Also known as Mabon and Winter Finding. The continuing of Harvest. Now, as at Spring Equinox, the days and nights are equal once again. gardens are in full bloom and heavy with nature’s bounty. There is a slight nip in the air already and preparations begin to prepare for the long cold months which are …
Lammas (August 1)
Also known as Lughanassadh, (pronounced LOO-na-sah) and Cornucopia. The First Harvest. “Lughnasadh” means “games of Lugh”. Lugh is a Celtic God, and this is his time to shine. Lugh is a hero God, a father God. He is celebrated through feasting and games. This holiday is especially celebrated among people with talents for crafts, healing, …
Summer Solstice (June 21)
Also known as Midsummers Night’s Celebration. This is the longest day of the year. This is the time of year when the days begin to shorten, and the pagan marks the passing of the Sun father. The Goddess and the God have joined and She is now heavy laden with child. Wiccans traditionally pay homage …
Beltane (May 1)
Also known as Mayday, Beltine, and Festival of Tana. This is a holiday of Union–both between the Goddess and the God and between man and woman. Handfastings (Pagan marriages) are traditional at this time. It is a time of fertility and harvest, the time for reaping the wealth from the seeds that we have sown. …
Ostara (March 21)
This Sabbat is also known as Ostara. This Sabbat occurs when night and day are of equal length. It’s a celebration of balance. We begin to see shoots of new growth and swelling buds on the trees. Energy is building as the days become warmer with promise. This is the Pagan “Easter”–or rather, this is …
Imbolc (February 2)
Candlemas involves celebration if banishing the winter and welcoming the spring. Light a candle in every room of the house to welcome back the sun. At the time of Candlemas, the newborn sun god is seen as a small child nursing from his mother. At this phase of the cycle, winter is swept away and …
Winter Solstice (December 21)
Yule is the Sabbat that is celebrated on or around the 21st of December, with dates differing from year to year, as being when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn, to mark the Winter Solstice. Long, long ago, in ancient Europe and Britain, the indigenous peoples celebrated the Winter Solstice, Yule in many different …
A Brief History
No official history of witchcraft truly exists. This is because the “history” presented by the academic community is not the depiction of any real society of people known as witches. Instead it is the study of non-witches and their views about what they referred to as witchcraft and witches. Academic history is this field is …
Samhain (October 31)
Samhain (pronounced SOW-in); Also known as Halloween/Hallow’een – Hallowmas Eve – Allhallow’s Eve – November Eve – Mischief Night – Guy Fawkes Night – La Toussaint – Oidhche Shamhna – El Dia de los Muertos – All Saints’/Souls’ Day (eve) Also known as Shadowfest, Martinmas, or Old Hallowmas. This is the Witches’ New Year and …
Sage, Common
Botanical: Salvia officinalis (LINN.)Family: N.O. Labiatae Synonyms: (Old English) Sawge. Garden Sage. Red Sage. Broad-leaved White Sage. Narrow-leaved White Sage. Salvia salvatrix.Parts Used: Leaves, whole herb. The Common Sage, the familiar plant of the kitchen garden, is an evergreen undershrub, not a native of these islands, its natural habitat being the northern shores of the …
Marjoram
Botanical: Origanum marjorana (LINN.)Family: N.O. Labiatae Synonyms: Knotted Marjoram. Marjorana hortensis.Parts Used: Herb, leaves. Sweet or Knotted Marjoram is not an annual, but is usually treated as such, as the plants – native to Portugal – will not stand the winter elsewhere, so must be sown every year. Seeds may be sown, for an early …
Peppermint
Botanical: Mentha piperita (SM.) Family: N.O. Labiatae Synonym: Brandy Mint. Part Used: Herb. Habitat: The plant is found throughout Europe, in moist situations, along stream banks and in waste lands, and is not infrequent in damp places in England, but is not a common native plant, and probably is often an escape from cultivation. In …
Spearmint
Botanical: Mentha viridis (LINN.)Family: N.O. Labiatae Synonyms: Garden Mint. Mentha Spicata. Mackerel Mint. Our Lady’s Mint. Green Mint. Spire Mint. Sage of Bethlehem. Fish Mint. Menthe de Notre Dame. Erba Santa Maria. Frauen Munze. Lamb Mint.Part Used: Herb. This common garden mint is not a native of these islands, though growing freely in every garden, …
Dill
Botanical: Peucedanum graveolens (BENTH.)Family: N.O. Compositae Synonyms: Anethum graveolus. Fructus Anethi.Part Used: Dried ripe fruit. Dill is a hardy annual, a native of the Mediterranean region and Southern Russia. It grows wild among the corn in Spain and Portugal and upon the coast of Italy, but rarely occurs as a cornfield weed in Northern Europe. …
Basil, Sweet
Botanical: Ocymum basilium (LINN.) Family: N.O. Labiatae —Part Used—Herb. —Description—Common or Sweet Basil which is used in medicine and also for culinary purposes, especially in France, is a hairy, labiate plant, growing about 3 feet high. The stem is obtusely quadrangular, the labiate flowers are white, in whorls in the axils of the leaves, the …
F.A.Q.
Attention other religions, sects and paths (including earth-based religions disagreeing with anything stated below) : Let us not quarrel among ourselves. Leave us be and we shall do the same for you. Worship as you see best and allow us the same right. This is the true Wicca way…and the free way. What Is A …
Spiritual Laws of Magick
1. Witches know that no truths are absolute. Indeed, the downfall of humanity relies on the belief that there is an absolute truth for everything. There is not one absolute way to interpret reality, to behave or to live. Therefore, there is no single correct way to practice magic, pray, celebrate the seasons, or reach …
What Pagans Are NOT!
Okay, it’s time to banish a few common misunderstandings and misconceptions about the pagan path. Yeah, I’ve probably got this same information on other pages, but there are certain things I like to repeat to stress, to make sure that the message is clear. What Devil? First and foremost, pagans are not devil worshipers. They …
Wiccan Ethics
As Scott Cunningham says in Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs: Magic is love. All magic should be performed out of love. The moment anger or hatred tinges your magic you have crossed the border into a dangerous world, one that will ultimately consume you. Biding the Rede is the only thing you have to do …
The Witches Pyramid
In some circles the Witch’s Pyramid is known as the Four Powers of the Magus or the Four Secrets of the Sphinx, whose energy is considered to be the foundation and four pillars of all practical and esoteric magick. Whether you are conjuring the weather for a great day at the beach or concentrating on …
What Is Wicca?
The Craft is accepting, generous, and loving. It’s gentle, unobtrusive, and supportive. It’s an ethical way of life that, once embraced, brings immeasurable joy and wonder to everyday living. Who are the Wiccans and Witches of Today? Witchcraft is not merely legendary; it was, and is, real. It is not extinct; it is alive and …
