By Retrokali
Have you ever not felt a holiday, a sabbat? Maybe it is Beltane and the last thing you want to do is go decorate a Maypole, or Ostara, and all you want to do is climb into bed with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s instead of paint the little eggs you bought especially for this holiday.
Don’t beat yourself up. Just as witchcraft isn’t really a religion, our holidays or sabbats are not celebrated like other holidays. Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain and Yule are special. These holidays are not defined by the decorations, or by giving little cards or presents. These holidays are a part of a whole, the Wheel. They are an energy in our lives, represented by the examples of the Oak and Holly king, the Goddess’s relationship with the God, or my favorite, the plant that starts as a seed and grows, is harvested, decays, and goes back into the earth to start the process all over again.
When I first started practicing, I desperately tried to, celebrate by doing what was in my mind, all the right things. I painted little wooden eggs at Ostara, I did maypoles, and I lit balefires, all the time feeling like I was missing something. Sometimes nothing went as I planned, I wondered if I had done something wrong. Now if I feel it, and it is natural, then I do some of the, traditional things. If not, I don’t.
To learn about the Wheel you need to tap into the energy that is around you. Go outside, feel what is there, listen to the earth. Watch the energy build as the sabbat approaches, feel it at its pinnacle, a small slice of the pie of the Wheel, feel it as it changes to the next holiday. The feeling of Beltane is very different than that of Litha. Not better or worse, just different. A young seedling looks very different from a leafy grown plant.
The Wheel is the greatest learning tool we have as witches. It is a macrocosm of the cycles that are ever present in our lives. Pay attention to the Sabbats that you love why do you love them? Do you have a problem with death and decay, and seem to latch on to the summer holidays? Do you despise the emerging light and wish you could spend an eternity in Samhain and Yule where it is dark and safe? What are you afraid to start? Are you afraid of the eventual ending of all things? When you study the Wheel your faith in the great and powerful cycle of life will be renewed. You can feel good that if Lammas makes you squirm, because it means the beginning of the end, then follow it through. Follow through the death, to the rebirth. I promise when you see the new green shoot at Ostara, your fear will diminish. You will see in your own life that yes, things die, but they always always begin again.
Witches are different. We don’t read stuffy books to follow our spirituality; we don’t act out tradition with a blank mind and dis-engaged heart. Our beliefs are alive, as alive as the Wheel itself. Remember that the next time someone wants to light a balefire and just you don’t feel like it this year.
Tell them to bug off your balefire is in your heart.
Though I’m fast approaching my 50th b-day, I am a fairly young practioner and there are many things I want to learn. The Wheel is an area I’m just beginning to study, so it will be great reading and learning from your information.
I really enjoyed your magazine articles. I understand what you are saying about not having to do the “decorate and celebrate” thing for each Sabbat. Tapping into the energy is certainly the most important part.
I do take exception to one sentence. You state “Just as witchcraft isn’t really a religion, our holidays are not celebrated like other holidays.” I beg to differ on that statement. The question of whether or not witchcraft was or was not a religion was fought all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled that Wicca (an older name for Witchcraft) was ruled a legitimate religion. This was a very emotional and expensive legal battle for those who took part in and/or financially supported this endeavor. I realize that this ruling is coming up on the twenty-third anniversary, and that many people are unaware of it. I thought I’d mention it here because your magazine will be read by many who may read and repeat incorrect information.
Even with the Supreme Court ruling, it took another twenty years of legal wrangling to win a decision to allow Wiccan and Pagan military personnel to put a pentagram on a tombstone in national cemeteries. If we do not defend our legal status, it may be lost to memory and others will again have to fight this battle.
Other than that, I have really enjoyed your magazine. Good work!
Hi Carol, I thank you for your response to the article. I agree that Witchcraft is definately a recognized religion, finally, in the US and for that I am grateful. Many thanks to the people who fought for that right. However in the context that I was writing, I meant religion in more of a negative light,in the instance of people who follow something just because it is what they think they should do, or what they were reared doing instead of what is their heart to do.I had hoped that the article was clear on that. I guess now it is! Thank you, and thanks for reading.
In response to Carol’s comment.
I beg to differ with you.
I am a Pagan who practices Witchcraft but have NEVER considered myself to be Wiccan. Not everyone who practices Witchcraft falls under the umbrella of the religion Wicca, nor practices according to the Wiccan Rede. Wicca has a set of rules and regulations (not unlike the other major religions) and many people who are Pagan and/or are a Witch left or are turned off by “religion” because they do not desire being told what do or how to practice/worship by a Priest/ess and or Pastor.
While I respect everyone’s right to their own path, please do not assume that just because someone is a Pagan Witch they are also Wiccan. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.
Also, I believe the word Wicca came about in the 1950’s when a group of people decided to take Paganism and Witchcraft and make it a formal religion. Wicca is not the old name for Witchcraft, but a new religion based on the oldest religion.
I agree that not everything that is witchcraft is Wicca. Also, many forms of witchcraft go by other names. My basic point is that a if someone states that another person’s spiritual path is not a “real” religion that it can cause problems in the world community. We should not need to have big organized religion to defend that we have a right to call our personal spiritual path real or valid. Unfortunately, unless we insist on it the greater world tends to trample on our rights, so we have to be vigilant. Many years ago, witch and pagan were use interchangeably. That is no longer the case. There are many differences between wiccan and pagan philosophy.
It is also true that Wicca is the name used for a form of neo-paganism. However, the words wice and wicca both predate the neo-pagan movement.
I can see your point, and I hope you can see mine about choosing to call or not call another person’s spiritual path a real religion.
Carol
I’m so glad there is respectful differing that isn’t degenerating into petty ‘net wars!
I kind of bristled at that statement, too, and the statement AND my bristling made me question, which is a good thing. Questioning often leads to enlightenment
Blessed Lammas, all. Thanks for the articles and for the website!