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Reconnecting with the Wheel of the Year: Why the Sabbats Are Calling Us Home
- naomiebarclay
- Nov 17
- 6 min read
There's something stirring in the collective consciousness – a gentle pull back towards the land, the seasons, and the ancient rhythms our ancestors once lived by. Across the UK and beyond, people are rediscovering the sabbats, those eight sacred turning points in the year that mark our dance with the sun and earth. But what exactly are these celebrations, and why are so many of us feeling called to honour them once more?
The Ancient Wisdom of the Sabbats
Long before our lives were governed by digital calendars and artificial light, our ancestors lived in intimate relationship with the seasons. The sabbats – derived from the Hebrew word for "to rest" – were their way of marking time's passage, celebrating abundance, and preparing for leaner months ahead.
These eight festivals form the Wheel of the Year, a beautiful cycle that honours both the solar events (solstices and equinoxes) and the cross-quarter days that fall between them. Each sabbat carries its own magic, its own lessons, and its own invitation to pause and connect with something greater than ourselves.
Our forebears gathered on hilltops and in sacred groves, lighting fires that could be seen for miles, sharing food and stories, and weaving the threads of community ever tighter. These weren't merely parties – they were essential moments of collective renewal, ensuring both the practical and spiritual wellbeing of the community.
Why We're Returning to the Old Ways
In our modern world of constant connectivity and relentless pace, something vital has been lost. We've disconnected from the earth beneath our feet, the seasons that shape our world, and perhaps most significantly, from each other and ourselves.
The resurgence of interest in the sabbats isn't nostalgia – it's necessity. People are craving:
Meaningful ritual in a world that often feels devoid of deeper significance. The sabbats offer us permission to pause, to mark time in ways that nourish rather than drain us.
Connection to nature's rhythms when we've forgotten that we're part of the natural world, not separate from it. Celebrating the sabbats reminds us that we, too, have seasons of growth, harvest, rest, and renewal.
Community and belonging in an age of isolation. There's profound magic in gathering with others who understand that lighting a candle on the longest night isn't silly – it's sacred.
A sustainable way of living that honours rest as much as productivity, that celebrates what is rather than constantly reaching for what's next.
The Eight Sabbats: A Journey Through the Year
Samhain (31st October)
As the veil between worlds grows thin and the last leaves fall, Samhain invites us to honour our ancestors and acknowledge life's mysteries. This is the Witch's New Year, a time for divination, reflection, and releasing what no longer serves.
Ways to celebrate: Light candles for loved ones who've passed, practice divination, feast on seasonal foods like apples and nuts, create an ancestor altar.
Yule (Winter Solstice, around 21st December)
The longest night of the year holds a beautiful promise – from this moment on, the light returns. Our ancestors lit great fires to encourage the sun's rebirth, and we carry on this tradition with twinkling lights and evergreen boughs.
Ways to celebrate: Hold a candlelit vigil through the longest night, make a yule log, exchange handmade gifts, set intentions for the returning light.
Imbolc (1st February)
As the first snowdrops push through frozen ground, Imbolc celebrates the earliest stirrings of spring. Associated with Brigid, goddess of fire and inspiration, this sabbat honours creativity, healing, and the quickening of life.
Ways to celebrate: Light candles in every window, make Brigid's crosses, plant seeds, write poetry, spring clean your sacred space.
Ostara (Spring Equinox, around 21st March)
Day and night stand in perfect balance as the world erupts in blossom and birdsong. Ostara is pure potential – the promise of all that's to come, celebrated with symbols of fertility and new life.
Ways to celebrate: Decorate eggs, plant a garden, take a dawn walk, balance stones or eggs, make flower crowns.
Beltane (1st May)
As spring reaches its glorious crescendo, Beltane bursts forth in a celebration of passion, creativity, and the fertility of all things. Traditionally, this was a time of great fires, dancing, and joy.
Ways to celebrate: Dance around a maypole, leap over a bonfire (safely!), make flower garlands, honour the green world in its full glory, celebrate pleasure and sensuality.
Litha (Summer Solstice, around 21st June)
The sun reaches its zenith, and for one perfect moment, we bask in maximum light and warmth. Litha celebrates abundance, power, and the fullness of life, even as we acknowledge the turning point towards darker days.
Ways to celebrate: Watch the sunrise, gather herbs at their peak potency, make sun tea, light a bonfire, stay up all night in revelry.
Lammas/Lughnasadh (1st August)
The first harvest arrives, and we begin to gather the fruits of our labour. Lammas (meaning "loaf mass") celebrates grain, bread, and the satisfaction of seeing our efforts come to fruition.
Ways to celebrate: Bake bread from scratch, attend a farmer's market, make corn dollies, give thanks for abundance, share your harvest with others.
Mabon (Autumn Equinox, around 21st September)
Once more, light and dark achieve perfect balance, but now we turn towards the darkness. Mabon is a time of thanksgiving, of preserving the harvest, and of preparing – practically and spiritually – for the months of introspection ahead.
Ways to celebrate: Make preserves, create a gratitude altar, gather with loved ones for a feast, go foraging for autumn treasures, reflect on the year's balance.
The Magic of Celebrating Together
Whilst there's undeniable beauty in solitary practice – a quiet moment watching the sun rise on the equinox, a personal ritual by candlelight – there's a particular alchemy that occurs when we gather with others to honour these turning points.
When we celebrate the sabbats in community, we step into something our ancestors knew intimately: that shared ritual amplifies intention, that collective joy multiplies, and that witnessing each other's journey through the seasons creates bonds that sustain us through all of life's passages.
There's a reason our forebears lit fires large enough to be seen from distant villages, why they danced together until dawn, why they shared food and song and story. They understood that we aren't meant to walk this path alone.
Coming together for the sabbats allows us to:
Share the work and the wonder of creating sacred space
Hold space for those who might be struggling with the season's energy
Celebrate our joys more fully in the presence of others who understand
Learn from each other's wisdom and experiences
Remember that we're part of an unbroken chain stretching back through time
What Others Are Saying
Those who've joined our seasonal celebrations have discovered the transformative power of marking the sabbats in community:
"Naomi's retreats are truly magical. The way she weaves together ancient wisdom with modern practices creates such a welcoming space. I left feeling connected to something much larger than myself." – S
"I'd never celebrated the sabbats before, but Naomi made everything feel accessible and meaningful. The community we built over the afternoon was incredible" – E
"There's something deeply healing about gathering with like-minded souls to honour the turning of the year. Naomi holds space with such warmth and authenticity. I can't wait for the next one!" – L
"I was nervous about attending my first retreat, but I was welcomed with such open arms. Celebrating Beltane together in nature, with ritual and laughter and delicious food, was an experience I'll treasure forever." – R
Bringing the Sabbats into Your Life
You don't need elaborate tools or years of study to begin honouring the sabbats. Start simply:
Mark your calendar with the eight festivals and commit to acknowledging each one, even if just with a moment of stillness.
Create small rituals that feel authentic to you – lighting a special candle, preparing seasonal foods, spending time in nature.
Learn the season's lessons by observing what's happening in the natural world around you.
Connect with community whether through joining celebrations, sharing your practice with friends, or finding your tribe at seasonal gatherings.
Trust your intuition about what each sabbat means to you personally.
The sabbats aren't about perfection or performing rituals "correctly" – they're about reconnection. With the earth, with the seasons, with each other, and with the magic that's been waiting patiently for us to remember.
As the Wheel of the Year turns, it invites us to turn with it, to flow rather than resist, to celebrate rather than merely endure. In a world that tries to convince us that every day should be the same, the sabbats remind us that life is meant to be lived in cycles, with peaks and valleys, light and dark, activity and rest.
The old ways are calling us home – not to recreate the past, but to reclaim the wisdom that will sustain our future. Will you answer?
Join us in celebrating the turning of the Wheel at our seasonal retreats, where we gather to honour the sabbats in community, surrounded by nature's beauty and the warmth of kindred spirits. Discover upcoming retreats and seasonal gatherings at www.naomicharlotte.com
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