Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Religion 100
EXPLORING WICCA
"When one defines oneself as Pagan, it means she or he follows
an earth or nature religion, one that sees the divine manifest in all
creation. The cycles of nature are our holy days, the earth is our
temple, its plants and creatures our partners and teachers. We
worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess
and father God, who together created all that is, was, or will be.
We respect life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept
the sacredness of all creation."
-Edain McCoy
The Basics
Origins
http://www.sacredsource.com/altars0307.html
Celebrations
The Eight Sabbats
Wiccans
traditionally
recognize eight
holidays. They
correspond with
different
seasonal
changes, and are
celebrated in a
variety of ways.
Imbolc
February 2nd
A celebration of the beginning of Spring, this
holiday celebrates a time of growth and
renewal.
This date is often recognized through spring
cleaning, exploring outdoors for signs of the
warm weather to come, and the lighting of
candles to acknowledge the return of the sun.
Ostara
March 21st
Ostara is a celebration of the Spring
equinox—of growth, renewal, and fertility.
Eggs are considered a fertility symbol and are
incorporated into rituals. The coloring of what
are now know as Easter eggs was developed.
This holiday is celebrated through planting of
gardens, enjoying the outdoors, and utilizing
bright colors.
Beltane
April 30th
Beltane is a celebration of love, fertility, and
self-discovery. Most of the rituals happen
during daylight hours.
Some “May Day” traditions developed from
this holiday (such as the May Pole).
It is a common time for Handfasting
(marriage) ceremonies in pagan culture.
Litha
June 21st
Opposite of Yule, this holiday celebrates the
longest day of the year. It is also known as
Midsummer Night’s Eve.
It is a time to recognize masculine energy, as
it is a celebration of the Sun God’s time of
great strength.
Bon fires are often burned throughout the
night, and may be accompanied by dancing
and/or chanting.
Lammas
July 31st
Lammas (also known as Lughnasadh) marks
the beginning of the first harvest. I
It is a time to reap the rewards of summer
work, and to acknowledge the coming of fall.
Because this is a time of harvesting grain,
those celebrating often bake bread to eat and
include in rituals.
Mabon
September 21st
Mabon is known as the second harvest
festival, and is celebrated on the fall equinox.
It is a time to recognize equality and balance,
to give back to the earth a portion of what
was created during the harvest, and to enjoy
what was created.
Samhain
October 31st
Known as the Pagan New Year, it symbolically
represents rebirth through death.
It is a time to recognize the spirits of family
and friends who have passed away.
It is celebrated at sunset. Many modern
Halloween traditions are based on Pagan
rituals.
Yule
December 21st
A celebration of the longest night of the year,
Yule is a time to notice the decline of winter.
It is also a time of planning for the future.
Many old pagan traditions have been
incorporated into Christmas celebrations,
such as the symbolic Christmas tree, and the
Yule log.
Lifestyles
Wicca and Human Nature