IMBOLC  LORE
          
It is traditional upon Imbolc, at sunset or just after ritual, to light every
lamp in the house – if only for a few moments. Or, light candles in each room in
honor of the Sun’s rebirth.   Alternately, light a kerosene lamp with a red
chimney and place this in a prominent part of the home or in a window.

If snow lies on the ground outside, walk in it for a moment, recalling the
warmth of summer.  With your projective hand, trace an image of the Sun on the
snow.

Foods appropriate to eat on this day include those from the dairy, since Imbolc
marks the festival of calving.  Sour cream dishes are fine.  Spicy and full-
bodied foods in honor of the Sun are equally attuned.  Curries and all dishes
made with peppers, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic or chives are appropriate.
Spiced wines and dishes containing raisins – all  foods symbolic of the Sun – 
are also traditional.

Triskellion’s Celtic Imbolc Ritual

This is the 1994 Imbolc Ceremony of Triskellion Coven, based in Washington D.C.
It was written by Anne Cross. Cast: Maiden, Mother, Crone, quarter wardens,
others.

Everyone stands in a ring. The Captain of the West sets the cauldron in the
middle of the ring. The three goddess-aspects enter the circle from the east
and circle deosil around the cauldron. The Maiden begins chanting:

Come to us from the Earth’s four quarters

Earth and Air and Fire and Water

Bring your minions to this home

Sylphs, Undines, Salamanders, Gnomes.

Ask your Captains, Nixsa, Djinn, Paralda, Ghob

To bring them in.

The first time, only the Maiden chants. After that it is done twice more, once
by the Mother and once by the Crone. Then everyone turns to the east to greet
Paralda, Captain of the Sylphs and Lord of the East.

Paralda: The Air is the element of the Spring,

The Maiden returns to bring forth her son

The Oak returns from his rest,

And the spiral turns anew.

Then everyone turns south to greet Djinn, Captain of the Salamanders and Lord
of the South. After Djinn, west for Nixsa, Captain of the Undines and Lord of
the West. Finally, we turn north for Ghob, Captain of the  Gnomes and Lord of
the North.

Djinn: The Fire has the power of warmth

The sun returns to our lands.

The light wakes the plants from their slumber

And the spiral turns anew.

Nixsa: The Water douses the land

The thirsty land drinks and awakens

The streams and rivers fill with melting snow

And the spiral turns anew.

Ghob: The Earth gives up her treasures

The bear wakes from his slumbers

The Holly Lord retires in the face of spring

And the spiral turns anew.

All face the circle. The Mother and the Crone step into the outer circle,
leaving the Maiden alone in the center. The five people who ask the blessing
arrange themselves in a five-pointed star inside the circle. After each person
speaks, they salute the Maiden.

Person 1: On this day we remember the Goddess who left us as Crone at Samhain,
and is to return to us. Come back to us, Lady, and bring the spring.

Person 2: Lady, the snowdrops have pushed their way through the cold, wet
earth, and we dream of your return. Come back to us, Lady, and bring the spring.

Person 3: The birds return from their winter homes. Come back to us, Lady, and
bring the spring.

Person 4: The plants which went down into the earth with you are close to
renewal. Come back to us, Lady, and bring the spring.

Person 5: The trees are waiting to bring forth new leaves. Come back to us,
Lady, and bring the spring.

Person 1: Come back from the Caves of Annwn, where souls are purged of pain and
sorrow.

Person 2: Return from Hel, where souls are freed from grief and despair.

Person 3: Come to us from the Mists of Avalon, from the Apple Orchard.

Person 4: Come from Tir-nan-Og, the Land of Blessed Rest.

Person 5: Return from the land of Faerie, where you have dreamed long dreams of
summer.

All: Come back to us, Lady, and bring the spring!

The Maiden (saluting): Cold Winter is gone, the snow will thaw

The badger stirs within the Earth

I sing the Goddess back once more,

To give the land its own rebirth.

The snowdrop comes, the robin sings

I come now, the Maiden

And with one voice

In spring and love and Goddess we rejoice.

The simple feast now. Then the circle is reformed and the Crone passes a
necklace to the Maiden.

Crone: I pass this to you and with it I bring

From ancient cold winter to much younger spring,

From one who is done to one in her prime

So mote it be, in comes the springtime!

The Maiden and Crone bow to each other. The Maiden puts on the necklace and
breaks the circle in the east.

Maiden: So mote it be! Fiat!

All: So mote it be! Fiat!

[A word to the wise: The first time we did this ceremony, an ice storm hit
Washington three days later and froze the city for a solid week. Use with
caution. ]

Candlemas = Renewal

Each year, we celebrate February 2nd around the world.  We call it Brigid,
Candlemas, Imbolc, St. Brigid’s Day, and yes, of course, Groundhog’s Day. Why
do we celebrate on February 2nd?  Is it like President’s Day – providing a nice
day for state and federal workers to stay at home?  Not really… Brigid has
been celebrated for many thousands of years.  It is the day on which we
recognize and honor the awakening of the maiden aspect of the Goddess.

Some of us celebrate the holiday as Brigid, in honor of Brigid who was a Celtic
Goddess of poetry, healing, fire and smithcraft.  In years past, the people of
the British Isles would build a nice fire in their hearth, light torches and
candles, and celebrate Brigid.  What were they celebrating?  The Maiden aspect
of the Goddess awakes or returns from the underworld.  At Winter Solstice she
was impregnated with Spring.  She sleeps until Brigid and returns, bringing
Spring and renewal for the earth with her.  The other names for this holiday
are just different names for the same celebration.

Some may ask what this really has to do with us?  We see that some of the
animal kingdom hibernates through the dark time of the year. We tend to follow
the same cycle.  During the dark time of the year we retreat within ourselves.
We focus internally.  We stay inside our homes in the warmth and think about
what is upcoming for us.  We may not even recognize it.  We may not even think
about it consciously, but subconsciously we are very much aware of it.  We are
very much a part of the spiral of birth, death, and rebirth throughout the
year.  We are interconnected with the earth and all that is on it.  You have
likely heard the old expression “Spring Fever” many times before.  This is
simply our anticipation of Spring’s return, when we can go out and live a full
life upon the earth once more.

Often if we look at our ancestors and the His/Herstory, we can find the answers
to many of our questions.  I hope that everyone has a beautiful Brigid and
remember… Spring is just around the corner.
Mayfair Lightwind

C A N D L E M A S
 
-by Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin

It seems quite impossible that the holiday of Candlemas should be considered the
beginning of Spring. Here in the heartland, February 2nd may see a blanket of
snow mantling the Mother.  Or, if the snows have gone, you may be sure the days
are filled with drizzle, slush, and steel-gray skies — the dreariest weather of
the year.  In short, the perfect time for a Pagan Festival of Lights. And as for
Spring, although this may seem a tenuous beginning, all the little buds, flowers
and leaves will have arrived on schedule before Spring runs its course to
Beltane.

“Candlemas” is the Christianized name for the holiday, of  course.  The older
Pagan names were Imbolc and Oimelc.  “Imbolc” means, literally, “in the belly”
(of the Mother).  For in the womb of Mother Earth, hidden from our mundane sight
but sensed by a keener vision, there are stirrings. The seed that was planted in
her womb at the solstice is quickening and the new year grows.  “Oimelc” means
“milk of ewes”, for it is also lambing season.

The holiday is also called “Brigit’s Day”, in honor of the great Irish Goddess
Brigit.  At her shrine, the ancient Irish capital of Kildare, a group of 19
priestesses (no men allowed) kept a perpetual flame burning in her honor.  She
was considered a goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry and healing
(especially the healing touch of midwifery).  This tripartite symbolism was
occasionally expressed by saying that Brigit had two sisters, also named Brigit. 
(Incidentally, another form of  the name Brigit is Bride, and it is thus She
bestows her special patronage on any woman about to be married or handfasted,
the woman being called “bride” in her honor.)

The Roman Catholic Church could not very easily call the Great Goddess of
Ireland a demon, so they canonized her instead. Henceforth, she would be “Saint”
Brigit, patron saint of smithcraft, poetry, and healing.  They “explained” this
by telling the Irish peasants that Brigit was “really” an early Christian
missionary sent to the Emerald Isle, and that the miracles she performed there
“misled” the common people into believing that she was a goddess.  For some
reason, the Irish swallowed this.  (There is no limit to what the Irish
imagination can convince itself of.  For example, they also came to believe that
Brigit was the “foster-mother” of Jesus, giving no thought to the implausibility
of Jesus having spent his boyhood in Ireland!)

Brigit’s holiday was chiefly marked by the kindling of sacred fires, since she
symbolized the fire of birth and healing, the fire of the forge, and the fire of
poetic inspiration.  Bonfires were lighted on the beacon tors, and chandlers
celebrated their special holiday.  The Roman Church was quick to confiscate this
symbolism as well, using “Candlemas” as the day to bless all the church candles
that would be used for the coming liturgical year. (Catholics will be reminded
that the following day, St. Blaise’s Day, is remembered for using the newly-
blessed candles to bless the throats of parishioners, keeping them from colds,
flu, sore throats, etc.)

The Catholic Church, never one to refrain from piling holiday upon holiday, also
called it the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  (It is
surprising how many of the old Pagan holidays were converted to Maryan Feasts.) 
The symbol of the Purification may seem a little obscure to modern readers, but
it has to do with the old custom of “churching women”.  It was believed that
women were impure for six weeks after giving birth. And since Mary gave birth at
the winter solstice, she wouldn’t be purified until February 2nd.  In Pagan
symbolism, this might be re-translated as when the Great Mother once again
becomes the Young Maiden Goddess.

Today, this holiday is chiefly connected to weather lore.  Even our American
folk-calendar keeps the tradition of  “Groundhog’s Day”, a day to predict the
coming weather, telling us that if the Groundhog sees his shadow, there will be
“six more weeks” of bad weather (i.e., until the next old holiday, Lady Day). 
This custom is ancient.  An old British rhyme tells us that “If Candlemas Day be
bright and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year.”  Actually, all of the
cross-quarter days can be used as “inverse” weather predictors, whereas the
quarter-days are used as “direct” weather predictors.

Like the other High Holidays or Great Sabbats of the Witches’ year, Candlemas is
sometimes celebrated on it’s alternate date, astrologically determined by the
sun’s reaching 15-degrees Aquarius, or Candlemas Old Style (this year, February
6th).

Another holiday that gets mixed up in this is Valentine’s Day. Ozark folklorist
Vance Randolf makes this quite clear by noting that the old-timers used to
celebrate Groundhog’s Day on February 14th.  Once again, this shows the
resultant confusion of calendar changes and “lost days” that have accumulated
down the centuries. 

For modern Witches, Candlemas O.S. may be seen as the Pagan version of
Valentine’s Day, with a de-emphasis of “hearts and flowers” and an appropriate
re-emphasis of Pagan carnal frivolity.  This also re-aligns the holiday with the
ancient Roman Lupercalia, a fertility festival held at this time, in which the
priests of Pan ran through the streets of Rome whacking young women with
goatskin thongs to make them fertile.  The women seemed to enjoy the attention
and often stripped in order to afford better targets.

One of the nicest folk-customs still practiced in many countries, and especially
by Witches in the British Isles and parts of the U.S., is to place a lighted
candle in each and every window of the house, beginning at sundown on Candlemas
Eve (February 1), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise.  Make sure
that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded from nearby
curtains, etc. What a cheery sight it is on this cold, bleak and dreary night to
see house after house with candle-lit windows! And, of course, if you are your
Coven’s chandler, or if you just happen to like making candles, Candlemas Day is
the day for doing it.  Some Covens hold candle-making parties and try to make
and bless all the candles they’ll be using for the whole year on this day.

Other customs of the holiday include weaving “Brigit’s crosses” from straw or
wheat to hang around the house for protection, performing rites of spiritual
cleansing and purification, making “Brigit’s beds” to ensure fertility of mind
and spirit (and body, if desired), and making Crowns of Light (i.e. of candles)
for the High Priestess to wear for the Candlemas Circle, similar to those worn
on St. Lucy’s Day in Scandinavian countries. All and all, this is certainly one
of the prettiest holidays celebrated in the Pagan seasonal calendar.

HOLIDAY FUN FACTS

Winter Festivals From the Past and Present

Celebrations during the mid-winter season were common, even before Christmas
was celebrated on December 25.

Christmas was once a moveable feast celebrated many different times during the 
year. The choice of December 25 was made by the Pope Julius I in the fourth 
century AD because this coincided with the pagan rituals of Winter Solstice, or 
Return of the Sun. The intent was to replace the pagan celebration with the 
Christian one.

In 1752, 11 days were dropped from the year when the switch was from the Julian 
calendar to the Gregorian calendar. The December 25 date was effectively moved
11 days backwards. Some Christian church sects, called old calendarists, still 
celebrate Christmas on January 7 (previously Dec. 25 of the Julian calendar.)

Many of the traditions associated with Christmas (giving gifts, lighting a Yule 
log, singing carols, decorating an evergreen) hark back to older religions.

Some traditions described here are reminiscent of modern day customs, and 
others, like the Festival of the Radishes in Mexico, are bizarre and 
fascinating. You are invited to explore the rituals of past and present on these 
pages.

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice celebrations are held on the eve of the shortest day of the 
year. During the first millennium in what is today Scotland, the Druids 
celebrated Winter Solstice honoring their Sun God and rejoicing his return as 
the days got longer, signaling the coming of spring. Also called Yule, this 
tradition still lives today in the Wiccan traditions and in many cultures around 
the world.

A huge log -- the Yule Log -- is brought into an outdoor clearing and becomes 
part of a great bonfire. Everyone dances and sings around the fire. All the 
noise and great excitement is said to awaken the sun from its long winter sleep, 
hurrying spring on its way as the cycle begins once again and the days grow 
longer than the nights.

Dosmoche -- Tibetan Celebration of the Dying Year

Lasting five days, this festival centers around a magical pole covered with 
stars, crosses, and pentagrams made of string. Dancers dress up in hideous masks 
to frighten away the evil spirits for the coming year. Feasting and prayers fill 
the days and the finale is when the pole is torn down by the townsfolk.

Feast of the Ass -- Middle Ages Christian

At one time this was a solemn celebration reenacting the flight of the holy 
family into Egypt and ending with Mass in the church. The festival became very 
popular as it transformed into a humorous parody in which the ass was led into 
the church and treated as an honored guest while the priest and the congregation 
all brayed like asses. The Church suppressed it in the fifteenth century, 
although it remained popular and did not die out until years later.

La Befana -- Italy's Santa Claus

La Befana, a kindly witch, rides a broomstick down the chimney to deliver toys 
into the stockings of Italian children. The legends say that Befana was sweeping 
her floors when the three Wise Men stopped and asked her to come to see the Baby 
Jesus. "No," she said, "I am too busy." Later, she changed her mind but it was 
too late. So, to this day, she goes out on Christmas Eve searching for the Holy 
Child, leaving gifts for the "holy child" in each household.

Butter Sculpture Festival -- Buddhist New Year

To celebrate the New Year in Tibet, Buddhist monks create elaborate yak-butter 
sculptures depicting a different story or fable each year. The sculptures reach 
30 feet high and are lit with special butter lamps. Awards are given for the 
best butter sculptures.

Chaomos -- Pakistan Winter Solstice

The ancient traditions of Pakistan pre-date the Christian era. During winter 
solstice, an ancient demigod returns to collect prayers and deliver them to 
Dezao, the supreme being. During this celebrations women and girls are purified 
by taking ritual baths. The men pour water over their heads while they hold up 
bread. Then the men and boys are purified with water and must not sit on chairs 
until evening when goat's blood is sprinkled on their faces. Following this 
purification, a great festival begins, with singing, dancing, bonfires, and 
feasting on goat tripe and other delicacies.

Ganna -- Ethiopian Christmas

Legend has it that the shepherds rejoiced when they learned of the birth of  
Christ and they waved their hooked staffs about and played Ganna. This is the 
origin of the game called Ganna that is traditionally played on Christmas Day 
(January 7 -- the older date of Christmas) by all the men and boys in Ethiopia.

Wassailing the Apple Trees

This humorous tradition was documented in 1851 in a London Newspaper. In 
Devonshire, England, on Twelfth Night (January 7), the farmers get their weapons 
and go to their apple orchard. Selecting the oldest tree, they form a circle and 
chant:

Here's to thee, old apple tree
Whence thou mayst bud and whence thou mayst blow
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow:
Hats full, caps full,
Bushels, bushels, sacks full,
And my pockets full too!
Huzza! Huzza!

The men drink cider, make merry, and fire their weapons (charged only with 
powder) at the tree. They return to the home and are denied entrance no matter 
what the weather by the women indoors. When one of the men guesses the name of  
the roast that is being prepared for them, all are let in. The one who guessed 
the roast is named "King for the Evening" and presides over the party until the 
wee hours.

Snap Dragon -- A Christmas Game

Here's a fun one to try at your next Christmas Party. It was popular in England 
during the 1800's. Set brandy on fire in a bowl. Throw raisins into the flames. 
The party guests then take turns snatching the flaming raisins and popping them 
into their mouths. The flames go out as soon as the mouth shuts, so speed and 
dexterity are essential.

SNAP DRAGON

Here he comes with flaming bowl,
Don't he mean to take his toll,
Snip! Snap! Dragon!

Take care you don't take too much,
Be not greedy in your clutch,
Snip! Snap! Dragon!

With his blue and lapping tongue
Many of you will be stung,
Snip! Snap! Dragon!

For he snaps at all that comes
Snatching at his feast of plums,
Snip! Snap! Dragon!

Night of the Radishes

This unusual event takes place in Oaxaca, Mexico on December 23 each year. It
dates to the mid-nineteenth century and commemorates the introduction of the 
radish by the Spanish colonists. Radishes in this region grow to the size of 
yams but are not the rounded shape we usually see. They are twisted and 
distorted by growing in the rocky soil. These unusual shapes are exploited as 
local artisans carve them into elaborate scenes from the Bible, from history, 
and from the Aztec legends. Cash prizes are awarded and the evening culminates 
with a spectacular fireworks display.

Hari-Kuyo -- Japanese Festival of the Broken Needles

This is a Buddhist celebration held on December 8 each year throughout Japan. It 
is a tradition that has been carried on since at least 400 AD. Once only 
observed by tailors and dressmakers, today anyone who sews participates.

A special shrine is made for the needles containing offerings of food and 
scissors and thimbles. A pan of tofu (soybean curd) is the center of the shrine 
and all the broken and bent needles are inserted into it. As the needles go into 
the tofu, the sewer recites a special prayer in thanks for its fine service over 
the year. The needles find their final resting place at sea, as devotees 
everywhere wrap their tofu in paper and launch them out to sea.

FESTIVALS
                                   
Within the Pagan community there are many holidays and Sabbats celebrated for
various means, and not all celebrate each holiday/Sabbat in the same exact way
or for the same reasons. The following is a general list of the Holidays most
common between all the Sects within Neo-Paganism.

YULE  (Winter Solstice, December 20-23 (varies according to the particular date
on the standard calendar according to when the Solstice will occur
astronomically)). Longest night of the year, the turning point when the days
shall afterwards grow longer as winter begins its passage into the coming
spring. It is, in the Goddess worship, the time when she gives forth again to
the birth of the Divine Sun child who shall be both child and eventually lover
and father of the next child in the cycle. Winter Solstice for pagans is a time
of feasting and the exchanging of gifts and is the original Holiday that the
Christian religions modified into their own Christmas, even up to the birth of
the child (Most theologians who have spent time studying the birth of Jesus
admit he was born in either March or April, not the celebrated Christmas date we
all know from the standard calendar – it was moved to this date to help induce
Pagans to give up their old ways yet allow them their holidays during the spread
of Christianity thru Europe and the British Isles). Traditional adornments are a
Yule Log, usually of oak, and a combination of mistletoe and holly (also all
later plagiarized into Christian ways).

CANDLEMAS  (Brigid’s Day, February 2nd) Not common to all pagans, this is very
popular with Wiccans and various Celtic sects. Brigid is the Celtic goddess of
fire and inspiration (Poetry, smithcraft and healing) as well as yet another
representation of the Fertility of Femininity and Love.  Brigid had such a
strong following among the Celtics that the Christian church decided it was
easier to assimilate her into their own system, and so there came about the
making of Saint Brigit and all the stories they created about her so that her
followers would leave their old beliefs enough so they would not side with the
Druids, who were known at that time as ‘the snakes’ because of their tendency to
have tamed snakes that were used to help produce various healing mixtures via
their venom, and who were violently opposing the Catholic church. In History, of
course, the druids lost against the overwhelming odds presented by the church,
led by a man who would then be himself sainted by the church, their Saint
Patrick (who was no clergyman but a warrior). Thus Christian rule of various
sorts came into Ireland. Handcrafts are often sacrificed to Brigid or dedicated
to her as they are started on this day. Its celebration is done with many
candles and as usual much feasting. The Christians also took, moved slightly and
used this date by creating St. Valentine and using the day for one of chaste
love reflections.

Eostar Ritual (Spring Equinox, March 20-23 dependent on actual astronomical
event) This is the start in the pagan year of spring, at least among Wiccans and
Celtics. The first flowers are praised and the Gods and Goddesses thanked for
the true return to happier times for all. Eostar is one of the more colorful
holidays, not one of the somber colors found in Yule and Candlemas. Feasting and
socializing are the important factors in this holiday as well as the celebration
of the return of color to the natural world. In the Christian calendar, again to
draw early worshipers, they marked this as the final days and rebirth of Jesus
(when according to history he died in June!)

Beltane (May Eve, April 30th-May 1st) Most important to pagans, save for
Samhain, I don’t know of any Pagan group that doesn’t celebrate this holiday in
some way.  Beltane is the great Fertility rite of life, starting at dusk on the
30th and continuing until the dawn of the 1st. The union of the God and Goddess
to conceive the sun-child to be takes place upon this holiday, no matter which
tradition of paganism is involved. Beltane is the one holiday most discouraged
by the Christians, who didn’t even use it as a point for a holiday of their own
because the power and nature of the day involved. Still, even in Christianized
Ireland the May day dance of the Maypole remained, as did the giving of flowers
to those you loved or cared for as friends. The Maypole is a symbol of the union
of the God and Goddess to create life, the pole itself a phallic symbol while
the dancers and their streamers or vines of flowers represent the fertile womb
of the goddess as it takes in the Phallus of the god and takes in his seed.
Besides the Maypole often a bonfire is present, and members of the group are
encouraged to jump the flames for luck and their own fertility. Food, drink and
love are the order of the evening. In most sects the celebration of Beltane will
become one large orgy as the participants are encouraged to enact their own
unions of love. Beltane is the time of many marriages/ andfastings in the pagan
community (in some it is the point where one chooses to begin and end
relationships of a physical nature). Clothing is very optional in most get
togethers on this holiday, and mostly it is sensual and colorful. Even those
sects that are prudish about things tend to accept the rules of the holiday, as
it is the holiday of free love. It is said that a child conceived on this day
will grow up to wield great power and knowledge and to be healthier than upon
any other.

Litha (Summer Solstice, June 20-23, dependent on actual astronomical event) Held
on the longest day of the year, the Solstice is the celebration of lights
triumph over darkness and that of the bountiful beauty that light brings into
life. Flowers are common in the circle, roses and bright cheerful wildflowers
are upon the altar and usually worn by all. It is the changing point of the
year, and the celebration of the spiral dance of the year is common among
Wiccans. It a celebration with much joy, and much feasting. Many wiccans will
attire themselves in bright colors and equally bright adornments of flowers.
Litha’ usual food fare may include honeycakes or cornbread. Litha is not
celebrated by all sects nor in the same way.      
                                                                     
Lughnasad (August 1st) The great corn ritual of Wiccan belief (in Celtic realms
this is the celebration of the wheat god, corn is an Americanization and it is
possible there is an American Indian traditional holiday near this date that was
borrowed by the American Neopagans). This is the big celebration of the harvest
(Sort of a Pagan Thanksgiving, but the time clock is different as is that of the
Celtics). Much feasting and dancing occur, thou it is a bit more somber than
many of the other holidays.  Some Pagans celebrate this day as merely the day to
bake their bread and cakes for the coming winter and do no actual rituals save
that of blessing the foods prepared.

Mabon (Fall Equinox, Sept. 20-23, dependent on actual astronomical event) A
lesser holiday, this is not widely celebrated and is most come with pure wiccan
groups, especially those who are based in the works of Starhawk and other Dianic
sects. This is the weavers festival, and a braiding of cords are done in the
process of casting a spell to add to ones life from what it is, each person
weaving unto themselves what they wish and the coven as a whole weaving all the
cords together to unite the power and efforts symbolically.

SAMHAIN (Halloween Oct 31st) The year ends traditionally in Wiccan beliefs with
this holiday. Samhain is said to be the period of time when the gates between
the worlds are least guarded and the veils their thinnest. It is a time for
dimensional openings and workings, and also the celebration of the death of the
year king. It is a somber holiday, one of dark clothes and thoughts for the
dead, it is said to be the time when those of necromantic talents can speak with
the dead and it is certainly a time to remember ones dead. It is a time of
endings of relationships and bad situations and it is the time when one can see
the glimmer of hope in the future. There are as many concepts attached to this
holiday as any other.

THE DAYS OF POWER

In the past, when people lived with Nature, the turning of the seasons and the
monthly  cycle of the Moon had a profound impact on religious ceremonies. 
Because the Moon  was seen as a symbol of the Goddess, ceremonies as adoration
and magick took place in  its light. The coming of Winter, the first stirrings
of Spring, the warm Summer and the advent of Fall were also marked with rituals.

The Witches, heirs of the pre-Christian folk religions of Europe, still
celebrate the Full Moon and observe the changing of the seasons. The Pagan
religious calendar contains  13 Full Moon celebrations and eight Sabbats or days
of power.

Four of these days (or, more properly, nights) are determined by the Solstices
and  Equinoxes, the astronomical beginnings of the seasons.  The other four
ritual occasions are based on old folk festivals. The rituals give structure and
order to the Pagan year, and also remind us of the endless cycle that will
continue long after we’re gone.

Four of the Sabbats – perhaps those that have been observed for the longest time
–  were probably associated with the agriculture and the bearing cycles of
animals. These are Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (April 30), Lughnasadh  (August
1)  and Samhain (October  31).  These names are Celtic and are quite common
among Witches, though many others exist.

When careful observation of the skies led to common knowledge of the
astronomical  year, the Solstices and Equinoxes (circa March 21, June 21,
September 21 and December 21; the actual dates vary from year to year) were
brought into this religious structure.

Who first began worshipping and raising energy at these times?  That question
cannot be answered. However, these sacred days and nights are the origins of the
21 Craft ritual occasions.

Many of these survive today in both secular and religious forms. May Day
celebrations,   Hallowe’en, Ground-hog Day and even Thanksgiving, to name some
popular North American holidays, are all connected with ancient Pagan worship.
Heavily Christianized versions of the Sabbats have also been preserved within
the Catholic Church.

The Sabbats are Solar rituals, marking the points of the Sun’s yearly cycle, and
are but half of the Pagan ritual year.  The Esbats are the Pagan Full Moon
celebrations. At this  time we gather to worship She Who Is.  Not that Witches
omit the God at Esbats – both are usually revered on all ritual occasions.

There are 13 Full Moons yearly, or one every 28 1/4 days. The Moon is a symbol
of the Goddess as well as a source of energy. Thus, after the religious aspects
of the Esbats, Witches often practice magick, tapping into the larger amounts of
energy which are thought to exist at these times.

Some of the old Craft festivals, stripped of their once sacred qualities by the
dominance of Christianity, have degenerated.  Samhain seems to have been taken
over by candy manufacturers in North America, while Yule has  been transformed
from one of the  most holy Pagan days to a time of gross commercialism. Even the
later echoes of a Christian savior’s birth are hardly audible above the
electronic hum of cash registers.

But the old magick remains on these days and nights, and the Craft celebrate
them.   Rituals vary greatly, but all relate to the Goddess and God and to our
home, the Earth.  Most rites are held at night for practical purposes as well as
to lend a sense of mystery. The Sabbats, being Solar-oriented, are more
naturally celebrated at noon or at dawn, but this is rare today

CANDLEMAS (IMBOLC) RITUAL: 2 February
                           -by the White Bard

Materials:  a candle for each covener present.
            a MAIDEN, dressed in white.
            a Crown of Light, made from three, six, or nine
                candles.
            a BARD/GREEN MAN.
            a DARK LORD, dressed in dark clothing, and holding a
              dark cloak.

%  The place of ritual should be set up, away from the
   gathered participants.
%  It is more than a good idea to manage bathrooms and such like
%  before the circle is closed. This Mystery is not something any
%  of the participants should miss out on!

HPS: Go we now to the sacred place
     And stand within the sacred space
     Turn your minds to sacred things
     And dance with me unto the ring!

%  HP and HPS lead the coven to the place of ritual by a
%  spiral dance, ending in a circle around the altar. The
%  cauldron should be at the south. The Bard/Green Man
%  dances at the end of the line. A good song to sing here
%  is “Lord Of The Dance.”

HPS: Come we forth, with the Spiral Dance
     Within the Lady’s radiance
     To celebrate the Sun’s rebirth
     To renew life, to warm the Earth

     Earth and Water, Fire and Air
     I invoke the Goddess there!
     This night we are Between the Worlds
     To celebrate the year unfurled!

HP: Earth and Water, Fire and Sky
    I invoke the God on high
    This night we are Between the Worlds
    To celebrate the year unfurled!

%   The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but
%   shall not be called until the HPS reaches that corner on her
%   circumnabulation.

EAST:   O Guardians of the Eastern Tower,
        Airy ones of healing power
        I do summon, stir and call you
        See these rites and guard this circle!

        Come to us and heed our call!
        By the Power that made us all;
        By the Power that blesses Thee:
        Come to us; and Blessed Be!

SOUTH:  Oh fiery ones of Southern Power
        Thus I invite you to this tower
        I do summon, stir and call you
        See these rites and guard this circle!

        Come to us and heed our call!
        By the Power that made us all;
        By the Power that blesses Thee:
        Come to us; and Blessed Be!

WEST:   Western ones of water’s flow
        Help to guard us here below
        I do summon, stir and call you
        See these rites and guard this circle!

        Come to us and heed our call!
        By the Power that made us all;
        By the Power that blesses Thee:
        Come to us; and Blessed Be!

NORTH:  Earthen ones of Northern fame
        Bless and guard our Power’s fane
        I do summon, stir and call you
        See these rites and guard this circle!

        Come to us and heed our call!
        By the Power that made us all;
        By the Power that blesses Thee:
        Come to us; and Blessed Be!

%  The HPS shall move to each corner, and say, following each
%  corner’s crying as she moves to the next:

HPS: So I cast and consecrate
     This Circle of the small and great:
     By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
     By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea,
     By Fire and Water, Earth and Air,
     By the Lord, and Lady Fair!
     By Love and Joy and Work and Play,
     All things harmful cast away!
     By lightening’s flash, and rain’s soft fall,
     By the Power that made us all;
     By the Power that blesses Thee:
     (Cast the Circle: Blessed be!)

%  On her return to the first corner she shall change the last
%  line above, and say:

     The Circle’s cast; and Blessed Be!

%  The callers of the corners shall return their tools to the
   altar, and then shall join the circle at their corners.

        ————————————————–

%   Here begins the Candlemas (Imbolc) Mystery:
%   The Maiden shall step forth, and say:

MAIDEN: This is the time of Brigid, the Patron of Poets and Fire,
        and of Healing.

HPS: This is the time of new beginnings, when the Mother has become
     Maiden.

HP: The days have turned, and grow longer, and the Sun-child is growing
    to His strength.

BARD/GREEN MAN: I have been a wave upon the sea,
                And a spark in the firelight.

                I have been a fish in the ocean.
                I have been a Thought within a Word,
                And a Word within a Deed.
                I was cast away, and found again.

                I have been made of flowers
                And of cold steel and brass.
                Fire and ice are alike unto me.

                I have been the narrow blade of a sword
                That kills without cutting.
                And the Void is my homeland.

                I have been in Caer Sidi
                In the Spiral Castle of Glass.
                And the letters on the Standing Stones
                Are no secret from me.

                I have been in Annwyn
                And Tir na n’Og,
                I have danced the Spiral Dance,
                And drunk from the Hierlas at daybreak.

                I have ridden beneath two ravens
                And served in the kitchen,
                And all places are alike unto me.

                I have been a child
                And now I come into my strength!

                I invoke the Land, the dear Land,
                the Earth our Mother!

MAIDEN: The cycles of the Moon have taken their course, and I am
        in my Maidenhood. The stars are kindled, and I dance in
        their light.

DARK LORD: Thy home is with me thru the long months of Winter, and the
           Earth shall lie fallow and bare.

%   The HPS shall then light the candles of the Crown of Light,
%   and shall approach the Maiden, who is now standing in the East, and
%   place it upon her head.
%   She shall now, in company with the Bard/Green Man, circumnabulate the
%   circle, and the coveners shall light their candles from her crown.
%   The Bard/Green Man shall return to his normal place within the circle
%   and the Maiden shall place the Crown of Light on the altar.
%   The Maiden shall then approach the Dark Lord, and kneel before him,
%   and he shall say:

DARK LORD: As it always is, always was, and always shall be. Come to my
           Kingdom.

%   Here he shall place the dark cloak around her, and they shall retire
%   to the West.
%   Here ends the Candlemas Mystery.

  ——————————————————————–

%   A normal cone-of-power may be raised, for growth and healing:

HPS: In a ring we all shall stand
     Pass the Power, hand to hand.

HP: As the Sun is given birth
    Build the Power; root to Earth

HPS: Pass the Power, hand to hand
     Bless the Lady, bless the Land

HP: Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies
    Bless the Power that never dies!

%   The above four verses should be repeated three times, (or
%   as many times as needed) and then the HPS should say:

HPS: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree:
     Let the Power flow out and free!

%   All should release, at this point.
%   Such coven business as must be transacted may be done here.
%   This is a good time to bless candles for use during the coming year.
%   This is also a good time for initiations.
        ——————————————————
%   The Circle is opened.

HPS: Thus I release the East and West
     Thanks to them from Host to Guest
     Thus I release the South and North
     With “Blessed Be’ I send them forth!
     The Circle’s open, dance we so
     Out and homeward we shall go.
     Earth and Water, Air and Fire
     Celebrated our desire.
     The Sun’s returned to banish dark
     The Earth awakes to sunlight’s spark.
     By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
     Our circle’s done; and Blessed Be!

COVEN: Blessed Be!

%   All spiral dance out from the Circle.

         C A N D L E M A S:  The Light Returns
=====================================
                          by Mike Nichols

    It seems quite impossible that the holiday of Candlemas should be considered
the beginning of Spring.  Here in the Heartland, February 2nd may see a blanket
of snow mantling the Mother.  Or, if the snows have gone, you may be sure the
days are filled with drizzle, slush, and steel-grey skies — the dreariest
weather of the year.  In short, the perfect time for a Pagan Festival of Lights. 
And as for Spring, although this may seem a tenuous beginning, all the little
buds, flowers and leaves will have arrived on schedule before Spring runs its
course to Beltane.

    ‘Candlemas’ is the Christianized name for the holiday, of course. The older
Pagan names were Imbolc and Oimelc.  ‘Imbolc’ means, literally, ‘in the belly’
(of the Mother).  For in the womb of Mother Earth, hidden from our mundane sight
but sensed by a keener vision, there are stirrings.  The seed that was planted
in her womb at the solstice is quickening and the new year grows.  ‘Oimelc’
means ‘milk of ewes’, for it is also lambing season.

    The holiday is also called ‘Brigit’s Day’, in honor of the great Irish
Goddess Brigit.  At her shrine, the ancient Irish capitol of Kildare, a group of
19 priestesses (no men allowed) kept a perpetual flame burning in her honor. 
She was considered a goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry and
healing (especially the healing touch of midwifery).  This tripartite symbolism
was occasionally expressed by saying that Brigit had two sisters, also named
Brigit. (Incidentally, another form of the name Brigit is Bride, and it is
thus She bestows her special patronage on any woman about to be married or
handfasted, the woman being called ‘bride’ in her honor.)

    The Roman Catholic Church could not very easily call the Great Goddess of
Ireland a demon, so they canonized her instead. Henceforth, she would be ‘Saint’
Brigit, patron SAINT of smithcraft, poetry, and healing.  They ‘explained’ this
by telling the Irish peasants that Brigit was ‘really’ an early Christian
missionary sent to the Emerald Isle, and that the miracles she performed there
‘misled’ the common people into believing that she was a goddess.  For some
reason, the Irish swallowed this.  (There is no limit to what the Irish
imagination can convince itself of.  For example, they also came to believe that
Brigit was the ‘foster-mother’ of Jesus, giving no thought to the implausibility
of Jesus having spent his boyhood in Ireland!)

    Brigit’s holiday was chiefly marked by the kindling of sacred fires, since
she symbolized the fire of birth and healing, the fire of the forge, and the
fire of poetic inspiration.  Bonfires were lighted on the beacon tors, and
chandlers celebrated their special holiday. The Roman Church was quick to
confiscate this symbolism as well, using ‘Candlemas’ as the day to bless all the
church candles that would be used for the coming liturgical year.  (Catholics
will be reminded that the following day, St. Blaise’s Day, is remembered for
using the newly-blessed candles to bless the throats of parishioners, keeping
them from colds, flu, sore throats, etc.)

    The Catholic Church, never one to refrain from piling holiday upon holiday,
also called it the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  (It is
surprising how many of the old Pagan holidays were converted to Maryan Feasts.) 
The symbol of the Purification may seem a little obscure to modern readers, but
it has to do with the old custom of ‘churching women’.  It was believed that
women were impure for six weeks after giving birth.  And since Mary gave birth
at the winter solstice, she wouldn’t be purified until February 2nd.  In Pagan
symbolism, this might be re-translated as when the Great Mother once again
becomes the Young Maiden Goddess.

    Today, this holiday is chiefly connected to weather lore.  Even our American
folk-calendar keeps the tradition of ‘Groundhog’s Day’, a day to predict the
coming weather, telling us that if the Groundhog sees his shadow, there will be
‘six more weeks’ of bad weather (i.e., until the next old holiday, Lady Day). 
This custom is ancient.  An old British rhyme tells us that ‘If Candlemas Day be
bright and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year.’  Actually, all of the
cross-quarter days can be used as ‘inverse’ weather predictors, whereas the
quarter-days are used as ‘direct’ weather predictors.

    Like the other High Holidays or Great Sabbats of the Witches’ year,
Candlemas is sometimes celebrated on it’s alternate date, astrologically
determined by the sun’s reaching 15-degrees Aquarius, or Candlemas Old Style (in
1988, February 3rd, at 9:03 am CST). Another holiday that gets mixed up in this
is Valentine’s Day.  Ozark folklorist Vance Randolf makes this quite clear by
noting that the old-timers used to celebrate Groundhog’s Day on February 14th. 
This same displacement is evident in Eastern Orthodox Christianity as well.
Their habit of celebrating the birth of Jesus on January 6th, with a similar
post-dated shift in the six-week period that follows it, puts the Feast of the
Purification of Mary on February 14th.  It is amazing to think that the same
confusion and lateral displacement of one of the old folk holidays can be seen
from the Russian steppes to the Ozark hills, but such seems to be the case!

    Incidentally, there is speculation among linguistic scholars that the vary
name of ‘Valentine’ has Pagan origins.  It seems that it was customary for
French peasants of the Middle Ages to pronounce a ‘g’ as a ‘v’.  Consequently,
the original term may have been the French ‘galantine’, which yields the English
word ‘gallant’.  The word originally refers to a dashing young man known for his
‘affaires d’amour’, a true galaunt.  The usual associations of V(G)alantine’s
Day make much more sense in this light than their vague connection to a
legendary ‘St. Valentine’ can produce.  Indeed, the Church has always found it
rather difficult to explain this nebulous saint’s connection to the secular
pleasures of flirtation and courtly love.

    For modern Witches, Candlemas O.S. may then be seen as the Pagan version of
Valentine’s Day, with a de-emphasis of ‘hearts and flowers’ and an appropriate
re-emphasis of Pagan carnal frivolity.  This also re-aligns the holiday with the
ancient Roman Lupercalia, a fertility festival held at this time, in which the
priests of Pan ran through the streets of Rome whacking young women with
goatskin thongs to make them fertile.  The women seemed to enjoy the attention
and often stripped in order to afford better targets.

    One of the nicest folk-customs still practiced in many countries, and
especially by Witches in the British Isles and parts of the U.S., is to place a
lighted candle in each and every window of the house, beginning at sundown on
Candlemas Eve (February 1st), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise. 
Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded from
nearby curtains, etc.  What a cheery sight it is on this cold, bleak and dreary
night to see house after house with candle-lit windows!  And, of course, if you
are your Coven’s chandler, or if you just happen to like making candles,
Candlemas Day is THE day for doing it.  Some Covens hold candle-making parties
and try to make and bless all the candles they’ll be using for the whole year on
this day.

    Other customs of the holiday include weaving ‘Brigit’s crosses’ from straw
or wheat to hang around the house for protection, performing rites of spiritual
cleansing and purification, making ‘Brigit’s beds’ to ensure fertility of mind
and spirit (and body, if desired), and making Crowns of Light (i.e. of candles)
for the High Priestess to wear for the Candlemas Circle, similar to those worn
on St. Lucy’s Day in Scandinavian countries.  All in all, this Pagan Festival of
Lights, sacred to the young Maiden Goddess, is one of the most beautiful and
poetic of the year.

The wheel of the year is a very pagan concept however it can have meaning to anyone who lives in a season changing environment. If you take a calendar, pull the months out of it, and arrange them in a circle you will see the basic wheel. There are twelve months in modern calendar and four seasons; spring, summer, fall, and winter. The wheel has eight holidays that are celebrated during the year. There is one holiday for each of the equinoxes, each of the solstices, and a holiday in the space between each of the others. Some differentiate these two by having one set be high holidays and the others being lesser holidays to some. Depending on what you feel is right it could be either set for you. The holidays are also split into three groups; the time of the maiden, the mother and the crone. Theses phases run just as a woman?s life does. Late winter to late spring is the time of the maiden, late spring to fall is the time of the mother, and fall to late winter is the time of the crone. The wheel also has a male side connected to the sun. A male is in full bloom when the sun is at it?s strongest in the sky. He is a young man from the winter solstice to the summer solstice and an older man pasted his prime from the summer to the winter. As he ages he will go into the spirit world and be born again of the crone at the winter solstice.

Now you might be wonder where the beginning and end of the wheel is. The truth is that is does not have either, for it is a circle that continues to go around each year. Some believe a new year starts with Samhain (October) others feel it is at Yule (December). I personally believe the year ends with Samhain and we pass into a dead time. The year is then started again at Yule. This is a representation of our life as we grow as humans. During the Dead Time we pass into the spirit world of our life for a little while to reflect on what we have accomplished in life and especially the past year. Here meditation on what we have planted in spring and reaped in the fall is pondered. This is the time to figure out what has worked well in life and is worthy of repeating. It is also necessary to look at what did not work well and should be left to die. When the Dead Time is over you will return to the world of the living to prepare yourself for the following year. It is a good idea to keep a journal of your thoughts at this time to help you start again in the new year. You can even make a new years resolution.

Yule, on or about December 21st

Yule is the winter solstice and the first day of winter. The sun is at its weakest point and we have the longest night of the year. It is also the time that the sun god is reborn. This time of year is already filled with pagan ideas; the evergreen trees and wreaths, the holy, the birth of a god, the Yule log, and the celebration of life. A wreath is a representation of the wheel of the year. An evergreen tree is to remember the earth is still alive. The Yule log is what keeps you warm and lights the longest night of the year. It is lit for both the god and the goddess for she is the one birthing the new baby god. This is a time of year to celebrate both the male and female aspects of the powers at be. It is also a good time to jump the broom for luck in the new year.

Imbolc, or about February 2nd

Imbolc is the holiday where the crone is transformed back into the maiden. Winter is half over and spring is just around the corner. We celebrate the coming of spring and predict how the rest of the winter will go. It is a time to start firming up your ideas about what it is you will be planting in as some as it is time in the spring. This holiday has other names as well; Candle Mass, the festive of lights and Ground Hogs Day are some of the more well known. To celebrate there are rituals that involve the lighting of fires and candles. This is a representation of the sun growing stronger and the days becoming longer. This is also the time when some animals start to give birth to the new young they will have for the rest of the year.

Ostara, on or about March 21st

Ostara is at the spring or vernal equinox which is a day with 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. It is also the first day of spring. This holiday is closely associated with Easter. Not only is it about the resurrection of the earth but it also is part of the calculation for when the Christian Easter will be. Easter will be on the 1st Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. This holiday is a celebration of life coming back after a long winter. Eggs, young animals, and spring flowers are used to decorate and hold reproductive meaning. This is also the time were the maiden form of the goddess begins to help the earth become fertile again and kindles her courtship with the young god.

Beltane, on or about May 1st

Beltane is the second holiday to celebrate spring and the rebirth of the earth. It is also referred to as May Day. You may have already heard of the May Pole Dance. A pole is placed in the earth and ribbons are hung from the top. Half of the dancers move clockwise and the other half move counter clockwise. As you move past the dancers moving in the opposite direction you weave in and out creating a woven pattern on the pole. This is the traditional why to celebrate Beltane along with other actions that symbolize the reproduction of plants and animals. When celebrating this holiday keep in mind that this is the time for planning of late spring crops and when the god and the goddess mate so that the earth will thrive and have an abundance of food for us to harvest later in the year.

Litha, on or about June 21st

Litha or Mid Summers is the celebrated on the summer solstice. This is the time the maiden aspect of the goddess becomes the mother and the god is in his strongest power before he dwindles again. The seasons change from spring to summer on this holiday and it is a fire festival in his honor. Many traditional celebrations include cauldron jumping and bon fires. This is also a great time for a broom race. This is where the myth of witches flying on brooms comes from. In the fields over top the growing crops pagan would run across them while riding their brooms and jumping as high as they can. This is to encourage the crops to grow taller.

Lammas, on of about August 2nd

Lammas or Lughnasadh is the first of the three harvest celebrations. The first crops are coming in and it is time to give thanks for the bounty that the god and goddess has provided us. Grains such as wheat, corn, and barley are the main crops to be harvested at this time. To celebrate pagans have large feasts and of course bake lots of bread. One of the main traditions is to make a John Barley Corn. This is a man made out of bread. He is the honored guest at most celebrations and every one who attends gets to consume a piece of him for good luck.

Mabon, on or about September 21st

Mabon is celebrated at the autumn equinox. Summer become fall and the leaves are changing. It is the second of the harvest celebrations. The mother aspect of the goddess returns to her crone form for the colder months to come. This is a time of feasting again in honor on the gods for what they have bestowed upon us. More of the crops are being harvested such as apples and potatoes. Here we give thanks again for what we will be storing for the coming winter. It is also a time to help the earth go back to sleep a sleeping state. Some traditions celebrate by turning under compost materials into the soil after the fields have been picked.

Samhain, on or about October 31st

Samhain is the last of the harvest celebrations. Most of the crops have been harvested and the earth is full of dying plants and animals. Death is the main focus of this holiday. It is a time when the veils between this world and the spirit world are at their thinnest. This makes divination and contact with the spirit world very easy. Honoring your ancestors and all who have gone before you is the biggest part of this holiday. Many celebrations include a dumb feast. It is a feast in honor of those who have moved on in years past. No one speaks during a dumb feast because it helps the spirits to adjust to life on the other side. If you decide to have one be sure to go all out, set the table for all who you expect on coming and dress up for you ancestors. Some pagans feel this is the start of a new year so it is also a good time to jump the broom as a way to ring in the new year.