The equinox is fast approaching, and it feels like every sabbat is my favorite when it comes around!
Earlier in my practice, I felt like each sabbat took ages to come around, and very often I would check and realize one had passed by without my noticing. I started adding them in very boldly in my planner to help.
Now almost 20 years in, I’m starting to notice how I’ve synced a little bit more with the seasonal celebrations. For a couple years now, just about two weeks before a sabbat, I catch myself thinking about it, noticing how the natural world is changing, and the energy I feel around as well. When I check my calendar, yep, I’m just about in that two week period before the approaching sabbat! Time to start listening to podcast episodes and yt videos about the season!
Because of this, I’ve adopted more of a “seasons” mindset. Of course I still celebrate the day of the sabbat, but I see the spirit of each sabbat ruling over a four week period-- two weeks on either side of the day. Now because I’m spreading out my celebration across the season, I don’t feel as much pressure to do “enough” on the day. It’s such a relief!
Have any of you noticed something like this? Do you start to feel when a day you celebrate is coming up, whether wheel of the year or other? Are there other ways you feel affected by your witchy habits over time?
I feel like when I first started my craft, I couldn’t keep up with the Sabbat. I kept missing them and it was so frustrating. Now, I have a special calendar that alerts me when they’re coming up and so I’m able to plan out sort of what I plan to do on the day. I think there is a sort of flow that I’ve come to appreciate from one Sabbat to the next. I am only in my third year of my craft so it’s exciting to think about where I might be in a few more years. I guess the same would go for the moon phases as I’m getting much much better at focusing on each one and the flow from one to the next.
I’m exactly like that, too. When I first started my practice, I felt so much pressure to celebrate every sabbat. Then when it would come around and I had zero plans because life always had something to throw at me, it would make me feel guilty for “neglecting” to plan for something that was supposed to be important.
Now, as I’ve moved outside the framework of Wicca and honor local seasons as well as the Celtic Fire Festivals, it’s much easier and more intuitive. I can tell when the seasons are changing, and when that happens, I know a sabbat is coming. I honor the local seasons – strawberry season, hurricane season, and even at least acknowledge mosquito season. The seasonal shifts roll in on fog, though something odd is happening this year and there isn’t any fog! The days are ending sooner, though, and that’s definitely noticeable in that it’s dark by 8:30pm now.
I like the idea of celebrating the sabbats as seasons anyway, especially the fire festivals, because that’s how they were celebrated traditionally. It wasn’t one singular day, usually, that festivals or bonfires were held. Each community had what worked for them in the grand scheme of the season. It’s even written that Lughnasadh was celebrated for 15 days before and 15 days after the 1st of August – I’m totally on board with seasonal celebrations rather than just days. I think it also makes it easier to incorporate into life, ya know? Rather than just one day were you have the celebration and then it’s over, you have a whole season to honor the shifts and themes that come along with it!
I wish I had started using calendars for it way sooner! I also think it took a little extra while for me to figure out how to connect to the spirit of the seasons, and not just “do xyz” but that’s a process I think we all go through. I love the app I have for the moon phases, percentages of illumination are displayed in my notifications.
Man, it is exciting to see where a magical path will take you!
Isn’t it such a nice feeling when you recognize the changing season, and that means you get to shift gears into another period of celebration? I love it! It’s really been inspiring me to cook more too, which ends up saving us money and being healthier all around. Changing leaves? Ooh it’s time to roast veggies and make soup!
I love that more people are finding ways to take the stress out of their practice, especially the celebratory bits. Strawberry season sounds wonderful!
It definitely is! Like here, I know I’ve talked about it a million times, but most of the seasons are marked by some sort of morning fog. This year, for the Equinox transition, the fog hasn’t shown up yet. I know we’re getting closer to cooler weather because of the other signs, such as less rain and humidity. It’s just… odd that there’s no fog. That’s been the marker for me the last three years I’ve lived here lol
It can be! Depending on the place, it’s a really big deal. There’s a Strawberry Festival here close to me that’s kind of like a county fair. There is a focus on strawberries, but there is also carnival rides and games and stuff. During strawberry season, we can pick up strawberries in Walmart that were grown less than 20 miles from my house!
Changing leaves? Ooh it’s time to roast veggies and make soup!