(^130) A Wiccan Bible
You will notice I have not spelled out specific rituals for each of these Holidays.
Generally speaking, Wiccan rituals open and close as discussed in Section I. That ritual
format is one of the things noted by the word Wicca. Although rituals vary from group
to group, the theme remains the same. That which we find in the middle, the celebra-
tions themselves, will vary greatly from person to person and group to group. Although
the central theme is the same, the marking of the Wheel of the Year, the format should
be interpreted by the individual heart and how that heart interacts with all who attend
the rite.
The Eight Solar Holidays
Known variously as the Sabbats, High Days, and Holy Days, these are the eight
days of the year that are defined by the sun’s travel. They are the four days defined by
the two equinoxes and the two solstices as well as the four days that fall between those
events. Although calling these Sabbats is most common within the Wiccan community,
the word that would better express meaning to non-Wiccans is holiday. When we con-
sider the purpose of words is communication, we see that if our intent is to communi-
cate what we mean when we talk about these days, we could use the word holiday to
refer to them. Using the word Sabbat just seems to further the rift between Wicca and
other mainstream religions. Of course, if your intention is more in the order of being
spooky and mysterious, then by all means use the word Sabbat among cowan friends. I
am sure it will impress them greatly.
Truth be known, there is almost nothing of the pre-Christian fertility religions in
the word Sabbat. It was mostly likely invented for the purpose of connecting Witches
to yet another group of folk who were persecuted for their religious beliefs. I am, of
course, speaking about the Jewish faith. It is interesting to note how many people with
distinctly Jewish sounding names were put to death on the charge of witchcraft in or
around Germany. This causes me to wonder if the atrocities committed by Nazi Ger-
many against the Jews were not a continuation of the assault on pre-Christian religions.
The earliest use of the word that I have discovered is in the medieval demonologists
and witch hunters. So, much like wearing all black, there is probably more of Holly-
wood than religion associated with the word.
Sometimes the Sabbats between solar events are called the Greater Sabbats and
the ones marked by the solar events are called Lesser Sabbats. This is an old reference
from when folk still clung to the lie that Wicca is an ancient Celtic fertility religion. You
see, the Celts did indeed celebrate the days between the solar events, but it was not
until they were invaded by Norse tribes and others that the solar days became times of
celebration. I choose to ignore these distinctions because I accept the fact that Wicca is
a post-modern religion that draws on the ancient practices and beliefs of many cul-
tures. To readily consider a Celtic Holiday as Greater to the Lesser Germanic Holiday
is an insult to the Celtic and Germanic blood that dwells harmoniously with each other
in my veins and the veins of a great many Wiccans. Instead, I use the terms Quarter
Days and Cross Quarter Days to mark the difference but even in marking the differ-
ence, I don’t see a great deal more significance in one or the other.
p WB Chap 08.p65 130 7/11/2003, 5:52 PM
barré
(Barré)
#1