The Wheel of the Year consists of eight Sabbats. All the Sabbats are solar in nature, marking the passing of the year with natural milestones. Some break the Sabbats down into major and minor, the major Sabbats being Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. The minor Sabbats are Yule (Winter Solstice), Ostara (Spring Equinox), Litha (Summer Solstice) and Mabon (Autumn Equinox). It is through these Sabbats that witches through out the world mark the passing of the year with celebration and reverence for the deities and events that each represents. These holidays are as used by witches in the Northern Hemisphere. The witches in the Southern Hemisphere (all you Australian and New Zealand witches out there) reverse the Sabbats due to the opposite seasons.

Sabbat	Herbs	Incense	Color	Decorations	Foods
Yule	Holly, Mistletoe, Rosemary, Oak, Pine cones	Bayberry, Pine, Cedar, Rosemary, Juniper	Red, Green, White, Silver, Gold	Yule log (oak or pine), Mistletoe, Wreaths, Strings of dried flowers and cinnamon sticks, Apples, Oranges, Yule tree	Nuts, Apples, Oranges, Caraway rolls, Mulled wine, Roast turkey
Imbolc	Snowdrop, Bay, Heather, First Flowers of the Year	Rosemary, Cinnamon, Westeria, Frankincense, Myrrh	White, Orange, Red	Lamps, Besom (witch's broom), Yellow flowers	All Dairy products, Curries, Onions, Chives, Garlic, Spiced wines, Seeds, Herbal teas
Ostara	Honeysuckle,Iris, Peony, Violet All spring flowers	Jasmine, Rose, Strawberry	Green, Yellow	Colored eggs, Green and yellow jellybeans, Rabbit Decorations, Spring Flowers	Seeds, Leafy Green Vegetables, Spiced or Flower Cupcakes, Fruits, Hard-boiled eggs
Beltane	Honeysuckle, St. John's wort, Hawthorn, All flowers	Frankincense, Lilac, Rose	Green, Soft pink, blue and yellow	Maypole, Strings of beads or flowers, Ribbons, Spring flowers	Dairy, Oatmeal cakes, Cherries, Strawberries, Wine punches, Green Salads
Litha	Lavender, Chamomile, Roses, Daisy, Lily	Frankincense, Lemon, Rose, Wisteria, Lavender	Blue, Green, Yellow	Dried herbs, Potpourri, Seashells, Summer Flowers, Fruits	Summer Fruits, Ale, Mead, Fresh Vegetables
Lughnasadh	All grains, Grapes, Heather, Blackberries, Sunflowers	Sandalwood, Rose, Aloes	Yellow, Orange, Green, Brown	Corn Dollies, Any Wheat weaving crafts, Shafts of Grain	Breads, Cider, Blackberry Pies and jellies, Rice, Meadowsweet tea, Berries
Mabon	Hazel, Corn, Acorns, Oak, Wheat Stalks, Cypress cones, Pine cones	Myrrh, Sage, Pine	Orange, Dark red, Yellow, Brown	Acorns, Pomegranates, Pine Cones, Baskets of fallen leaves	Breads, Corn, Cornbread, Beans, Squash, Apples, Roots (carrots, potatoes, onions), Cider
Samhain	Pumpkin, Apple, Nuts, Thistle, Chrysanthemum, Broom, Oak leaves, Sage	Apple, Nutmeg, Sage, Mint	Black, Orange	Jack-o-lantern, Photos of deceased loved ones, Apples, Fall leaves, Autumn flowers, Squashes	Apples, Corn, Nuts, Cider, Mulled wine, Pumpkin Dishes, Cranberry muffins, Herbal teas

 

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