How to Become a Witch by Amber K. (large ebook reader txt) 📗

have all the fun. Everyone in the circle participates. We live and plan and think in circles and cycles rather than lines.

The Wheel of the Year

Most Witches celebrate eight major holy days, or sabbats, through the year, spaced roughly six and a half weeks apart. Four are called the lesser sabbats, one every three months at the solstices and equinoxes. The other four are the greater sabbats, and they are in between the lesser sabbats. See how they are placed on the illustration.

These are very ancient holy days; not everyone in those days celebrated all eight, but most modern Pagans do. The names are taken from the Irish language, but most have been around so long that they have more than one name. The dates of the greater sabbats (Beltane, Lughnassad, Samhain, and Imbolc) are approximate; they vary a little in different traditions. The lesser sabbats are determined by the astronomical calculations of the solstices and equinoxes, and these vary from year to year. Here’s the list, with approximate dates:

Yule (or Midwinter, Winter Solstice): December 20–23

Imbolc (or Oimelc, Brigit’s Eve, Candlemas): February 2

Ostara (or Eostre, Spring Equinox): March 20–23

Beltane (or May Eve, Mayday, Walpurgis): April 30

Litha (or Midsummer, Summer Solstice): June 20–23

Lughnassad (or Lunasa, Lughnasadh, or Lammas, August Eve): August 1

Mabon (or Harvest Home, Fall Equinox): September 20–23

Samhain (or Hallows Eve, November Eve): October 31

In practice, many covens hold their celebrations on the weekend nearest the traditional date so that members with weekday work schedules can attend. Samhain poses an interesting challenge, because most modern Witches celebrate it on the same date as Halloween, no matter what day of the week it falls on. Many non-Pagans confuse the two, but Halloween has evolved into a modern, secular children’s holiday and is very different from the Witches’ sabbat.

The Mythologies Behind the Wheel Of the Year

Witches and other Pagans have various mythological cycles that follow the Wheel of the Year; no single one is the “official” mythology, and often they intertwine in happy confusion. It’s not logical or consistent, but few Witches care.

Myth Cycle #1: The Oak King and the Holly King. The Oak King rules half of the year, from the Winter Solstice (Yule) to the Summer Solstice (Litha). Then he is challenged by the Holly King; they battle fiercely, the Oak King is overthrown, and the Holly King rules until Yule. The resurrected Oak King battles him in turn, and takes the crown until Litha…and so on.

Myth Cycle #2: Birth, life, and death of the Sun God. The Sun God is born of the Mother Goddess at Yule, grows to young manhood and takes the Maiden Goddess as his lover at Beltane, reaches his greatest strength at Litha, and becomes the Grain God and sacrifices himself to the harvest at Lughnassad. Then he is reborn at Yule.

Myth Cycle #3: Maiden, Mother, and Crone phases of the Goddess. The Goddess is the Mother at Yule, transforms to the Maiden in the spring, grows into her power as the Mother once more by Litha, and ages to become the Crone in the autumn, and then the Mother again at Yule.

Scottish Variant: The Winter Hag pursues the Spring Maiden, but the Hag’s power dwindles as the spring advances. The Spring Maiden matures into the Mother through the summer, and then gradually transforms to the Hag again through autumn, and the Hag chases the Maiden again as spring begins.

Myth Cycle #4: The Hornéd God and the Goddess divide the year. The Hornéd God rules during the fall and winter, the cold season of hunting, darkness, and death. The Goddess reigns during the spring and summer, the warm season of fertility, growth, and life.

All these are mythological models for the reality of the changing seasons. As with all myths, there are perspectives on truth within each—even though no one of them is literally true. Because Witches don’t need to believe literally in our myths and legends, we can embrace the discoveries of science without worrying whether some ancient tale “given by God” is contradicted. Myths are insights into the human condition, and you are free to explore the ones that seem meaningful to you and use them in your rituals.

Getting back to the sabbats, they are a celebration of life and nature and change. Our ancestors worked hard between the holidays and then played hard when it was time for a break. Let’s look at how they understood each sabbat and what the sabbats might mean for us today.

Eight Sabbats Around The Wheel

We’ll start our discussion with Yule, looking at the significance of each from both an external and an internal viewpoint.

Yule

Yule is the celebration of the Winter Solstice—the shortest day and longest night of the year. It happens around December 21, at the end of what some Witches call “the dark time”—that six-week period beginning at Samhain, moving into the darkest time of the year. At the solstice, we celebrate the rebirth of the sun, which will grow in strength until Litha. In British mythology, the Oak King and the Holly King battle it out, and the Oak King wins.

What It Means to You: In the old days, winter evenings might be spent mending a harness or fixing farm tools. Now, you can work on your own indoor projects—making herbal oils, researching a school paper, or learning new software for your computer.

Giving and receiving are issues at Yule. What can you give to your family, friends, and community? What do they need (never mind the glut of gadgets that the corporations want you to buy)? Also, what is being offered to you that might enrich your life and that you could graciously receive?

Rebirth is a primary theme at this time. Every year offers a fresh beginning. What kind of person will you be “reborn” as? Meditate on your lifestyle, habits, character, and persona, and decide what the “new you” will be like.

As the days lengthen, begin your year with mindfulness and intention. As life and light increase,