These rituals are for small groups of priestesses/Brighids who use them to empower themselves before embarking on their larger duties of conducting larger rituals for their Groves, Clans, or Covens. While many details are omitted from them, making them more useful for a wider variety of traditions, they are nonetheless beautiful and empowering, while still leaving ample space for other rituals as desired, to be inserted into them. At the bottom of each page, you will also find a link to a page of lore and feast menus associated with each Sabbat listed here. Be patient. We will add more rituals for Sabbats as they are due in time.
Imbolc --The Feast of Brighid is at the heart of the Abbey. As the daughter of The Dagda, she is honored as the primary Hearth Goddess, trusted with the incredible honor and responsibility of fostering royalty, and teaching those in her care everything they must know in order to take their place in society as leaders.
May Day, or Beltane, was also the original Easter Day. Over time, the holiday was moved over to Oestara, which was the Spring Equinox, then finally moved again to rest on the calendar in such a way as to avoid the full moon of Oestara. Easter is now officially on the first Sunday following the full moon of the Spring Equinox, which is why the date is never the same year to year. However, Beltane remains as it always has been since pagan times, on the first day of the merry month of May.
In the Scottish Isles, the crofters would gather at least once a week to pass the time together at the house of the storyteller, who would first allow the gathered to talk about current events, problems facing the folk, observations about the planting cycles of the moon, and the effects of the sun upon general living; the women would bring their knitting, carding and sewing, drop spindle to spin, the young women might flirt with the young men (but not too obviously) and the small children fell asleep in amongst the folk, gathered by the central fire of the thatched house. Sometimes, the myth, or story, or tale would go on for several separate tellings: like a serial.
Knightings were conducted at this time of year as well, and various religious rites were practiced. A good time to start the ale brewing, to get in a storehouse of wood, and grain, to begin thinking about the slaughtering of livestock, and to anticipate rutting season. In the northern hemisphere, between August 2, and Samhain, many changes to the landscape will occur as deciduous trees begin to sleep, their leaves turning colors as they do.
Mabon, son of the Dark Lord, son of Modor, the Great Mother. Lord of the Wild Hunt, riding night skies. Close your shutters. Bar the door. But feast with friends and kin, keeping them together; drink a toast this night to the health of all of them. Do not let them out. Do not send them into the night of Mabon.
In Irish Traditions, this holiday is often considered the beginning of a new year. In the Northern Traditions, the time many pagans celebrate as Samhain is recognized as Winternights. --given by Sister Aauriane
A fundamental type of Druidic ceremony --given by Sister Aauriane
Yule/Yole/Birth of Lugh, the Many-Skilled One/Birth of the Solar King/The Exchange of Kingdoms between the Arthur of Cornwall, and Arawan, King of the Otherworld
Click on the picture of the Holy Family to read Sir's commentary on the Three Wise Men of the Christmas Legends.
