With all that talk about global warming and dozens of "unusual" weather phenomena, I cannot help but wonder whether the eight sabbaths and the way they are supposed to be celebrated (and their meaning) are the way to go.
Take this winter, for example.
Now, I do not know about your area, but we had a really warm December, with cherry blossoms for Yule. And now, for Imbolc, temperatures have dropped to below -13°C almost over night. Yes, the days ARE brighter, and the sun is coming up while I am on my way to work, but somehow it does not appear appropriate to celebrate light and warmth right now.
We also had an incredibly dry fall (with more than six weeks without a single drop of rain), and the river Rhine was so dry you could almost have crossed it without a bridge or boat. Lots of sunny days, though.
I think maybe the energies are changing together with the weather, and we as nature-worshipping people might have to look out for these changes and try to incorporate them into our lives and, dunno, maybe even "welcome" them?
The first lambs of the year are not very important anymore to most modern-day witches. The seasons do not adhere to our fairytale calendars - maybe not anymore, maybe they never have.
Ever tried celebrating Samhain on a sunny day with temperatures above 20°C?
Or maybe you are living in a completely different area from me (well, most obviously), where the seasonal changes are not that visible, or you are on the southern hemisphere where "everything is exactly the other way round".
With the esbaths it is easier. Of course there are all kinds of books explaining what each moon should look like (and most books have the moons described as the twelve months anyway and only use fancy words, and the magical "blue moon" is supposed to be the second moon in any of our arbitrary months...), but we are much more likely to look around us and notice what there is to celebrate, and then celebrate it.
Trying to celebrate a change of season that is not happening might not increase our energies, but rather drain them.
How to sort this out? So many thoughts, so little brain to think them with...
Kommentare:
When it comes to the seasons, I focus very much on the actual seasonal changes. It's that connection that grounds me. Thus far, global change hasn't messed with it too much... For now, anyway.
I have been thinking about this as well. Most Witches celebrate the way the Celts did once upon a time, so the traditions are based on their beliefs. While I come from that bloodline, I am living in a different time. I do some of the traditional things because I like tradition, but of course I do not perform these traditions with quite the same intent as my ancestors. Still, I practice them because ancestors are a big part of my practice and so it is a way of honoring them. having said that, however, I do not decide to honor a god/goddess just because it is his/her day. I'm less of the deity worshipping witch and more of a working witch anyway. At each of the Sabbats, I honor the changing seasons more than anything else, and so I watch for the changes and signs in nature in my area.
I completely agree with you Diandra about celebrating when it's right. For the most part, I celebrate the sacred days near the traditional days, but an inner movement has to be happening for me first. I have a really hard time celebrating Yule when it's 80 degrees outside. The only one I truly stay on course with is Samhain because all types of weather are great to celebrate it.
Great post. I have to agree - in many situations, I think we should listen to the Earth, and read the signs of the seasons. Each place is different. While I enjoy celebrating the Sabbats on the traditional days because I love to keep tradition alive, I often feel the seasons are changing, and I honour the seasons according to how it feels right. (Also, ich habe in Bayern gewohnt. Es was zwei Jahre zuruck. Mein deutch geht nicht gut, aber Deutschland ist immer in mein Härz. <3)
I was kind of feeling the same... here in Texas we don't have the coldest of winters anyway but usually by this time of year we've had at least a snow/ice situation or two. I am still having to run the air conditioner here in the afternoons. I'm finding it hard to be in the spirit as well at times because of this "global warming" change. I was kind of surprised to read what you said about the Rhine river. If I remember right from my studies of German and Germany of many years ago I thought that was a really wide river (kind of like our Missisppi river).
I let my heart (and schedule) figure the whole thing out. Our winter has been weird, too; snow one day 50 degrees Fahrenheit a day later. Changes of the season within the season.
@Miss Pettey: Your German is pretty good. ^^
@Winter Slytherin: Yeah, around here the river is usually more than 1km wide - that's what made it such a weird thing.
Ya know, I hadn't really thought about things this way. Thanks for pointing it out, though.
And thanks for sharing with us again at Pagan Blog Prompts.
~Sunfire
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