The most common ways to celebrate are with flowers, dancing, and bright colors. This is where the May Bush and Maypole traditions came from. But life in ancient times was based on the seasons, and the Four Greater Sabbats mark the seasons. It makes sense that Samhain would be considered most important because it aligns with the shortening of the day and the descent of the sun. By contrast, we’d celebrate the greater/grand sabbats, or cross-quarter days, anytime during the week before the peak, because we are using this swelling energy to grow and increase our Great Work intention with the fixed energies of the seasonal high tides.

Beltane is May 1. It is the Gaelic start of Summer. There is little doubt that this is why Christians adopted Easter to be around this time (to be in sync with Pagan “rebirth” rites). This month is an excellent time to expand your horizons. If you have been wanting to try something new, now is the time to jump in full force. Note: because the equinoxes and solstices happen at precise moments in time, they may fall on different dates in different parts of the world, and the date can vary from one year to the next. Therefore, a range of possible dates is given for the solar Sabbats.Most civilizations came to this realization and celebrate this holiday in some from The Day of the Dead in Mexico to Diwali in Hinduism to modern-day Halloween. Wicca is sometimes described as a non-organized religion. After all, there is no central holy text or designated place of worship in Wicca, and there are no standardized ritual proceedings to observe. All of these details are left up to individual traditions, covens, and solitary practitioners to decide on for themselves. Suggested Celebration Planning: Night before on Sun. Sept 19, while moon still in Pisces and you have all evening to enjoy the moonrise. OR Monday night, but complete rite before 7:55 pm.

Still, it is worth celebrating the Lesser Sabbats, because they are powerful days as well. The sun’s position is impossible for any human to change. Even outside of Wicca, most people are aware of Samhain — otherwise known as the witches’ New Year or, simply, Hallowe’en. The last of the Greater Sabbats tends to fall on the night between October 31st and November 1st. Oct. 31: Winter Nights/Vetrablot – Norse celebration of the arrival of winter November 2022 Holidays The Wheel of the Year is a physical representation of the eight pagan festivals that celebrate nature’s life cycles. These eight Sabbats include four solar events — two solstices and two equinoxes — and four cross-quarter events. But how did this calendar come about in the first place? The Origin of the Wheel of the Year Calendar Artist: Johanna Polle Suggested Celebration Planning: Night before on Tuesday, Oct. 19 while moon is still waxing in Aries.

Winter’s Gate: Winter Solstice: Yule Sabbat

Winter is now over. Light is increasing. The day and night are equal in length at the equinox. Spring has arrived or is coming soon. Eostar is the time of fertility, birth, and renewal. The ice is thawing, and the growing season for plants and animals begins. Growth is the theme of the day. a b Harvey, Graham (1994). "The Roots of Pagan Ecology". Journal of Contemporary Religion. 9 (3): 38–41. doi: 10.1080/13537909408580720.