Laurel’s Easy Sabbat Planning Guide

For all of the witches who struggle with Sabbats sneaking up on them, here is a guide to help whip up an easy celebration so you never have to miss out on Sabbats again!

A Sabbat is a seasonal festival mostly celebrated by Pagans and Witches. Sabbats are like any other holiday, except these are normally celebrations of the changing of the seasons, or the “turning of the wheel.” Each person will celebrate each Sabbat differently, as each season is completely personal to you.

⛤ The First Step

The first step I recommend to planning a Sabbat celebration is to figure out exactly what the Sabbat is to you. Figure out how you feel about the sabbat and what you naturally associate each one with. This can take some time to work through, especially if you are new to sabbats or if you tend to avoid nature at all costs.

⛤ What to ask yourself:

- What does this Sabbat mean to you? - What is the Earth doing right now? What does it look like outside your window? - What is in season (this includes foods, herbs, flowers and decor)? - How do you feel this time of year? How does this particular Sabbat make you feel? Is this normal? - What sort of things make you feel “witchy” or connected to this Sabbat? - Why is this day special to you?

⛤ Things to Do:

- Perform a ritual. Rituals can be as elaborate or as simple as you want them to be. Sometimes all you have to work with is a tealight candle and a week old pack of cookies.

- Cook. Some of us feel connected to the world around us when there is food involved. After all, it’s not a party unless there is food. Try out a new recipe with in-season foods, or make your favorite comfort food dish.

- Go outside. The easiest way to celebrate the changing of the seasons is to go outside and experience them. Even if it’s a short walk (because not many people want to go for long strolls in the dead of winter), take a moment to step outside and experience nature and observe what it’s currently doing. If you are able, plan a day trip to somewhere special or new to explore.

- Decorate. Nothing gets me in the holiday (or Sabbat) spirit like decorating. As a child decorating for Christmas was the best because that was the only time we put up decorations. Now, as an adult, I use whatever I have handy to decorate for every Sabbat I can to make me feel more festive.

- Offerings. If you work with spirits of deities, you may wish to put together some sort of offering for them when you celebrate. This can be food, special rocks or flowers from outside, or something you’ve made yourself.

- Spells. Sabbats are prime times to do spells for me. The spells I cast are reflections of the coming season and what I want from them.

- Crafts. There are a ton of different little projects for Sabbats floating around on the internet. Get creative and make something! If you are on a budget, make something with what you have, or modify a craft to include what you have. I like to make something new each year for the Sabbats (it’s an easy way to get “decorations” too!)

- Divination. Nothing says celebration like a good old fashion look into the future. Choose any form of divination that you’d like and do a reading for yourself. 

- Journaling. Sometimes the easiest way to celebrate and connect is to get into your own head. Let the Earth inspire you. Stare out a window (or sit outside if you can) and just watch what happens around you. Let it inspire you to create. Journal about your own feelings, write a freestyle poem or sketch and paint what you see.

⛤ Creating a Ritual

Not all rituals have to be long and elaborate. Some of my favorite rituals are just sitting around in sweatpants with a hot cup of cocoa and my journal, reflecting on the season and my life. Ask yourself these questions to help piece together how a ritual would be best done for you.

- What am I celebrating? How can I celebrate this? - Who am I worshiping? - How much space do I have? - How much time do I have? - Why am I celebrating this Sabbat? - What do I/can I buy for my celebrations?

The important thing for Sabbats isn’t how grand your ritual is, it’s all about gaining something from it, whether that be a nice warm fuzzy feeling or a great insight into your life. 

⛤ Reflection and Meditation

After each Sabbat day, I find it helpful if I reflect upon what I did that day and how my celebration went. This is when I do most of my journaling, but you don’t have to write anything. You can simply sit and rest and meditate on the day if you wish. Use this time to unwind.

- What did I do today? How do I feel about it? - What ideas do I have for next year? - What did this year’s Sabbat teach me? - What was my favorite part of today’s celebration? - What was my least favorite?

Happy Celebrating! ~L <):)

Honey Lemon Upside-Down Cake

A fresh, not-too-sweet citrus dessert for Beltane.

Ingredients

Methods

Lemon: love, purification, longevity

Honey: love, happiness, prosperity, beauty

**Reminder that "smudging" is part of a closed practice. Please call it smoke cleansing.

I’ve been working on my Graphic Designer FMP (Final Major Project) for a while now. It surrounds on the 8 Sabbats from the Pagan Wheel of the Year, that I’ve been studying for the last 6 months. 

Needed a visual representation for the article, so made these mood boards. I hope it represents well since I admire this religion/culture so much!!  ✨

Plan to share more about the project when I can.

Blessed be!  💕

🌸🌿☀️ *~

Here are a few of my Ostara seedlings 🌱 I planted them on the 10th hoping they'd be ready to transplant by Ostara, but they need a few more days :)

They're planted in Ostara painted eggs, with my intentions and wishes for the year written on them.

When they're ready to transplant, lightly crush the eggshell. It'll give the seedlings a nutrient boost, and they'll grow as your written intentions and wishes charge and manifest. When they're ready to be harvested and used, you'll be further activating and manifesting that intent 💚

Ostara Blessings

🐣🌱💐🐇🌼💝🌼🐇💐🌱🐣

Ways to Celebrate Ostara while Quarantined or Self-Isolated

The spring equinox is almost upon us, and things are…weird. Lots of us are ill, most of us are scared, and some of us cannot leave our houses for our safety or for the safety of others. What a bummer way to ring in the return of spring! For those witches who are quarantined, who are self-isolating, or who are practicing social distancing, here is a list of alternative ways to celebrate the equinox respectfully and safely. Some of these are also excellent quarantine boredom busters! Most also require a low amount of energy, so if you’re symptomatic, but not critical, you can still find ways to participate in your craft.

~research flowers; their correspondences, their medical uses, where they grow, how to grow them. If inclined, draw and label them in your grimoire. 🌿

~if possible, go outside where you can be a good distance from other people. If not possible, sit near an open window for some time. Get some sun on that skin. Remember you are alive. 🌼

~repot your plants or plant seedlings! Additionally, give your houseplants a good dusting. Low energy alternative: give your plants a smooch and tell them how precious they are. 🌿

~weird cleaning—I’m not talking about the disinfecting we’ve all been doing, I’m talking dust the tops of your bookshelves. Scrub the base boards. Wash the sheets and curtains. Invite the energy of spring inside! 🌼

~solitary spells to direct the vitality of spring to those who are currently fighting to breathe in hospitals. 🌿

~if quarantined or isolated with a partner and physically capable, have sex! Lots of sex! IT’S SPRING, GET FUCKED!! 🌼

~solitary spells to welcome back birds, greet newborn insects, and pay respect to hibernating animals that are waking. 🌿

~leave about offering for the fae. If you can’t spare resources like bread and milk, improvise! Pennies (shiny ones, because shiny gifts are appreciated, but money can be insulting), paper clips, leaves from houseplants or herbs, little bits of pretty fabric…really, the possibilities are endless. 🌼

~eat eggs! Dye eggs! Hide eggs and let your partner find them! Draw eggs! Basically anything to do with eggs. Including saying “egg” to yourself under your breath because it’s an inherently fun word. 🌿

~bake bread—i promise you, if you’ve never made bread before, this will take an entire afternoon. 🌼

~deep clean your altar. Clean it within an inch of its life. 🌿

~do candle magic instead of a bonfire. 🌼

~scry in a bowl of water, a gazing stone, or a candle flame. (Save the mirror for Yule.) 🌿

~prop the doors open and turn the fans on. Get a cross breeze if you can. 🌼

~with the doors and windows open, clean the energy of your space with a bell or by banging a wooden spoon against a pot while screaming at that old energy to gtfo of your space. (If you’re having trouble breathing, or if someone in your area is having trouble breathing, smoke-based energy cleansing methods are straight out. Do not do that.)🌿

~Just fucking scream. Screaming is very cathartic. Take the edge off that anxiety and celebrate being alive by just…shrieking at the top of your lungs. (Repeat as needed.) 🌿

~do some yoga in the sun. If you’re housebound, it will feel good to stretch and to move with purpose. 🌼

~do something creative. Paint, draw, write, make music, sing, dance, whatever, just create. You don’t even have to finish the project. 🌿

Stay safe, wash your hands, don’t give up hope, and happy Ostara, witchlings!

Ostara Blessings

🐣🌱💐🐇🌼💝🌼🐇💐🌱🐣

__montypython__

🍃🌿🐰Blessed Ostara!🐰🌿🍃

Ostara is a celebration of the Spring Equniox (March 20th-21st) celebrated by many wiccans, pagans, and witches. It marks the day when nigh and day are equal and balanced. The sun God’s strength increases and the Goddess celebrates her fertility. Together they bring us Spring. Winter is drawing to an end and it’s getting to the point where we need to shake off winter and move full force ahead into Spring. All of the planning and procrastinating at Imbolc is now to be put to the test.

How To Celebrate

I hope you all have a wonderful Ostara and I can’t wait to see how you all celebrate! Blessed Be💜

Spring cleaning accomplished; fully cleansed and charged by the full Worm moon last night. Prepared for the arrival of Ostara.  🌼🐇💐🥚🌿

It’s definitely looking like Spring around here! 🌷🐇

Yesterday I set up another small crystal grid on my beautiful Nyxturna altar tile, this time in honor of the Spring Equinox / Ostara. The crystals I chose are rose quartz, selenite, and my favorite smoky quartz point. I also have pink chrysanthemums which are supposed to symbolize a long life and good luck in the home. 🌸✨

Hello witches, since Ostara is upon us cleaning and cleansing our lives and starting anew is in order. I decided to share a small list of how to minimize waste (and save money) that you can implement in your life to keep yourself organized and keep your pantry/fridge clean:

Stay positive, stay happy, and out with the old and in with the new 💚