Cycle Applications

 

New Moon                         beauty, health, self-improvement, farms and gardens, job hunting, networking.

Crescent Moon                  animals, change, emotions, matriarchal strength goals, projects, manifestation

First Quarter                      courage, elemental magick, friends, luck, motivation, path working.

Gibbous Moon                   Patience

Full Moon                          artistic endeavors, beauty, money, decisions, children, competition, dreams, families, healing, psychic powers, knowledge, occult skills, legal undertakings, motivation, protection.

Disseminating                    addiction, decisions, divorce, Emotions, Stress, Protection

Last Quarter                       addictions, divorce, banishing illness, stress, protection.

Dark Moon                         addictions, change, divorce, enemies, justice, obstacles, quarrels, separation.

 

Samhain

Animals                  bats, cats, dogs

Activities                Make resolutions, write them on a small piece of parchment, and burn in a candle flame, preferably a black votive candle within a cauldron on the altar. Wear                                           costumes that reflect what we hope or wish for in the upcoming year. Carve a jack-o-lantern. Place a spirit candle in it. Drink apple cider spiced with cinnamon to                                   honor the dead. Bury an apple or pomegranate in the garden as food for spirits passing by on their way to being reborn. Do divinations for the next year using                                           tarot, a crystal ball, flame, pendulum, magick mirror, black bowl, runes, Ouija boards, or a black cauldron filled with black ink or water.

Activities 2             divination, past-life recall, spirit contact, meditation, drying winter herbs

Colors                      Black, Orange

Date                          October 31st

Decoration              Jack-o-lantern, Photos of deceased loved ones, Apples, Fall leaves

Foods                       Corn, Nuts, Apples, muffins, Pumpkin Dishes, Cranberry, squash, pork

Gods                         Am Heh, Arawn, Corn Father, Coyote Brother, Cronos, Eite-Ade, Ghede, Hades, Heimdall, Herne, Loki, Maderha, Nefertum, Odin, Pluto, Rangi, Samana,                                               Sekhet, Woden, Xocatl

Goddesses              Baba Yaga, Babd, Bast, Brunhilde, Cailleac, Cerridwen, Devanyani, Dolya, Edda, Elli, Eris, Fortuna, Frau Holde, Frigga, Hakae, Hecate, Hel, Husbishag,                                                 Innana, Ishtar, Kali, Kalma, Kele-De, Lilith, Macha, Mara, Mari, Mari-Ama, Marzana, Morrigu, Nicnevin, Pamona, Psyche, Queen Of Elphame, Remati,                                                  Rhiannon, Zorya Vechernaya

Lore                          Samhain is the night when the Old King dies, and the Crone Goddess mourns him greatly during the next six weeks. The sun is at its lowest point on the horizon                                      as measured by the ancient standing stones of Britain and Ireland, the reason the Celts chose this sabbat rather than Yule as their new year. To the ancient Celts,                                      this holiday divided the year into two seasons, Winter and Summer. Samhain is the day on which the Celtic New Year and winter begin together, so it is a time                                        for both beginnings and endings. It is the last of the three harvest festivals, the harvest of meat. It is also the day we honor our dead. Now, while the veil between                                     the worlds is thinnest, those who have died in the past year and those who are to be reincarnated pass through. The doors of the sidhe-mounds are open, and                                              neither human nor faery need any magickal passwords to come and go. Our ancestors, the blessed dead, are more accessible, more approachable during the time                                      of the dying of the land. Samhain is a day to commune with the dead and a celebration of the cycle of reincarnation.

Meanings                wisdom of crone, death of the god, reflection on our place in the wheel of the year, honoring the dead, end of summer, new year (celtic), celebrating reincarnation

Other names           Halloween, Hallowmas, All Hollows Eve, Day of the Dead, Feast of Spirits, Third Harvest, Saminios, All Saint's Eve,  Martinmas, Celtic New Year, Samhuinn,                                      Celtic Winter, Samana, Festival of Pamona, Vigil of    Todos, Santos

Plants                       Pumpkin, Apple, Nuts, Thistle, Broom, Oak leaves, Sage, mugwort, gourds, allspice, catnip

ritual oils                frankincense, basil, yarrow, lilac, camphor, clove

Stones                      obsidian, onyx, carnelian

Symbols                   Jack-O'-Lantern, Balefire, Besom, Masks, The Cauldron, Waning Moon

Taboos                     travel after dark, eating grapes or berries

What Celebrate      completion of harvest, veil between the worlds is thinnest

 

Yule

Animals                  stags, squirrels, rovin, wren

Activities                Sing pagan solstice carols.   Decorate the Yule tree.  For personalized wrapping papers, cut a patternon a halved potato, then dip it into tempera paint and on to                                         plain wrapping tissue paper.  For prosperity, burn ash wood. Yule blessings: wreath on the door, mistletoe indoors, food and clothing donations, sunflower seeds                                     outside for birds, ring the bell to greet the Solstice Morn,  and perform magick for a peaceful planet. Gather up Yule greens after 12th night and save. At imbolc,                                     burn the greens to banish winter and usher in spring.

Activities 2             decorating yule tree, gifts in memory of deceased, storytelling

Colors                      Green, Red, Silver, White, Gold, Blue

Date                          December 21st

Decoration              Mistletoe, Wreaths, cinnamon sticks, Yule tree

Foods                       Nuts, Caraway rolls, Mulled wine, poultry, dried fruit, egg nog, pork, beans

Gods                         aker, apollo, attis, balder, braggi, cronos, father sun, helios, hyperion, janus, lugh, maui, mitra, mithras, ngua, nurelli, oak and holly kings, odin, ra, saturn, sol,                                         ukko, yachimata-hiko

Goddesses              albina, angerona, anna perenna, befana, brigitte, changing woman, eve, fortuna, freyja, gaia, hannah, heket, kefa, lilith, lucina, ma'at, metzli, nox, nukua, pandora,                                   pax, shekinah, spinning woman, thea, tiamat, yachimato-hime, zvezda

Lore                          At the Winter Solstice, the two god themes of the year's cycle coincide -- even more dramatically than they do at the Summer Solstice. Yule (from the Norse iul,                                      meaning wheel) marks the death and the rebirth of the Sun God; it also marks the vanquishing of the Holly King, the god of the Waning Year, by the Oak King,                                      the God of the Waxing Year. The Goddess, who was Death-in-Life at Midsummer, now shows her Life-in-   Death aspect; for although at this season she is the                                          leprous white lady, Queen of the cold darkness, yet this is her moment for giving birth to the Child of Promise, the Son-Lover who will re-fertilize her and bring                                      back light and warmth to her Kingdom.  Modern Christmas celebrations are full of pagan symbology. Santa Claus is the Holly King, the sleigh is the solar                                                 chariot, the eight reindeer are the eight Sabbats, their horns represent the Horned God, the North Pole symbolizes the Land of Shadows and the dying solar year,                                      and the gifts are meant both to welcome the Oak King as the sun reborn and as a reminder of the gift of  the Holly King, who must depart for the Oak King to                                           rule.

Meanings                rebirth of the god, honor of the triple goddess, return of the sun and waxing year, new year (non celtic)

Other names           Midwinter, Sun Return, Alban Arthan, Pagan New Year, Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, Finn's Day, Yuletide, Festival of Sol, Festival of Growth

Plants                       Holly,  Mistletoe,  Oak, Pine cones, evergreen, poinsettia, bay, ginger, valerian, myrrh

Ritual oils               rosemary, myrrh, nutmeg, saffron, cedar, pine, wintergreen, ginger

Stones                      bloodstone, ruby, garnet

Symbols                   Wreaths, Spinning Wheels, Trees, Ornaments, Light Balls

Taboos                     extinguishing fire, traveling

What Celebrate      rebirth of the God and the hop of the return of the sun and light

 

Imbolc

Animals                  robin, burrowing animals, sheep, lamb, dragon, deer

Activities                Make the Bride's Bed using the corn or wheat doll make the previous Lughnasadh. Make a Candle Wheel Create a sun wheel or Brigid's Cross for each room in                                       the house. Burn the old ones. Hang a scarf outside on the eve of imbolc and Brigid will bless it with healing powers. Place three ears of corn on the door  as                                              symbol of the Triple Goddess and leave until Ostara. imbolc is a traditional time for Witches' dedications, rededications, and initiations.

Activities 2             candle lighting, searching for spring sign, gathering stones

Colors                      White, Orange, Red

Date                          February 2nd

Decorations            Lamps, Besom (witch's broom), Yellow flowers

Foods                       All Dairy products, honey, Spiced wines, Seeds, Herbal teas, poultry, pork, lamb

Gods                         bannik, braggi, cupid, dainichi, diancecht, dumuzi, eros, essus, februus, pax, trusto

Goddesses              anu, aradia, arachne, arani, arianhrod, artio, athena, attar, audhumla, blaize, branwen, brighid or brid, brynhild, cardea, dahud, februa, frimia, gaia, innana,                                                 kebehut, laufey, lucina, selene, triduana, vesta

Lore                          Imbolc, also known as Candlemas, comes six weeks after Yule and six weeks before the Spring Equinox. At this time, Witches honor the Celtic Triple Goddess                                       Brid (pronounced Breed) in her maiden aspect. Brid     or Brigid is goddess of fire, inspiration, healing, craftsmanship, and midwifery. She is patroness of the                                             hearth, poets, smiths, craftspeople, healers, and priests. imbolc is the winter Festival of Lights. It is the quickening of the year, the first fetal stirrings of Spring in                                     the womb of Mother Earth. Spring lies within sight and the seed is prepared for sowing. It is a fire festival, but emphasis is put on light rather than heat -- light as                                   it begins to pierce the gloom of winter.

Meanings                honor of the virgin goddess, first sign of returning light, festival of light

Other names           Imbolg, Oimelc, Candelmas, Disting-tid, Feast of Brigid, Festival of Light, Festival of Milk, Anagantios, Candlelaria

Plants                       Heather, First Flowers of the Year, evergreen, willow, rosemary, clover, dill

ritual oils                jasmine, apricot, carnation, sweet pea, neroli, olive

Stones                      turquoise, amethyst

Symbols                   candles, the brid, burrowing animals, grain dolly, sun wheel

Taboos                     cutting or picking plants

What Celebrate      light, spring’s return

 

Ostara

Animals                  rabbits, chickens, snakes

Activities                Make pysanky and krashanky, magickal amulets of fertility, protection, and prosperity. Color hard boiled eggs and add symbols for the Fertility God, the                                                   Goddess, the Sun God, unity, fire, water, agriculture, prosperity and growth, strength and wisdom, spring, love and affection, and protection.  At this time,                                                 witches cast spells for careers, relationships, and love. It's a time for planting new ideas. Seek harmony and balance in the incredible energy of the season, and                                         project good health, good fortune, and confidence in achieving goals. Perform a seed blessing and indoor planting ritual.

Activities 2             dying eggs, looking for spring growth

Colors                      Green, Yellow, White

Date                          March 21st

Decorations            Colored eggs, Rabbit Decorations, Spring Flowers

Foods                       Seeds, Leafy Greens,  Fruits, eggs, honey

Gods                         adonis, attis, aum/uma, cernunnos, dagda, danh, dylan, gwali, herna, lord of the greenwood, mithras, odin, osiris, ovis, pan

Goddesses              anna fearina, aphrodite, asarte, athena, coatlicue, cybele, doda, eostre, erce, eriu, flidias, gaia, garbhog, hera, ishtar, iris, isis, juno, lady of the lake, libera,                                                  madhusri, ma-ku, melusine, minerva, moon mother, the              muses, ova, persephone, renpet, rheda, salamaona, vesna, vesta, venus

Lore                          Ostara, or the Spring Equinox, is an enchanted borderland time outside of time where a magickal seam joins dark and light. From this moment on, the Sun God                                        begins his seminal journey across the sky. His light and warmth overtake the darkness of Winter until his power peaks at Summer Solstice in June.  Ostara is a                                         time of new fire. The light and dark are in perfect balance, but the light is growing and the Sun is about to burst forth with new energy. It is a season of fertility                                        and growth.  Eostre or Ostara is the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring to whom offerings of cakes and colored eggs were made at the Vernal Equinox. Rabbits were                                   sacred to her, especially white rabbits, and she was believed to take the form of a rabbit.

Meanings                balance, new life, rebirth, goddess and god of youth, end of winter (non celtic), light overtaking darkness

Other names           Eostre's day, Spring, Equinox, Vernal Equinox, Alban Eiber, Bacchanalia, Lady Day

Plants                       Honeysuckle, Violet, All spring flowers, crocus, daffodil, jasmine, irish moss, snowdrop, ginger

ritual oils                lotus, magnolia, ginger

Stones                      aquamarine, rose quatrz, moonstone

Symbols                   eggs, new moon, butterflies, cocoons, chicks

Taboos                     none known

What Celebrate      birth, children, youth, nature reborn

 

Beltaine

Animals                  goats, rabbits, honey bees

Activities                Dance around the maypole.  Gather the first wild herbs of the season.  Wash your face in dew at sunrise on Beltane for beauty in the coming year. (Traditionally                                      the dew from the hawthorn tree, but dew from grass and flowers will do.) Make daisy chains and fresh flower wreaths and chaplets (head dresses) to wear and to                                     place atop the maypole. Braid flowers in your hair. Make and wear leafy green masks to represent the Green Man who has returned.  Make love in the woods.                                          Beltane is the time of year when the Goddess and God consummate their passions. Commune with the faeries.

Activities 2             wrapping the may pole, the great rite, gathering flowers

Colors                      Green, Soft pink, blue and yellow

Date                          May 1st

Decorations            Maypole, Strings of beads or flowers, Ribbons, Spring flowers

Foods                       Dairy, Oatmeal cakes, Green Salads, sweets, honey, oats

Gods                         arthur, baal, bel, belanos, beltene, cernunnos, chors, cupid, eros, faunus, frey, herna, lono, manawyddan, odin, orion, pan, puck, robin goodfellow, telipinu

Goddesses              aima, aphrodite, ariel, artemis, baubo, blodewedd, chuang-mu, cupra, cybele, damara, devana, diana, erzulie, fand, fauna, flidais, flora, freyja, hilaria,                                                          ilamatecuhtli, kaikibani, lofn, mielikki, perchta, prithivi, rainbow snake, rhea, rhiannon, sarbanda, shiela-na-gig, skadi, tuulikki, var, venus, xochiquetzal

Lore                          May is the time of fertility and new beginnings after a long winter. The Faeries are afoot! They dance in the hills and roll in the grass, reveling in the joy of                                              warm May breezes. Our spirits are high with the lust and heartiness of spring. New life is stirring and appetites are keen. -Laurie Cabot, Celebrate the Earth  In                                        Celtic tradition, the two greatest festivals of the solar year are Samhain and Beltane, celebrations of death and rebirth, respectively. Love is in the air at Beltane.                                       In our rituals, we celebrate the union between the Great Mother and her young Horned God. Their coupling brings fresh new life on Earth. Some form of this                                           Great Rite is enacted on this sabbat in nearly every modern pagan circle. The Great Rite symbolizes the sacred marriage, or sexual union, of the the Lord and                                            Lady. Often the rite is performed symbolically by a male and female who place a knife (a phallic symbol) into a chalice (a female or yonic symbol). In Old                                               Europe, whole villages would celebrate May Day by slipping away into the woods for indiscriminate sexual encounters. Any children conceived during this                                              occasion were known as "merry-begots" and were considered children of the gods. These "greenwood marriages" were acts of sympathetic magick believed to                                         have a positive effect on their crops, animals, and themselves.                

Meanings                union of goddess and god, sacred marriage, all new life, fertility for all living things, end of winter (celtic)

Other names           Bealtaine, Mayday, Walpurgisnacht, Walpurgis Eve, May Eve, Roodmas, Rudmas, Celtic Summer,                                                  Floralia, Giamonios, Bhealltainn

Plants                       Honeysuckle, Hawthorn, All flowers, primrose, cowslip, rose, birch, rosemary, lilac

ritual oils                passion fruit flower, rose, tuberose, vanilla

Stones                      sapphire, bloodstone

Symbols                   eggs, flowers, chalice, may pole, butter churn, flower chaplet, may baskets, crossroads

Taboos                     giving away fire, giving away food

What Celebrate      Sexuality, nature’s promise of bounty, marriage

 

Litha

Animals                  robin, wren, summer birds, horses, cattle

Activities                Paint witches runes (the hagalaz rune), hex signs or other six-pointed figures on anything and hang outside. Midsummer is Gathering Day. Gather plants in the                                         wild, being careful that they don't touch the ground after  being cut (their magickal energy will drain into the earth). Perform herbal magick.  Make a solar wheel.                                   Wind palm or grape vine into a circle, twisting as you go. Cut two short lengths of stem to be just a bit larger than the diameter of the circle and place one across                                     the back horizontally and one vertically. Decorate with symbols of the elementals -- stones, feathers, shells, etc. and festoon with yellow ribbons. Hang in a tree                                       or inside as a reminder of the God/dess' protection.

Activities 2             jumping balefire, gathering herbs, clan gatherings, well dressing

Colors                      Blue, Green, Yellow

Date                          June 21st

Decorations            Dried herbs, Summer Flowers, Fruits

Foods                       Summer Fruits, Fresh Veggies, summer squash, lemons, oranges

Gods                         apollo, baal, balder, bochica, chacol, dagda, donnus, dharma, el, hadad, helios, hyperion, ganges, gwidion, legba, llew, lugh, maui, oak and holly king, orunjan,                                        prometheus, ra, sol, thor. upulero, xiuhtecutli, zues

Goddesses              aine, aestas, artemis, athena, banba, bona dea, cerd, chup-kamui, dag, damona, dana, dia griene, djanggawaul sisters, elat, eos, erce, eriu, freja, gerd, gokarmo,                                          grian, hathor, indra, isis, jord, juno, kali, keca aba, kou-njami, kupulo, mabd, maeve, marici, mitra, nut, olwen, robigus, sekhmet, shekinah, westa, wurusema,                                           xatek-ekwa, zoe

Lore                          At Midsummer, the Holly King, God of the Waning Year, vanquishes the Oak King, God of the Waxing Year. Celebrate passion and success. This is a night of                                        powerful magick. Some call Litha the sun's sea change, when the sun reaches its peak, and "in one magical instant begins to wane. A midsummer fire was                                                 traditionally fueled by the friction between two sacred woods: fir and oak. The element of fire is an important component of Midsummer, possibly because the                                         sun is blazing in the sky and the heat generates thunder and lightning. The tradition of hurling fire wheels into the air or down from atop a sacred hill was a                                               common practice throughout Europe up until the 19th century or even later. As at Beltane, herds were driven through the embers of Midsummer fires to purge                                          them of disease. Rubbing the ashes from the Beltane fire on our foreheads at Midsummer heightens our magickal powers.

Meanings                honoring the sin god at his power, saying farewell to the waxing year, preperation for the harvest, honoring the pregnant goddes, begining of the waning year

Other names           Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Alban Hefin, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, Whitsuntide, Vestalia, Thing-Tide

Plants                       Lavender, Chamomile, Roses, Daisy, Lily, oak, mistletoe, frankincense, sandalwood, heliotrope, copal, saffron, galangal, laural, ylang-ylang

ritual oils                heliotrope, cinnamon, sandalwood, lavender, orange, all mint oils, lemon, saffron

Stones                      emerald, jade, tiger's eye, lapis lazuli, diamond

Symbols                   Fire, the sun, blades, mistletoe, oak trees, balefire, sun wheels, faeries

Taboos                     giving away fire, sleeping away from home, neglecting animals

What Celebrate      faeries, the dun at full strength, nature about to ripen.

 

Lughnasadh

Animals                  roosters, calves

Activities                Make Willo's Lammas Bread  Make sand candles to honor the Goddess and God of the sea. Create and bury a Witches' Bottle.  Make a corn dolly to save for next                                   Imbolc. Make a corn wheel. Have a magickal picnic with libations to the earth of bread and wine. Remember, the corn dolly you make now will be dressed and                                        laid in the bride's bed at Imbolc.

Activities 2             baking bread, gathering first fruits, astrology

Colors                      Green, Gold, Orange, Brown

Date                          August 2nd

Decorations            Corn Dollies, weaving crafts, Shafts of Grain

Foods                       breads, Cider, Rice, teas, Berry pies, corn, potatos, all first harvest foods

Gods                         athtar, bes, bran, dagon, ebisu, ghanan, howtu, liber, lono, llew, lugh, neper, odin, xochipilli

Goddesses              aine, alphito, ashnan, cabria, carmen, ceres, chicomecoatl, damia, demeter, freyja, goddess, of mundus, habondia, hani-yasu-nokami, ishtar, kait, kornjunfer,                                             libera, marcia, mama alpa, morgay, nisaba, persephone, pirua, po ino nogar, qocha mana, robigo, saning sri, selu, taillte, tailltiu, tea, tuaret, uti hiati, zaramama,                                        zytniamatka

Lore                          Lammas/Lughnasadh is the first of three harvest Sabbats. Decorate the altar and house with grains such as barley, oats and wheat -- also fruits and veggies.                                               Substitute bread for crescent cakes. The Sun God is waning, but the Goddess is full of abundance. Even as he wanes, he lives on inside her as her child. Begin                                          gathering and drying herbs, flower, grains or seeds for spellworking in the next year. Make magickal oils now with fresh herbs. Braid onion and garlic charms.                                         Onion is sacred to the sun, because of its shape, and  its dye is a golden amber to burnt apricot (for egg dye at Imbolc or general purposes). When the onion is cut,                                   it reveals the symbolism of the moon. Garlic, too, is sacred to the moon, the crescent shape of the cloves. It exorcises evil and protects.

Meanings                honoring the parent dieties, honoring the sun gods, celebrating the first harvest

Other names           Lammas, Lughnasa, Festival of Green Corn, First Harvest, Ceresalia, August Eve, Elembiuos, Feast of Cardenas

Plants                       All grains, Grapes, Heather, Sunflowers, corn, rice, wheat, rye, ginseng

ritual oils                eucalyptus, corn, sunflower

Stones                      yellow diamond, peridot, citrine

Symbols                   corn, grains, bread, full moon, wheat

Taboos                     not sharing food

What Celebrate      early harvest, fire

 

Mabon

Animals                  dogs, wolves, birds of prey

Activities                Make grapevine wreaths using dried bitter-sweet herb for protection. Use ribbons of gold and yellow to bring in the energy of the Sun, and decorate with sprigs                                       of dried yarrow or cinnamon sticks.  Make a Magickal Horn of Plenty.  Make Magickal Scented Pinecones. Make a protection charm of hazelnuts strung on red                                       thread. Collect milkweed pods to decorate at Yuletide and attract the faeries.  Call upon the elementals and honor them for their help with (N-earth) the home and                                   finances, (E-air) school and knowledge, (S-fire) careers and accomplishments, (W-water) emotional balance and fruitful relationships. Make a witch's broom. Tie                                   dried corn husks or herbs (broom, cedar, fennel, lavender, peppermint, rosemary) around a strong, relatively straight branch of your choice.

Activities 2             wine making, adorning graves

Colors                      Orange, Dark red, Yellow, Brown

Date                          September 21st

Decorations            Acorns, Pine Cones, Baskets of fallen leaves

Foods                       Breads, Corn, Beans, Cornbread, Apples, Cider carrots, potatoes wine, grains, nuts, apple

Gods                         bacchus, dionysys, haurun, hermes, herne, hotei, iacchus, mabon, orcus, thoth

Goddesses              skibimi, anapurna, cessair, epona, harmonica, lilitu, mama allpa, modron, morgan, the muses, nikkal, ningal, ninkasi, pamona, rennutet, sin, snake woman,                                                sophia, sura

Lore                          Autumn Equinox, around September 21, is the time of the descent of the Goddess into the Underworld. With her departure, we see the decline of nature and the                                       coming of winter.   In September, we also bid farewell to the Harvest Lord who was slain at Lammas. He is the Green Man, seen as the cycle of nature in the                                            plant kingdom. He is harvested and his seeds are planted into the Earth so that life may continue and be more abundant. Mabon (" Great Son") is a Welsh god. He                                   was a great hunter with a swift horse and a wonderful hound. He may have been a mythologized actual leader. He was stolen from his mother, Modron (Great                                          Mother), when he was three nights old, but was eventually rescued by King Arthur (other legends say he was rescued by the Blackbird, the Stag, the Owl, the                                           Eagle, and the Salmon). All along, however, Mabon has been dwelling, a happy captive, in Modron's magickal Otherworld -- Madron's womb. Only in this way                                       can he be reborn. Mabon's light has  been drawn into the Earth, gathering strength and wisdom enough to become a new seed. From the moment of the                                                        September Equinox, the Sun's strength diminishes, until the moment of Winter Solstice in December, when the Sun grows stronger and the days once again                                              become longer than the nights.

Meanings                celebartine second harvest, balance, honoring the aging dieties, honoring the spirit world, darkness overtaking light, celebration of wine

Other names           autumn equinox, fall Equinox, Second Harvest, Festival of Dionysus, Wine Harvest, Alban Elfed, Cornucopia

Plants                       Hazel, Corn, Acorns, Oak, Wheat Stalks, Pine cones, vines, ivy, cedar, hops, tobacco

ritual oils                apple blossom, straw, black pepper, patchouly

Stones                      amethyst, yellow topaz

Symbols                   grapes, wine, vines, garland, gourds, burial cairns, rattles, horn of plenty, indian corn, sun wheels

Taboos                     passing burial sites and not honoring the dead

What Celebrate      Harvest of foods, saying goodbye to summer

Dates

Yule                          December 21st

Imbolc                      February 2nd

Ostara                       March 21st

Beltane                     May 1st

Litha                         June 21st

Lughnasadh            August 2nd

Mabon                      September 21st

Samhain                   October 31st

Alternate Names

Yule         Winter Solstice

Imbolc     Candlemas, Bride’s Day, Lupercus

Ostara      Spring Equinox, Esther

Beltane    Mayday, Walburga

Litha        Midsummer, Feill-Sheathain , Alban Hefin

Lughnasadh            Lammas, Cornucopia, Thingtide

Mabon     Autumn Equinox, Alban Elfed

Samhain  All Hallows Eve, Halloween, ShadowFest

What to Celebrate

Yule         rebirth of the God and the hop of the return of the sun

Imbolc     light, spring’s return

Ostara      birth, children, youth, nature reborn

Beltane    Sexuality, nature’s promise of bounty, marriage

Litha        faeries, the dun at full strength, nature about to ripen.

Lughnasadh            early harvest, fire,

Mabon     Harvest of foods, saying goodbye to summer

Samhain  completion of harvest, veil between the worlds is thinnest

Moon  Void of Course – when moon is between signs DON’T DO MGICK DURING MOON VOID OF COURSE