Happy Halloween, the Winter Sabbat

Happy Hallowe’en, the Winter Sabbat!
From the Initiates of the Wolfa Coven…   

Let us share some things about this special time and then end with a memory of All Hallows past. 

Shall we begin? 

The time of Hallowe’en, Hallowmas or Samhain and that of May Eve or Beltane are but two ways that the year can be divided. The High Priestess and the Great Mother rules one part of the cycle and the the High Priest and the Great Father rules the other. They are two divisions of the year in terms of calculating a seasonal cycle. In times past, maybe these were movable fire-festivals based on the times of change upon the earth, or by certain portents that would signal its time of transition? This differs from the solar calculations of the fixed times of the Sun’s station in the sky at times of the equinox and solstice, but instead relies on the changes that appear to us on Earth. Today we generally recognize it as the night of Oct 31 – Nov 1 and the night of April 30 – May 1 in the northern hemisphere. 

Hallowmas, or Samhain was said to be the beginning of the Celtic year and tells of the transition from Summer to Winter, hence, it being the Winter Sabbat. All around us, the fires of growth given by the heat of the Sun’s strength continues to dwindle, and I would imagine that our ancient ancestors didn’t want this to occur. Because of that, maybe they felt they should assist the Sun by lighting a bright baalfire. Today it serves as a central hub around which we perform our rituals. 

This baalfire can be said to be a form of sympathetic magic to assist the Sun, as this time of decay is in conflict with the desire for growth. New fires in the hearth, in folklore, were said to be started by the carrying of fire from hearth to hearth with the intention of strengthening the Sun’s power, spreading the light outward, chasing away phantoms of old night and providing protection. The heat of the fire radiates outward, hence why we naturally circle around the hearth as a meeting place with its heat diffusing outward from all sides. 

Today, we generally carry out this same theme in symbolic form through the use of Astral Candles, lit from our central fire, whether indoors or outdoors, and the Astral Candles themselves being the representation of the inner-sanctum of the individual “spirit-hearth” from which outward, we radiate, and are clothed by the soul and a body of flesh and bone. 

The leaping and circumambulations around and over the fire is also a form of sympathetic magic so that the strength of the central baalfire might also strengthen the bodies of the initiates. “As the fire burns bright, so may our our strength and stamina increase.” 

Sacrifice, or to make something sacred, has been part of religious rites throughout time immemorial. In our religion today; we sacrifice from ourselves the burdens that we carry with us on our backs – which include the slights, faults and hard-feelings which only burden and weigh us down. These thought-forms are offered to the fire before us, in symbolic form and by petition, in order that the remaining ash (experience) may fertilize (with new-found wisdom) our next cycle of growth. All things are in symbolic form within our rituals. We forget not the times of triumphant growth but do not wish to live in the ignorance of our past faults. 

This is said to be a harvest festival, but whereas the previous harvest festival, Lammas or the Autumn Sabbat held a theme of thanksgiving and “gathering” of our life-harvests, this one symbolizes the continued threshing, in which the valuable grain (the fruits of our labors) are separated from what can’t be used in food. (Symbolic of the nourishment of our soul, mind & body) 

The foretelling of what is to come has been a theme always found within this Winter Sabbat. Many methods were said to have been used in times past, and those old methods mixed with the new are used by clairvoyance or with divining tools to foretell of the omens and auguries to be. For us it is a revealing of the watchword for the new year. There are tales recounted in folklore of Irish Kings even asking their advisor, a chief Druid, to foretell what is to be from Halloween night until it comes round again. 

Certain places and customs, such as going to the crossroads at midnight and listening for the whispers on the wind on special nights have been shared – and of course, remembering to carry with you a piece of Mistletoe in order to encourage spirits out of hiding. 

As a festival of the dead, those we are honor, might be fed, as we wait for a whisper in our ear or a tap on the shoulder from those we remember. 

Warming spices mixed with gently heated apple cider, and also separately in warmed sweet red wine are favorites among our coven this time of year. The herbs and spices of these warming herbs, brewed into a special recipe, does seem to help warm the body a little for the chilly night. Apples are in season, and many enjoy the abundance of locally grown apples. 

Food made with orange and lemon peel are also popular for some of us, due to its sunny nature and it also serving as a bit of sympathetic magic, with a similar theme in mind for the strengthening the powers of the dwindling sun. 

A special “ritual tea” is used as well by some of the witches in our coven the day before Sabbat, which is a blend of many herbs made into a tisane. 

Witches are always using herbs in both their cooking and for magical recipes, and though we may have different outlooks from coven to coven, herbs and their uses is one of those pieces that seems to unite us – from the strong citrus-like flavor of Coriander, to the rich earthy flavors of Sage & Rosemary, to the bite of a Tellycherry Black Peppercorn, the taste of Caraway in a crusty bread, to the delightful notes of Thyme and the licorice-like flavor of Fennel. To me personally, edible herbs are always a treat for the wits and senses. I feel blessed I am not allergic to these common herbs, as I truly enjoy their companionship! 

Recently I was gifted with a delightful treat of Giant Hyssop to make into a tisane and I enjoyed its taste very much. The bees and butterflies seem to enjoy it, and I was glad to try this tasty treat that was foraged by a friend!

Now to a special Hallowe’en Memory to illustrate for you the Winter Seasonal and the embrace of the New Year: 

This is a tale of a wonderful Hallowmas, or the Winter Sabbat – a remembrance of a beautiful evening at the Wolfa Coven – It was conducted under a clear sky with a big and beautiful full moon overhead.  This ritual was slow and somber in tone because of the theme that this ritual conveys.

It was a cool night with temperatures in the mid 50s with what looked to be one of the biggest full moons of the year.  The chillness of the air was tempered by the light and heat of the baalfire that was lit. The flames leapt high and crackled in the quietness of night. 

In this ritual, petitions were offered up to the Ancient Ones, through our central baalfire,  of the slights and faults, hard feelings and pain: the things we had to come to terms with in order for us to find release and freedom – which is a seasonably appropriate theme.  

As growth of the land begins to “pull back” until Spring (at least here in Pennsylvania), these petitions and their representations are burnt and released to be transformed in order to become fertilizer for our new wishes, hopes and dreams that we will plant next Spring. (Part of the ritual is that after the fire has gone out and cooled, some of the ashes are saved for Spring to be used as fertilizer by the initiates. This is embracing of our experiences, now turned to wisdom, in order to plan and plant stronger thought-forms in this now new cycle – on earth and in Astral Light.)

It is not out of line to shed a few tears, or spend some time in silence.  Both birth and death can be equally painful acts – both in the physical world and in symbolic forms when we start new projects, or must let go of old dreams that we have rationalized will never come to be – the letting go of the unrealistic expectations that we have placed on ourselves, or the letting go of particular experiences that have caused us pain. This is a personal ordeal that each initiate welcomes, for we ask to be shown these faults so we may do and act better in this future cycle. 

Two dances were performed to bring in this theme – both conducted in the manner of the season. The first conducted was the dance of the red cord wheel, conjoined as a hub in the center.  This is the spinning out of the old year for us to send off the slights and faults offered to fire. The second dance was one of secrecy and silence.  Both of these are conducted slowly, with or without words at this season.

The newest watchward was selected, which is the password for the season, and has been safeguarded until the season of Candlemas returns once again. This secret password for entrance into ritual, started now in this new year, will serve as a theme and one we strive to embrace. 

As the wine is served with its warming herbs to revitalize the body, we concentrated for those who need help, we communed with our dearly departed and prayed to strengthen our resolve around a friendly fire before the flames died out. 

Food was shared, but since it was a number of years ago, I recall it not, but I won’t forget the feeling felt around the central baalfire that night. Or maybe the wine shared was so good that I felt enfolded in the ecstasy of it all. The troubles of the world and all that we negotiate with was put on hold and not a care in the world was felt in that short period of time spent communing with the Lady and those with whom we love. 

Into the remaining coals and burning embers, the colors of orange and red danced about and we divined in its ever-constant changing dance for a vision or portent of what we need to know, for this warm gift of clairvoyance was a ready made tool in which we could peer into for insight. 

While a small chill in the air was felt as the fire dwindled, the light of the full moon had an overwhelming sense of warmth, even through Her silvery touch that reached down to us that night. 

In that moment of staring into the Lady’s embrace, I couldn’t help but wonder how many initiates are out there in the world looking at that same moon above them and visioning a dream for the new year? How many are wondering if anyone else out there communing in a similar fashion? Do they wonder if other initiates feel the same way on this night? The Moon is the doorway to the Astral Plane where the hopes and fears of tomorrow and the past reside. 

Are they reaching out to make a connection to the Great Mother and Great Father of all life? Are they reaching out to us? Diana makes us dream, and through her waxing and waiting, we are in anticipation for her to shine again upon us next time. 

These are but moments … precious moments in time that we can carry with us. Let us never loose that. So many in the world do loose connections because of things that are trivial and do not matter in the long run. Would they be helped too if they knew how to release these burdens into the baalfire in a circle such as ours? 

All these are moments that make the experience worth it. Just moments in time, communing with the Gracious Lady and the Oversoul; or collective thought-form of the coven that has been formed and shaped by the initiates connected through this lineage, where Witch & Druid meet, and the labels of such matter little – for this is who we are, around this bright Druidic fire. 

And we end this tale with the witches blessing: Merry come and Merry go!