Preparing for Your Celebrations

 

Many of us like to set up an altar and scent the air with incense or oils when we talk to our Goddess or God, in the same way we might set our table and put on a pot of coffee when we invite a friend over to visit. These things set the mood and help make the time we spend together extra special. But just as a true friend will gladly come over to talk without being served refreshments, so will the Divine be there for you, without all the ritual settings.

Celebrating the Sabbats can get complicated with special foods, activities and decorations involved. For some, eliminating these things is like trying to hold a Yule celebration without a tree or gifts. Keeping old traditions are what these events are really all about … right? Well … traditions certainly DO make the events special, but our ancestors observed the Sabbats to help them stay in tune with the changing seasons and to celebrate the blessings those changes brought. This is where our focus should be!

A great way to honor the Divine is to share the season’s harvest. That could be fresh flowers and herbs or berries and produce, whatever gifts our Earthly Mother is providing us. Our activities should also center on the changing seasons. Walking in the woods to collect May flowers or gathering wood for a fire on a cold October night are activities that can connect us with Nature. These things help us celebrate the season and give us a chance to thank the Divine for the many blessings each season bring us.

We should connect with our God or Goddess in a way that feels right to us. Many find that connection through Nature, but others find it through a craft or form of art. Writing, painting, photography, woodworking or singing and dancing are a just a few activities that allow us to express our spiritual connection with the Divine and share it with others.

Music and dance have long been used in magical and religious ceremonies. Many believe these activities can raise power, alter consciousness and help them unite with the God and Goddess.

In his book Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, Scott Cunningham writes, “Music is simply a re-creation of the sounds of nature. Wind through the trees, the roar of the ocean hurling itself against jagged cliffs, pattering rain, crackling of a lightning produced fire, the cry of birds and roars of animals are some of the ‘instruments’ that constitute the music of nature.”

There are an unlimited number of ways to incorporate sound into your activities. As with everything else, the best music, tools or activities for your rituals will depend on what feels right to you. If something helps you connect with the spirit of the Divine, then don’t worry if it’s not what others are doing or if it’s not in the book you just read.

In Wicca, how you choose to practice your religion is between you and your God or Goddess. As long as you abide by the Wiccan Rede, your celebrations and rituals will honor the Divine.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill:

“An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will”

Wiccan & Pagan Holidays: An Easy Beginner’s Guide to Celebrating Sabbats and Esbats (Living Wicca Today Book 1)

Zoe Kardia