Esbats
—by Míchealín
Daugherty
The Esbats are minor
celebrations, as opposed to the major ones (e.g., Samhain, Lughnasadh) that
involve the full moon. The full moon is the mother of the triple goddess
(the Waxing being the Maid, the Waning being the Crone). She is the
ripeness of womanhood, the richness of life. The magical energies of the
moon are thought to be most potent when the moon is at its fullest.
There are 13 moons in a
lunar year. The Celtic
pagan year was based on 13 lunar months, which were named after
tress and plants. According to the Brehon Law of Ireland, these trees
corresponded to the Ogham
alphabet.
Every year two full moons
fall in one month. The second appearance of a full moon in the same
month is called The Blue Moon, and makes the month a very powerful one.
See also: Drawing Down the Moon
