Samhain October 31
Winter Soltice/Mother Night on or about December 21also first day of Yule
which ends on January 1st.
Imbolc February 2
Vernal Equinox/Ostara on or about March 21st
Beltaine May 1st
Summer Soltice/Litha on or about June 21st
Lammas August 1st
Autumnal Equinox/Modron on or about September 21st

Esbats
There are 12 solar months and 13 Full moons. Every 2.7 years there is one month that hosts two full moons, the second of these is called the Blue Moon.
October Blood Moon
November Snow Moon
December Oak Moon
January Wolf Moon
February Storm Moon
March Chaste Moon
April Seed Moon
May Hare Moon
June Dyad Moon
July Mead Moon
August Wort Moon
September Barley Moon

Yule - Winter Solstice, December 21st

Mother Night begins the day before the winter Solstice, usually December 20 when all maternal ancestors are honored. On or around December 21st is the Winter Solstice. This is also when the Queen of the Underworld gives birth to the divine child of light, it is the resurrection of the Sun God. The resurrected Sun God and the God of the underworld have a great battle for control of the year, this time the young Sun God is the victor, warming the heart of the cold Earth Goddess in his growing light. The Sun God officially begins his reign over the first half of the year. This is also the night of ritually lighting the Yule log (with a portion of the unburned Yule log from the previous year) as a symbol of the Suns returning strength. The 12 nights of Yule are the past year in miniature. It is a time to reflect on each of the months past, each day, and to let go and begin fresh by swearing oath on the boar at New Year. The really nice thing about celebrating the 12 days of the Yuletide season is that there is plenty of time to tie all of our holiday festivities in with those of family and friends, because that is what the season is about. We can open and give presents each of the 12 days or only on the 25th. We can give most of our presents on the 21st at the solstice and celebrate the spirit of Xmas on the 25th with our extended families, do what ever works best for you and yours, because the All Father leads the wild hunt for all of the twelve days, all days are for celebration, feasting and being with family, those who have past and those who are living. On January 1st we should begin thinking about what we are going to work toward in the New Year. Return to list

Imbolc - February 2

Imbolc is all about the young Sun God and his courting of the Maiden Goddess as well as his calling out to remind the Earth Goddess of her commitment to sustaining and nurturing life. The days are steadily increasing in their length, which means the sun is growing stronger. The Sun represents the God; he is sticking around more and more, looking for the maiden Goddess to return from the underworld and spend time with him and bring joy and vibrant life back to the old Earth Mother. The aspect of the maiden Goddess is found in the unborn baby animals still in their mama’s bellies and the sprouts within all of the seeds and bulbs hiding under the earth. The Sun god warms up the earth hoping these babies and sprouts will come out of their hiding and lift their beautiful faces to greet him. At Imbolc, this does not happen yet, so we say the Sun God is courting, or calling to the Maiden to return from the Underworld, but she will not actually emerge until Ostara. It takes the womb of the Mother Earth, the warmth of the Sun God, and the combined effort of the two in the form of rain, to bring the sprouts out of their warm seeds and into the light of day, they will be food for the baby animals and their parents. Neither one is more important than the other, each have their equal roles in the web of life. And our role in this particular cycle at Imbolc, is to cleanse the way for the coming new life. Physically we do this by raking the leaves, blessing the seeds we will plant, blessing the tools we use for planting and cleaning and tilling the soil. Spiritually we ask the gods to take from us anything we are holding onto out of guilt. To clear away the things we feel bad about not finishing last year, to make room for the things we want to accomplish this year, so they can begin to grow. We all have our roles or chores we are supposed to do to help things run smoothly, they are all equally important in the eyes of the universe. In Celtic traditions Imbolc is sacred to the Goddess Brighid. Return to list

Vernal Equinox/Ostara - on or around March 21st

 

Ostara marks the end of the Maiden Goddess’ struggle to emerge from the land of the dead back to the earth. Drawn by the warmth of the Sun Gods touch and his love for her as Mother, she is given life renewed, as we can plainly see in all the newly born life around us. This is the ascent of the underworld Goddess, when she leaves her throne and her husband’s side and emerges from the underworld as the Maiden, back into the folds of her Mother, who rejoices. It is a time to celebrate the potential for life as the tradition of coloring and finding eggs allude to. The sacred rabbit, wanting to please the maiden Goddess with special gifts in honor of her return, laid sacred eggs and decorated them to present to her. She was so pleased with them she asked him to distribute them as amulets of fertility, hope and joy throughout the world. Ostara brings the sacred marriage between the growing young Sun God and the Earth Goddess, who is softened and transformed by her daughter’s return to her. This is a time when the vows of love between the Sun God and the youthful Mother Earth Goddess are renewed in their sacred Marriage, and a time for us all to celebrate the beauty and strength of their sacred love. It is in the strength of their love for one another that they create the joy and beauty of spring, that is felt deep within the desires of all creatures and can be seen in the colorful blooms of Spring. Now is when the seed of the new Sun God to be is planted.
Night and day are equal now, and our role in this particular cycle at Ostara is to physically plant the seeds that will be nourished by the love of the Sun God and Earth Goddess. It is a time of initiations and a time of balance, when we should seek equality and harmony between the masculine and feminine forces of nature. We should now physically as well as symbolically plant the seeds of our desires. These seeds will grow into beautiful plants, representing the growth toward what we are working for. When these plants bear fruit at harvest time, so too should our desires manifest in physical form. Return to list

Beltane - May 1st

 

During Beltane we celebrate the growing transformation of the young Sun God toward the mature powerful Sun Father. It is also when we celebrate the merging of the Maiden Earth and Mother Earth, into the May Queen. The Sun God and the Earth Goddess revel in their love for one another and now we celebrate this sacred union with them. All things bask and grow in this divine love. The Sun God and The Earth Goddess are closest at this time of year as they join in the union of the sacred rite. This union also causes the veil between this world and the realm of the Fey to be very thin. This can be seen and felt in the increased Fey activity and energy as our dimensions over lap. Here we are no longer celebrating the potential for life but the birth of life itself.
Physically we need to actively pursue our goals on the material plane. Now is the time to take action and physically put effort into your goals.
This is traditionally a fire and fertility festival, as such; bon fires are lit and jumped through to promote protection and fertility. It is also a time for dancing around the May pole, also known as the axis mundi, around which the universe symbolically revolves.
The pole personifies the trusting male force and the disc at the top depicts the receptive female. Then seven colored ribbons are tied to the disc representing the seven colors of the rainbow. Return to list

Summer Solstice - on or around June 21st

 

This is when we celebrate the mature power of the Sun God, for he has reached his zenith. Summer Solstice marks the time when the God of the underworld is resurrected and there is a great battle between him and the Sun God for control of the second half of the year and the affections of the Goddess, with the God of the underworld being victorious by mortally wounding the aged God of the Sun at the end of this celebration. The mature Sun God as Divine Father understands his sacrificial death will bring life anew and the Mother Goddess tends to his wounds, they make love and he dies in her arms. The God of the underworld officially takes control of the second half of the year and begins to woo the Goddess. The Maiden is being tempted to leave her mother. Our part at this time of year is to offer energy of a caring and nurturing sort toward the Earth and the living beings in our care. Now is the time to nurture your goals or efforts, the things you have been working for should now be within range. You will need to continue to sustain and care for your goals in every possible way. You do not want to get lazy or sloppy, but you also do not want to be too pushy or aggressive. Balance and steadfastness are the lessons of Summer Solstice. Traditionally wheels representing the turning or progression of the seasons are made, decorated with flowers and candles and set afloat on a body of water. Return to list

Lammas - August 1st

 

Golden ears of corn, fruits and sheaves of grain are seen as the offspring of the marriage of the Sun God and Earth Goddess during this first harvest celebration. The first fruit picked or sheaf cut is considered to be sacred to the God and therefore must be treated in a special manner, for the Sun God bled and gave his life for this harvest. Now is also when we mourn the death of the Sun God. It is a time that we honor and recognize the sacred cycle of life being sustained by death. This is a time when we should accept the responsibilities as well as the rewards for our labors. Our goals should now be in the early stages of physical manifestation. If the plants you are growing from the seeds blessed at Imbolc are edible, take the first harvest and bake into bread to be blessed during ritual. Return to list

The Autumnal Equinox/Mabon - Sept. 21st

This is a day of equality between day and night as it was at Spring Equinox, however it is the night that now grows longer. This is the harvest home and the end of the agricultural season. It is the time when the God of the underworld crowns his Queen, stealing the Maiden from the Mother Goddess making way for her grieving Crone aspect. The God of the Underworld travels across the land with his Queen, bringing a chill to the air. The Mother remains, a husk of her previous vivaciousness, as a cold grieving Crone. We can see her grief in the loss of color all around us, leaves begin to fall like tears. We want to be thankful toward the God and the Goddess for all they have given us, and we also want to project for the ability to maintain what we are in possession of. It does no good to manifest a goal if you cannot keep it. This is the time of using the last ear of corn to make a corn Baba. Return to list

Samhain - October 31st

Summers end, the end of the agricultural season, the beginning of the Celtic New Year.
The God of the Underworld and the Maiden made Queen travel to their underworld realm. The veil between the worlds is thin from their passing. The Underworld Queen searches for her Mother’s lover, the young sun god, but she comes to realize that the dead Sun God and the God of the Underworld are one in the same, two halves of a whole. This is also when she realizes the same of her Mother and herself.
This is a time to honor ancestors and lost loved ones. Samhain is a time of death and decay, but it is also a time to reflect on the mysteries of rebirth, reincarnation and ancestral ties and knowledge. On an individual basis this is a time to rest and reevaluate our lives and goals. Now is when we should get rid of any negativity or opposition, which may surround our achievements or hinder future progress. Mabon should have seen the accomplishment of our desires and so now we need to stabilize and protect what we have gained. This is important because it is impossible to concentrate, not to mention put energy into new goals, if what we have is not secure. Now is the time to bind off all interference with what we are doing so we can begin something new at Yule.
Carving pumpkins is a wonderful tradition for this time of year. It was once believed that the dead waited until Samhain to travel to the underworld, and the jack o lanterns help guide them. Return to list

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