Sabbat And lunar calendar
Oak Grove gathers for Sabbats (seasonal festivals), Full Moon rituals (Esbats), and Dark Moon Rituals, as well as various training's and social events. As the dates of when these occur are reserved for members we have instead included the actual dates for the Sabbats to assist those who may be new to following the seasonal and lunar cycles. We have also included a brief description of each of the Sabbats and Lunar Cycles, as well as some ideas for incorporating celebration and observance of these into personal meditation and ritual.
Through recognising and attuning to the seasonal changes we can reconnect with them and link directly to nature in a personal, meaningful, and direct way.
Think about these themes throughout the circle of the year - flowers that bloom at each of the dates of the Sabbats (e.g., snowdrops at Imbolc both in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres), animals that are linked to the festivals, colours, types of incense, colours, things to eat and drink that are seasonally appropriate, traditions (e.g., burning the Yule Log at Winter Solstice, Maypole dancing at Beltane), symbols, goddess and god myth cycles (e.g., myths related to growth, abundance, harvest, death, descent, underworld, and rebirth in various cultures) etc. These acts will all be useful to help you align yourself with each festival and to both the changes within yourself and within the outer world as the seasons turn.
Please note that all dates are for the Southern Hemisphere.
Full and Dark Moons
The Full Moon is the time of culmination, fruition, and celebration. It is the time of the greatest light in the darkness. It is a time of growth, of maximum increase, renewal, illumination, and revelation. Magic that aims to 'increase' is appropriate at this time, and the full moon is also a good time for the charging of stones, crystals, and magical tools.
The Dark Moon is a time of inwardness and seclusion. It is associated with the old Crone goddess, the wise woman, and the Lord of the Hunt / Death & Resurrection. During the dark moon, meditations or rituals that focus on inner journeys, banishing, cleansing, and divination are especially appropriate. It is a time to integrate the 'shadow' side of yourself, to move away from obsessions, fears, and things that hold you back.
Sabbats / Seasonal celebrations
Dates below are indicative for the Southern Hemisphere
1st February - Lammas (Lughnasadh)
This is the time of sacrifice and is the first harvest festival of the grain in which thanks are given and those things wished for at Candlemas are made manifest. This is also the time when the Gods power is waning and he is preparing for his winters journey - death. By his death his people may live - through death there is new life. A time to contemplate change and prepare for darkness, and to acknowledge the fruits of your labours, as well as lessons learned.
21st-23rd March - Autumn Equinox
The time of the final harvest and the funeral of the God where we farewell him as he makes his descent into the underworld.This is a time to give thanks for the successes we have had in our lives, to reflect on how the fruits of experience can be turned into learning, and a time to pause and take stock and share time with family and friends.
1st May - Samhain
The wheel of the Year is seen to begin at Samhain, which is also known as Hallowe'en or All Hallows Eve. This is the Celtic New Year, when the veil between the worlds of life and death is thin and is the time of the Lord of Death & Resurrection and the Crone Goddess. Samhain is a festival of the dead, when we remember those who have gone before and acknowledge the mystery of death. This is a time for looking inward, of divination, and honouring the dead/ancestors, and to embrace/welcome death in order to clear and renew.
21st-23rd June - Winter Solstice
This is the time of the rebirth of the young Sun God as the light slowly returns. He who was dead is now reborn. This is a time of movement and stirrings to growth, and also a time of great celebration. At Winter Solstice we too are reborn, ready to begin another cycle of the spiralling wheel of life. We observe this as a spiritual new year (whereas it is literally the new year for the Northern Hemisphere).
2nd August - Imbolc/Candlemas
This is a festival of light which clears away winter and welcomes spring - a time of creativity and inspiration. It is the time of the Virgin Goddess and the young God. At Imbolc candle magic and magic to initiate new projects and new beginnings is appropriate. This is a time to let go of the old and embrace the new, to be open to inspiration, and renew hope for change.
21st-23rd September - Spring Equinox
This is a festival of the celebration of spring and new life. The Goddess and God are at their prime. A time to plant seeds of hope, enact fertility magic, encourage newness and balance into your life and put new ideas into being. A time to farewell darkness and prepare for growth.
1st November - Beltane
This is the festival of love, fertility, and fire, also known as May Day in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the time of the Sacred Marriage of the Goddess and God. Beltane celebrates the birth of summer and is a time of plenty, of celebration and energy and power. This is a time to perform actions of renewal and pour energy into and tend the new ideas formed at Spring Equinox
21st-23rd December - Summer Solstice
At Summer Solstice the Sun King is at his time of greatest power. This is the time to acknowledge and celebrate all that you see, hear, smell, and feel around you, as well as all that has been accomplished now and also in the past.
