything I did wrong to anyone. It is very important to create balance and this is a great time to do so.
      Beltaine, also known as May Day, is celebrated on May 1st is a major Sabbat. Beltane is the second most famous Sabbat, many countries celebrate it still to this day with giant festivals and fairs. The God and Goddess are getting married. Beltane is a celebration of never ending love and the bounty of the Goddess's fertility.  Beltane is where the Maypole comes into play. The ribbons, usually white (for the Goddess) and red (for the God), symbolize the joining of the God (pole) to the Goddess (Earth). This holiday should definitely be celebrated outside, near woods and/or a body of water, but most importantly with other people. The altar should be decorated in flowers, bread, eggs, marriage decorations, and decorations that promote fertility. Handfastings are very commonly performed on this day and this is also a great day to officially name your coven. The colors are of course the average bright, festive spring colors.
      Litha is celebrated on the summer solstice and is a minor Sabbat. This is another one that gets celebrated outside. If it is legal, now would be a great time to throw a bonfire in honor of the God who is at the height of his strength. Bring your familiar/pet(s) and include them in the ceremony, bless them and/or cast protective charms for them. Decorate the altar with vegetables, fruits, and whatever flowers are growing. This is also a good time to harvest herbs used for magical purposes. Decorate the altar and dress in warm earthy colors such as green and brown.
      Lughnassadh,also called Lammas, is celebrated on August 1st and is a major Sabbat. It is definitely an all day event (if you are one of those witches who don't normally spend the whole day celebrating, try to do so today). This is a celebration of the first harvest and the altar should be decorated as such with wheat, berries, barely,fruit, oats, and bread. The God is beginning to lose his strength, though he lives on inside the Goddess's womb. Baking bread for this holiday is a must and a good way to celebrate would be having a picnic and change all the decor in the house to give it a more Autumn feel. The person and the altar should be dressed in colors like brighter browns, greens, oranges, and yellows.
      Mabon is celebrated on the fall equinox and is a minor Sabbat. The God is now very weak and the Goddess is sad. This holiday celebrates the last harvest and is basically the Wiccan Thanksgiving. The altar is decorated wheat, berries, barely, fruit (especially apples), oats, bread and then other stuff like corn and pine cones. This is the time to reflect over the past year and think about everything you accomplished or anything you intended to do but never got around to. If your wand is old and breaking or you just want a new one, this would be a great time to get a new one. It is also a great time to create balance in your life once more. Meditate by (or even in) a river or lake and ask it to bless you and wash away all your impurities. Dress yourself and the altar in reds, browns, and oranges.
     I hope you learned a lot. Whenever it gets closer to the actual Sabbat, I will post more ideas on how you can celebrate it and a little bit more about its history. This was just a brief overview. Definitely check out those books I mentioned throughout the passage. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day. Blessed be.