{Art by Julia Nikita}
The sabbats are holidays celebrated throughout the year on solstices, equinoxes, and the midpoints between them. These sabbats form the Wheel of the year.
There is a controversy surrounding the dates of these holidays, as people celebrate them all over the earth, not only in the northen hemisphere but in the southern too.
One viewpoint is that the Sabbats should be celebrated as they were originally created to be… in other words, Samhain is October 31st, regardless of where you live. In the Southern Hemisphere, even though you are just gearing up to summer on October 31st, this perspective says that you celebrate the cleansing and releasing, the honouring of the dead just as you would if you lived in the Northern Hemisphere. The other viewpoint (the one I personally agree with) is that you should celebrate when you feel like the season corresponds with the holiday, in other words, your craft, your rules. So if you live in the southern hemisphere, you have the choice.
I’ll be writing the dates for each holiday starting with the northen hemisphere and then the dates that many people celebrate them in the southern hemisphere
🌲𝐘𝐔𝐋𝐄
{December 21st//June 21st}
Yule focuses on rebirth and renewal as the sun makes its way back to the earth. It’s all about new beginnings, reflection and embracing warmth. Much like Christmas, many celebrate with a feast, gift giving, being cosy and appreciating the good.
↟Nature: cedar, frankincense, myrrh, mistletoe, pine, birch, ivy.
↟Foods//flavours: ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, wintergreen, apple, dried fruit.
↟Stones: citrine, ruby, garnet, alexandrite, green tourmaline.
↟Activities: decorate your altar with incense associated with Yule, burn ash wood for prosperity, bake using Yule flavours like ginger or cinnamon, make wreathes to hang around the house, spend time with loved ones.
🕯️𝐈𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐂
{February 1st//August 1st}
Imbolc focuses on celebrating the nature that is preparing to grow and renewal, also known as “candlemas” and the “Feast of Pan”.
↟Nature: basil, blackberry, heather, celandine, iris, wisteria, vanilla, bay, yellow and white flowers.
↟Foods//flavours: pumpkin and sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, peppers, onions, spices, and herbal teas.
↟Stones: amethyst, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, onyx.
↟Activities: decorate with candles and sun decorations, go hiking, have a bonfire, bake foods with poppy seeds, and burn any leftover winter herbs.
🌼𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐀
{March 21st//September 21st}
Ostara focuses on manifesting creativity and love. As the days become longer, energy becomes stronger.
↟Nature: ash, alder, daffodil, honeysuckle, narcissus, primrose, violet, jasmine.
↟Foods//flavours: olives, maple syrup, honey, edible flowers, chocolate, pine nuts, nettle or lavender tea, local fruits and vegetables.
↟Stones: amethyst, rose quartz, moonstone.
↟Activities: gardening and planting seeds, bake breads with olives or honey for example, start new projects, talk to plants, do some painting, decorate with wildflowers.
🌰𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐄
{May 1st//November 1st}
Beltane focuses on fertility, love and abundance. Also known as “may day”, on this sabbat many celebrate with dancing, bonfires and many high energy activities, including enjoying themselves sexually with a partner or even conceiving children.
↟Nature: frankincense, lilac, ivy, marigold, woods, rose, thyme, mint, yarrow.
↟Foods//flavours: oats, leafy greens, fruits, breads, honey.
↟Stones: malachite, amber, fire opal, red jasper.
↟Activities: dance, decorate with florals and symbols of the sea, go to the beach, go hiking, have a bonfire, feast on fruits, vegetables and grains, laugh and let your hair down. And if you’re trying to conceive or simply would like to have sex, Beltane is a wonderful time to do so.
🦋𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐀
{June 21st//December 21st}
Litha focuses on growth and celebrating the longest day of the year and the sun, before the shorter days begin.
↟Nature: fern, yarrow, sage, rose, oak, mugwort, lavender, chamomile, myrrh, pine.
↟Foods//flavours: herbed bread, honey, sunflower seeds, iced herbal tea, lemon, vanilla.
↟Stones: lapis lazuli, amethyst, malachite, tiger’s eye.
↟Activities: make or buy a sun catcher, surround yourself with warm tones, watch the sunrise and sunset, make sun water, spend time outdoors, make use of herbs.
🌾𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐒//𝐋𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐇
{August 2nd//February 2nd}
Lammas, or lughnasadh focuses on celebrating the first of the three harvesting sabbats and taking time to really feel the positivity in different aspects of life.
↟Nature: cornstalks, heather, acacia flowers, hollyhock, oak leaves, wheat, myrtle, spices.
↟Food//flavours: grainy bread, corn, potatoes, nuts, blackberries, wine.
↟Stones: amber, agate, citrine, clear quartz, obsidian, tiger’s eye.
↟Activities: bake bread, make corn dolls, visit a sunflower field, spend time in nature, acknowledged what you are grateful for, journal.
🍁𝐌𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐍
{September 21st//March 21st}
Mabon focuses on honouring the change of the seasons, balance and peace.
↟Nature: sage, pine, marigold, thistle, acorns, milkweed, oak leaves, myrrh.
↟Food//flavours: cinnamon, nuts, beans, dark fruits, pies, soup, butterscotch.
↟Stones: citrine, carnelian, clear quartz, sapphire, yellow agate.
↟Activities: collect pine cones, donate food and old clothes, meditate, dry herbs, spend time with loved ones, speak to the nature around you.
🎃𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐍
{October 31st-November 1st//April 30th-May 1st}
Samhain focuses on celebrating life, and honouring those who are no longer with us.
↟Nature: heather, sage, pumpkins, straw, flax, patchouli, myrrh.
↟Foods//flavours: apples, cider, pumpkin, pies, soups, stews, potatoes, ginger.
↟Stones: amber, black obsidian, fossils, onyx, sandstone, bloodstones.
↟Activities: honour the deceased, spend time with family, make a hearty comforting meal, make or buy a scarecrow, spend time practicing divination.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭
↟Do a tarot reading relevant to that sabbat.
↟Spend time in the moonlight, charging your crystals and tarot cards, as well as meditating.
↟Bake something using at least one traditional food of that sabbat to share with others.
↟Cleanse your living space and any of your magickal items.
↟Write down how you’re feeling and how you’d like to feel in the weeks to come.
Claiming “nobody’s heard from me in months, I’m doing better than I ever was” energy for 2022 let’s go
obsessed
For those currently preparing for Samhain, or looking for inspiration to fill up their grimoire / book of shadows, here are the links to my previous posts on the Witches’ Sabbats.
💀 Celebrating Samhain
❄️ Celebrating Yule
🕯️ Celebrating Imbolc
🐣 Celebrating Ostara
🌸 Celebrating Beltane
☀️ Celebrating Litha
🌽 Celebrating Lammas
🍂 Celebrating Mabon
enjoying your coffee, latte or mocha in the morning can be a small ritual of its own. coffee as a fruit, as well as what flavors and milks you choose to enjoy with it, all have magickal properties that can work well together.
coffee magick
the magickal properties of coffee include: grounding, peace of mind, overcoming negativity, and breaking curses. it is also commonly used as an offering to ancestors, spirits and deities.
coffee can also be used for divination; it’s said that bubbles in your cup of black coffee are a sign of good luck (and extra luck if you can catch the bubbles with a spoon and eat them!).
coffee and espresso are also a great way to fertilize your garden and charge your herbs with higher energy!
flavor magick
sugar: used to “sweeten” both literally and magically! brings positivity.
vanilla: promotes happiness, calmness and love
hazelnut: brings you spiritual
chocolate: emotional release, prosperity
cinnamon: attracting wealth, passion
milk magick
cow milk (comfort, protection), almond milk (good luck), soy milk (psychic awareness), rice milk (blessings, prosperity), coconut milk (purification, protection), cashew milk (money), oat milk (prosperity, wealth)
I love quick reference sheets! Best types of spells for each moon phase.
1. Calendula: • Cuts & Scrapes • Minor Burns • Inflammation
2. Clove: • Toothaches • Strained Muscles • Flu Aches
3. Chamomile: • Indigestion • Rashes • Inflammation
4. Eucalyptus: • Antiseptic • Insect Bites • Minor Wounds • Minor Burns
5. Fennel Seed: • Indigestion • Gas • Bloating • Aids in Breast Milk Production
Keep reading
When life feels overwhelming, a reset day can be incredibly useful.
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Your home can be essential to your well-being. Here’s a list to follow to start this reset day:
- Open your windows wide open to get fresh air, and release old energies - Clean your bed sheets with fresh and scented detergent - Vacuum and de-dust every surface, clean your oven and shower and sinks - Take the trash out and declutter your living space - Put your books back in the shelves, sort your clothes in your wardrobe - Check your fridge and pantry: throw what is old, give away what you never use
Once that is done, make a large grocery haul to fill up your house with healthy, comforting food. Light scented candles. Replace flowers from your vases and add new elements to your altar.
Try to list everything that makes you happy and grateful in your home: the view you have from the windows, or how your bed feels so cosy after a long day, or the memories you have in your kitchen, cooking meals for your loved ones.
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Before doing anything else, drink a large glass of water. Yes, this seems obvious, you probably think that you’re drinking enough water. Believe me: you probably are not.
If it’s lunch time, cook whatever you feel like, with one condition: make sure your dish has enough vegetables. Eat it slowly, without looking at your phone or the TV.
Go to the bathroom and take care of everything that you’ve been scheduling for later. Make an appointment with the hairdresser, if possible. Clean up your nails, shave your face or body (only if that makes you feel good), scrub off dead skins and put on a hydrating mask. Take a long shower – make it as warm as you want but finish with cold, refreshing water.
Put on clean and comfortable clothes. Look at yourself in the mirror and make a mental list of everything that you like about yourself: the way your smile completely changes your face, or how your hair looks right after you cleaned it, or even the scars and marks you have on your body, indicating that through challenges and difficult times, you survived.
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Now, sit down on your desk and take a piece of paper. Write down every tasks that have been weighing on your mind. Think about every area of your life – family, friends, work, health, gym, etc. Use this Getting Things Done Trigger List to ensure that you are not forgetting anything.
Once that is done, read through the list again. Add a star to each item that can be done in 10 minutes. Schedule the others in your calendar. Then, try to knock off as many tasks on the list as you can: make an appointment with your dentist, order a present for your brother’s birthday that is coming up, pay your electricity bills, invite your friends over for dinner, set up a date with your partner, return the clothes you just bought that didn’t fit, etc.
Then, open your computer and declutter your digital space. If your desktop looks like this, start by organizing your files. Upload the important documents in your drive, delete the unnecessary ones, sort through the mess. Open your browser and do the same with your bookmarks. Check your personal emails and unsubscribe to old newsletters that you never open. On your phone, delete the apps that you never use. Save the pictures you love on your drive.
Close your computer, turn off your phone, and clear up your papers from your desk. Pour yourself a cup of tea. You have done so much by now! Hopefully, you are feeling content and rejuvenated.
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The last step is for yourself. You decide whatever you want to do now. Resetting your soul is all about self-care and spirituality, which is very personal, so I am not going to enforce anything on you. I have listed below a few steps I like to take. However, none of that is mandatory. You have to figure out by yourself what makes you feel good.
- Pour yourself a bath with scented oils and salts - Try positive affirmations with simple sentences such as “I am unique and interesting”, “My life is filled with love and happiness” - Practice meditation or light stretching for 20 minutes - Open the book that you’ve wanted to read for a long time - Close your eyes and take a well-deserved nap - Listen to a podcast while baking your favorite dessert
When you read a chart, you want to first look at the condition of the planets. Are they domicile, exalted, in fall? Each condition means something different.
Domiciles (rulership) and exaltations are benefic in astrology, which means the planet is in good condition. Detriments and falls are malefic in astrology, which means the planet is in less than ideal condition. Aspects and houses do matter as well, but I’ll write about that another time.
A domicile is akin to a King in his castle. He’s most comfortable here, he rules the castle. An exaltation is slightly less benefic than a domicile, you can think of this as not being the ruler of the castle, but being in a five star hotel. The placement is comfortable and in good condition.
A detriment is akin to a King being exiled from his kingdom. He can’t get back in, so he has to go somewhere else. Learning and adapting is the only way to evolve placements in detriment. A fall is similar to being in a motel instead of a five star hotel, you can work your way up to going to the five star hotel. Fall placements are easier than detriment placements as they’re the lesser of the two malefic conditions.
Looking at the rulerships in a chart is a great way to figure out if there’s strong energy in one planet, weak energy in another, energy that could be a little “too much” or very influential in a chart, or energy that needs to be worked on. For instance, a Saturn in Detriment may have issues with responsibility and need to work on it to have more control over their lives.
Sun (luminary)- Domicile Leo, Exaltation Aries, Detriment Aquarius, Fall Libra. Ruled by Apollo.
Moon (luminary)- Domicile Cancer, Exaltation Taurus, Detriment Capricorn, Fall Scorpio. Ruled by Artemis.
Mercury- Domicile Virgo & Gemini, Exaltation Virgo, Detriment Sagittarius & Pisces, Fall Pisces. Ruled by Hermes.
Venus- Domicile Taurus & Libra, Exaltation Pisces, Detriment Scorpio & Aries, Fall Virgo. Ruled by Aphrodite.
Mars- Domicile Aries & Scorpio, Exaltation Capricorn, Detriment Libra & Taurus, Fall Cancer. Rules by Ares.
Jupiter- Domicile Sagittarius & Pisces, Exaltation Cancer, Detriment Gemini & Virgo, Fall Capricorn. Ruled by Zeus.
Saturn- Domicile Capricorn & Aquarius, Exaltation Libra, Detriment Cancer & Leo, Fall Aries. Ruled by Cronus.
*Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are not as influential in a chart (and were not used in traditional astrology) unless heavily or harshly aspected, but I’ll talk about that in another post
Uranus- Domicile Aquarius, Exaltation Scorpio, Detriment Leo, Fall Taurus. Ruled by Uranus.
Neptune- Domicile Pisces, Exaltation Cancer, Detriment Virgo, Fall Capricorn. Ruled by Posideon.
Pluto- Domicile Scorpio, Exaltation Aries, Detriment Taurus, Fall Libra. Ruled by Hades.
North Node- Exalted Gemini, Fall Sagittarius
South Node- Exalted Sagittarius, Fall Gemini
Readings are open.
she/hereclectic witchcrafttaurus sun / aquarius moon / aquarius risingmother of two
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