Dark Powers in Witchcraft* The Sabbats of Witchcraft relate to the solar seasons as Quarters, and to agricultural cycles as Cross-Quarters. The Esbats celebrate the phase of the Moon, usually Full and New. These days of observance emphasise the unity of Sun-Moon-Earth-Witch found in rituals and workings of the Craft. Some of these holy days are light-sided, others are dark-sided. In the Sabbats, Lughnasadh is the crossover point into darkness, for the god when he begins the journey to new light at Yule. From Yule to Lughnasadh, the energies of the Earth are reviving as the growing relationships between the Lady and the Lord, culminating in the mating at Beltane, and moving to the willing sacrifice of the Lord in August. The first harvest is the Bread Harvest of August, when the Lord descends into the Lady — Mother Earth — to give his life essence, the Solar energy, into the grain to feed the children of the Earth. The second harvest is in September — once called Harvest Home — is now called Mabon. This was the Vine Harvest and was celebrated with much festivity and blood of the god, a theme found throughout the pagan world in ancient times. Dedicated to the Dark Lord are the Sabbats of Lughnasadh, Mabon and Samhain; he then changes overnight from Holly King to Oak King at Yule. Yule is the second crossover that the Lord makes, moving from Underworld back to the Earth. He descends into the Earth at Lughnasadh and spreads his body into the crops, then at Mabon he pours out his blood into the vines. At Samhain, he is in his realm of the Underworld, awaiting the Crone who comes to him and receives him back into herself to be born again at Yule when she transforms in the Holy Mother, and he into her newborn son. See Also: Cernunnos, Green Man and Herne. The Dark Lord and the Crone meet as equals in darkness at Samhain — when all is Hallows of this world, Underworld and Otherworld — when their transformation forms a moment in time that allows the inhabitants of the worlds to come into close contact. The veil between the worlds is thinnest at Samhain; this is the time to honour your ancestors, greet passing spirits, and seek answers to your questions from beyond the physical plane. *Excerpts from Green Witchcraft II by Ann Moura. Llewellyn Publications, 2001. See Also: Dark Moons Dark Powers Dark Powers in Witchcraft Drawing Down the Moon Page last updated 2 Jan 2006 Website Design and Myths & Magic logo by Míchealín Ní Dhochartaigh Copyright © 2006 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.