Calendar
The observance of certain festivals, known as sabbats, is an important part of witchcraft and its practice. There are many kinds of sabbats, and their names differ between nature religions. Here we have listed the most commonly celebrated festivals, together with their meanings and dates.
Celebrated every year on 1 May
Other names: Beltan, Bealtane, Walpurgisnacht, Vappu (Finnish May Day)
Beltaine is a festival of Celtic origin, celebrated in Traditional Nature Witchcraft to mark the beginning of summer and the growing season. In honour of tradition, people light many candles or, where possible, a bonfire or torch. The boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its weakest, and the flames of Beltaine are believed to offer protection against mischievous and malevolent spirits.
You might celebrate the sabbat by preparing your garden or balcony for summer, rejoicing in the new season, and taking a quiet moment to remember the winter gone by. A light, colourful salad with a fruit quark dessert or fruit salad makes a fitting sabbat meal. Sunflower-seed bread can be taken into nature as an offering, remembering that small woodland animals are already finding more food for themselves. Tradition cautions against staying out too late without protection, as spirits are active at Beltaine.
A circle of candles is a good way to honour fire’s age-old importance at Beltaine. We can thank the gods for the winter that has passed and ask for blessings on our plantings and the summer ahead.
Celebrated every year on 2 February
Other names: Oimealg/Oimelc, Festival of the Bride, St Bridget’s Day
Imbolc is originally a Celtic festival. In Traditional Nature Witchcraft it is celebrated as the awakening of spring, in keeping with its original meaning. Even in Finland, the first signs of spring are beginning to appear by this time, making it a good moment to prepare for its arrival.
You can observe this sabbat by clearing away the traces of winter from your home and garden, lighting candles, and making predictions for spring. Almost any food suits this time of year, but some traditional nature witches prefer meals made from ingredients that would historically have been available in the season. Meat-and-root-vegetable stews and home-baked bread are good choices for Imbolc.
Before or after eating, you can leave bread or another suitable offering for nature, provided it does not harm animals or the environment. In the evening, it is good to grow quiet and contemplate the coming spring, perhaps practising divination in a candle circle. You can make wishes to the gods for the season ahead and take a walk in nature, listening for its first changes.
Celebrated every year on 21 June
Other names: Alban Heruin, Summer Solstice, Juhannus (Finnish Midsummer)
Litha, the midsummer festival, is celebrated in many different ways throughout the world. In Traditional Nature Witchcraft it marks the longest day of the year, the height of the Sun before darkness slowly begins its return. Summer is at its most beautiful, the growing season is well under way, and nature offers abundant food for animals. There is much to be grateful for in the warmth and greenery.
Midsummer is traditionally a time for fire, and bonfires are lit throughout Finland. A traditional nature witch may light candles, a campfire, or torches in honour of the festival. Grilled skewers with meat and vegetables make a good summer meal, perhaps prepared outdoors, followed by a fresh fruit smoothie or milkshake. For an offering, consider sweet dough baked on a stick over the fire, or a more traditional sweet bun baked in the oven.
After midnight, when the fires of Litha are slowly dying, you can become still and reflect on the longest day of summer, asking the gods for a good autumn harvest and protection as the darker season begins.
Celebrated every year on 1 August
Other names: Lughnasadh
Lughnasa has its roots in Celtic culture and is celebrated in Traditional Nature Witchcraft, in keeping with its original meaning, as the beginning of the harvest. In Finland the first berries are ripening, and a small vegetable plot may already offer other produce to gather.
Celebrating may mean an outing to a good blueberry patch or the berry bushes in your garden. Preserving fruit and making jam are also excellent ways to mark Lughnasa. A hearty meat-and-root-vegetable stew or soup makes a fine meal, followed by berry pie. A little berry pie can be left as an offering, remembering that too much sugar is not good for animals, or you might bake a delicious carrot bread. In the Celtic spirit, the meal may be shared with family and friends.
In the evening, it is pleasant to sit quietly among fires or candles, think about the coming autumn, and thank nature for summer. The time has come to begin preparing for autumn.
Celebrated every year on 21 September
Other names: Alban Elued, Modron, Mabon, Autumn Equinox
Madron is originally a Celtic festival, celebrated in Traditional Nature Witchcraft as a time to honour the last harvests. Berries, root vegetables, and fruit have been gathered, and preserving, making jam, and juicing are fitting ways to spend the festival.
You can prepare by tidying your home or yard after summer and setting aside preserved food and candles for the dark months. All kinds of winter preparations suit this autumn festival. Remember, though, that it is not merely a day for housework: the tidying is mainly symbolic and need not be extensive.
A hearty, traditional meal for Madron might be roast meat with mashed potatoes and root vegetables, followed by apple pie with vanilla sauce. Untreated fruit and nuts can be left as offerings in nature. If possible, you might also mark the season by beginning to feed birds and other suitable wildlife for winter.
Celebrated every year on 21 March
Other names: Alban Eiler, Oestara, Oestre, Eostar, Spring Equinox
Ostara has Germanic roots and is celebrated in Traditional Nature Witchcraft as a festival of balance, fertility, and the beginning of spring. Night and day are equal in length, and afterwards the days begin to grow longer. In Finland spring is truly starting to make itself known, making this a good time to bless and plant seeds as the Sun grows stronger.
The festival can be observed much like Easter, in view of the traditions associated with it. Lamb is a fitting meal, as it is often readily available at Easter. Fresh, colourful spring salads and vegetable stews also suit Ostara, with pasha, a dessert of Eastern European origin, for its lovely colours. You might bake small spring buns or nut bread, some of which can be taken into nature as an offering.
On Ostara morning or evening, you can pause to hear nature awakening, greet the spring, and enjoy the fresh breeze. Preparations for planting can begin at Ostara and continue afterwards. Some traditional nature witches also have a thorough spring clear-out and clean the house after winter. In the evening, you can look back on the winter by a circle of candles and thank the gods for the returning light.
Celebrated every year on 31 October
Other names: All Saints’ Day, Halloween, Day of the Dead
Samhain is a sabbat of Celtic origin, celebrated in Traditional Nature Witchcraft as the end of summer, the beginning of winter, and the new year. Nature has long been preparing for winter, and around Samhain the first snowfall often reminds us that the darkest season is beginning.
Remembering the dead belongs to Samhain, and it is customary to set an additional place at the feast for the spirits of those who have passed. An autumn meat stew makes good Samhain food: traditionally, this was a time for slaughtering livestock, so several kinds of meat might be found at the table. Savoury pastries and pies also suit the festival. For dessert, peach quark brings an autumn colour to the table, or you might choose a lighter fruit salad. Bread or a pie low in salt and fat can be taken outside as an offering.
Samhain begins the darkest part of the year. Some traditional nature witches keep a flame burning continuously until Yule, when the light starts to return. Remembering the dead and telling old stories belong to Samhain, as do fires and candles in the dark season. Some also believe the Wild Hunt begins at Samhain. In the evening, we can pause to thank the gods for the summer gone by and ask for protection during the darkest time of year.
Celebrated every year on 21 December
Other names: Alban Arthuan, Winter Solstice, Christmas
Yule is originally a Germanic festival, celebrated in Traditional Nature Witchcraft as the return of light and the longest night of the year. Burning candles is central to the observance, marking the light’s return. Many traditional nature witches also celebrate ordinary Christian Christmas, so preparations for that holiday can be part of Yule as well.
You might mark the end of the darkest period with quiet reflection and peaceful preparations for Christmas, such as cooking and making decorations. Mistletoe can be used to decorate the home and, according to tradition, protect it from malevolent spirits.
A Yule feast may look very much like a Christmas meal. Meat, fish, or vegetables can be baked in the oven so that there is no need to spend the day fussing at the stove. If you wish to make a traditional Yule log, allow plenty of time: there is no place for hurry at Yule. A Christmas loaf makes a suitable offering, as long as it is not too salty or rich in syrup. In the evening, take a quiet moment to thank the gods for their protection during the dark season and ask for blessings for the rest of winter.