Hello and Blessed Imbolc to you! Today we are breaking down the Pagan sabbats and celebrating the Pagan holiday known as Imbolc. The Sabbats are organized on something called “The Wheel of the Year”, which is defined as “an annual cycle of seasonal festivals, observed by many modern Pagans, consisting of the year‘s chief solar events (solstices and equinoxes) and the midpoints between them” (Wikipedia). I’m going to split the 8 of them up into 2 articles, so keep an eye out for Part 2!
The point of the Wheel of the Year is to connect with the cycles of the Earth, and to fully connect with mother nature as a whole. Each Sabbat corresponds with the 2 equinoxes and 2 solstices of the year, as well as the points in between them. I love the sabbats because they’re easy to celebrate and make me feel connected to the Earth. I’m not going to go too into detail in this particular article, but if you want to know more, I HIGHLY recommend this article by Wicca Now. You might notice that many Sabbat activities (dying eggs, carving pumpkins, etc) are similar to traditional western holiday practices- this is because the holidays we celebrate today evolved from old holidays from different religions, practices and cultures.
Since today is Imbolc, let’s start there!
Imbolc: February 1st & 2nd (Pronounced imm-olk or imm-bolk)
I like to say Imbolc is the Pagan version of groundhog day. It is the first Sabbat of the calendar year and marks the midway between winter and spring. It is ruled by the Goddess Brigid and is also a fire holiday, so you can easily celebrate it by lighting candles, spring cleaning (smudging) or cooking a good meal!
Ostara: March 19th-21st (Pronounced Aw-straw)
If Imbolc is groundhog day, Ostara is Easter. In fact, the tradition of painting eggs on Easter comes from Ostara, so every time you’ve dyed an egg- you were celebrating Ostara! Ostara marks the spring equinox (beginning of spring) and is celebrated by working with the Earth (planting flowers!), baking bread and sweets and painting eggs.
Beltane: May 1st (Pronounced Bell-tain)
Beltane is one of my favorites, as it is the Sabbat of indulgence. It marks the height of spring, and is celebrated with maypoles, lush gardens, feasts and love. Some practitioners perform a ribbon dance around a maypole, and some take the opportunity to indulge in homemade wines and meads (among other things ;) )
Litha: June 20th-22nd (pronounced Lee-ta)
Litha is the summer solstice and known as Midsummer’s Eve (longest day and shortest night of the year.) It is a celebration of the sun’s warmth and live-giving properties, and is best celebrated with any outdoor activities (like picnics!)
I hope you enjoyed part 1, see you soon for part 2!
As always, love eternal.