Esbats vs. Sabbats

Perhaps it was out of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, and perhaps I was being a sun goddess, working my tan when I read this... :) BUT!! I've learned something new in my witchy studies. This is something that I am embarrasssed to admit I didn't know, being involved with pagan practices almost a whole year now. I knew there was a difference, but didn't know what the difference was. I figured I would get there someday and here I am! I know that as I studier deeper, I wil learn more and different things!  Let me give you a brief overview:

Esbats

The Goddess and the Moon are celebrated and honored through Esbats. Most witchy friends do moon magick with these days. Esbats celebrate female energy and are in tune with the moon as it changes during it's 28 day cycle (kind of like my supposed 28 day cycle to help me make a baby!? hmph!!..wait wait, now this post has nothing to do with that!! On track, please autumn!!...) Certain moon magick is done during certain moon phases; they correlate. The Waxing, Full, or Waning moon also correlates with the Goddess in her three stages of life, maiden, mother and crone. The Triple Goddess...

*The Waxing Moon (maiden) is good for magick dealing with new things or the growth of old things; starting something new or working to grow a skill or idea of yours, or bringing something new into your life... (maybe this is when we should try and concieve our baby!)

* The Full Moon (mother) is a time for giving your all in whatever it is that you want...the full moon is supposed to aid you in the most power for your spell. You can use the full moon's energy three days before an three days after its arrival in the sky.... (maybe this is when we should try and concieve our baby!)

* The Waning Moon (crone) is a time to work banishing spells. "Banishing" sounds like a scary and hateful word to me, but no matter the magick us witchy friend are performing, we never harm anyone or anything, so please don't misunderstand the use of the word, as I almost did!! This is a time to get rid of bad energies, bad habits or bad feelings. (maybe this is the time we should NOT concieve our baby, but get rid of my negative energies so that I can conceieve our baby)

Sabbats

 Celebrate the Sun and the God. (hmmmmm.... sounds like sunday school from my childhood, sabbat/sabbath, sun/son and god....just saying). With these witchy holidays, we celebrate male energies. The wheel turns and with each new season, there is a new holiday...eight of them to be exact! Samhain (the witch's new year), Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lughnassad, and Mabon. These ones need less explination in my opinion, because all of the traditional things that most familys do, stem from these holidays, which match the time of year! Halloween, christmas trees, spring cleaning, easter eggs, may day parties, strawberry shortcake, barbeques and swimming parties, fall parties in elementary school, or fall break... all somewhat get the roots from pagan Sabbats! These are usually obseved with a ritual or a little (or sometimes large) celebration. You can celebrate them with your witchy friends, in a coven, or alone as a solitary witch. You are probably observing these sabbats without really knowing it... now you've just got to put your heart in the right place! Have a special dinner, light a candle and thank the lord and lady for the many blessings in your life!

And there it is! My most recent witchy finding!
...I don't really write this for you... unless you enjoy reading it, then OF COURSE I write it for you!! :) But it helps me summarize what it is i've learned. It also makes me happy that I may be helping a new witchy friend understand their new path, just as my fellow bloggers helped me a mere year ago!!

Brightest Blessings!!
-Autumn

(... i've gotta get off this baby thing!)