The Witches' Sabbats
The eight Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year are the eight seasonal festivals which mark the changing of the seasons and the cycle of the Sun throughout the ritual year. In the northern hemisphere, these eight Sabbats are:
Samhain Oct. 31 (All Hallows Eve, or "Hallowe'en"; November Eve) The Witches' New Year. The Goddess descends to the Underworld, and the Wheel once again begins the eternal Cycle of Life. It is on this day that the world of men and the Spirit realm are at their closest. It is traditionally a time to remember those who have gone before us. (Note: although the pronunciation of "Samhain" varies in different Celtic dialects, "sow'-en" is perhaps the most commonly used.)
Winter Solstice approx. Dec. 21 (Midwinter; Yule, or "Wheel") The longest night of the year; from this time on, the days start increasing in length. The Lord of Light is reborn of the Goddess, the Divine Birth.
Candlemas Feb. 2 (Imbolg or Oimelc, "in the belly") It is the 'quickening' or stirring, the promise of Spring to come, for life once again begins to stir in the barren and sleeping land. The Goddess returns from the Underworld.
Vernal Equinox approx. Mar. 21 Day and night are equal, but day is increasing - the Light has conquered the darkness. The Young Lord has proven Himself, and been given His Name and Arms by the Mother. The Green God arises in the fields.
Beltane April 30 (May Eve) It is the day of unbridled passion, of the Love Chase - of the Courtship of the God and Goddess.
Summer Solstice approx. June 21 (Midsummer) This Sabbat marks the longest day of the year, and from this time forward the days decrease in length; the Sun has reached its height, and the Lord of Light begins to wane in strength. The Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess. This is a time to celebrate, for the fields are planted, and there is a brief rest before the coming harvest.
Lammas July 31 ("Loaf mass", also called Lughnassad, "Commemoration of Lugh"; August Eve) The First-Fruits of the Harvest, and as such a day of giving thanks - but also one of sacrifice as the God-King becomes a willing sacrifice to ensure the success of the next planting season.
Autumn Equinox approx. Sept. 21 Night and day are equal, with night increasing in length; it is the time that we bid farewell to the warm embraces of the Sun God, for He has died and resurrected to become the Leader of the Wild Hunt - and also the Lord of the Dead in the shadows of the Underworld.
The Lesser Sabbats:
The Solstices and Equinoxes are also known as the four Lesser Sabbats. The Solstices mark the times when the Sun reaches its northenmost or southernmost point (in the northern hemisphere, the Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice, respectively). The Sun appears to stand still (solstice, "sun stands still"), marking the longest day, or the longest night, of the year before resuming its course back toward the equator. The Equinoxes mark the times when the Sun crosses the equator, making day and night of equal length (equinox, "equal night") throughout the world. As such, the Solstices and the Equinoxes are also known as solar festivals, and as quarterly festivals, and they mark the beginning of the seasons in the modern calendar.
In the Tropical Zodiac (the "fixed" zodiac, in which the Signs are imaginary divisions of the sky whose names are taken from the constellations which formerly held that position in the heavens), the Solstices and the Equinoxes mark the entrance of the Sun into the Cardinal Signs. The Winter Solstice marks the entrance of the Sun into Capricorn (Cardinal Earth); the Vernal Equinox marks the entrance of the Sun into Aries (Cardinal Fire); the Summer Solstice marks the entrance of the Sun into Cancer (Cardinal Water); and the Autumn Equinox marks the entrance of the Sun into Libra (Cardinal Air).
The Greater Sabbats:
Samhain, Candlemas, Beltane and Lammas are also known as the four Greater Sabbats. Among the ancient Celts the day ended, and thus began, at sunset, when the visible disk of the Sun had completely descended below the horizon; thus Samhain is still celebrated on Hallows Eve or Halloween, the Eve of November, and Beltane on May Eve. Similarly, the old year ended and the new year began at Samhain, which was also considered to be the beginning of Winter, as Candlemas (the quickening of the year) was the beginning of Spring, as Beltane was the beginning of Summer, and as Lammas was the beginning of Fall. (The ancient seasons are reflected in the fact that the Summer and Winter Solstices are still known as Midsummer and Midwinter, respectively).
Although the various calendar changes that have occurred through the centuries have caused these dates to be shifted, originally the Greater Sabbats occurred on the fifteenth or middle degree of the Fixed Signs of the Zodiac. Even though the traditional dates are off by a few days, the Greater Sabbats still occur within the Fixed Signs of the Zodiac, and mark the peaks of the tide of power which began with the preceding Cardinal Sign. Thus Samhain occurs in Scorpio (Fixed Water), Candlemas occurs in Aquarius (Fixed Air), Beltane occurs in Taurus (Fixed Earth), and Lammas occurs in Leo (Fixed Fire). The Greater Sabbats mark the peak period of the seasonal tides, when their effects are "fixed" or fully manifest on earth; and as such, they are also known as terrestrial festivals, and as cross-quarterly festivals.
The Witches' Esbats
The Esbats, or lunar rituals, mark the cycle of the Moon through the course of the lunar month. They consist of the Full Moons, marking the peak of the lunar tide, when it is at the height of its power:
"...once in the month, and better it be when the Moon is Full..."
(from The Charge of the Goddess)
Many Covens also hold Esbats at the New Moons, which mark the beginning of the new lunar tide and are times of renewal and new beginnings.
In addition, while some Covens who regularly hold weekly ritual at times other than the New or Full Moons will simply refer to those rituals as "Meetings" or "Circles", other Covens will call these meetings Esbats as well. This is still consistent with the association of the word Esbat for rituals tied to the cycles of the Moon, since the concept of a four-week division of the month is tied to the phases of the Moon (from New to 1st Quarter, 1st Quarter to Full, Full to 3rd Quarter, and 3rd Quarter to New again), just as the word "month" is derived from the name of the Moon itself.
(By the way, it should be understood that astronomically, the Dark of the Moon and the New Moon are the same; and that - even at the Full Moon - half of the Moon is dark; that understanding will reveal much about the nature of the Goddess and Her Aspects, if meditated upon.)
