Pagan Information Question # 16. Would you be so kind as to explain the difference between?

Question

...The difference between and Esbat and a Sabbat? What IS YOUR Wheel of the year and what are the significances of each of these days? What is the significance of a Full moon and a New Moon Esbat?

I realize that this appears to be directed mostly to Witches, BUT, Pagans DO have special days and times of the year that they hold in reverence, at least Religious Pagans, and the Non-Pagans would like to know a lot about our Religious "Holy" days (Sacred days or times).

Brightest Blessings,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 1

These are more specifically Wiccan terms. The Sabbats are the Eight High Holy Days;
Samhain -- October 31
Winter Solstice/Yule -- December 21-ish, depending on the year
Imbolg (Groundhog Day) February 2
Spring Equinox -- March 21 (again, the exact date depends on the year)
Bealtane -- May 1
Summer Solstice -- June 21
Lammas -- August 1

The names of these Sabbats varies a little from tradition to tradition.

Esbats are Full Moon observances, and sometimes also New Moon, depending on the tradition.

I try to honor the Sabbats, either by going to the local Druid ritual, or privately with my girlfriend. The Esbats, I admit, I've slacked on, but I like to scry on those nights.

Answer 2

I'm a solitary practitioner so I'm sure I do things a little different than some witches. I celebrate 8 Sabbats, and some of these coincide with Christian holidays so I can share these somewhat with all of my family. I consider esbats to be the rituals that I do for each full moon, although I know the word esbat has other meanings than this. I personally only celebrate full moons, but occasionally I will do a ritual on the new moon, but that's pretty rare.

Answer 3

Esbats are celebrated during the full moon. Sabbats are celebrated 8 different times during the year.

Yule ( winter soltise) December 2 I
Imbolic ( also called Candlemas & Oimelc) February 2
Ostara ( Spring Equinox) March 21
Beltane April 30th
Litha ( Summer solstice) June 21
Lughnasadh July 31st
Mabon September 21st
Samhain October 31st

Answer 4

Okay, I do both Sabbats and Esbats. Sabbats I often do with friends. These are celebratory festivals on the Wheel of the Year. Esbats I do alone, drawing energy from the Moon to fuel magick for the coming month. Dark Moon Esbats I use for contemplative meditation, not Magick.

Answer 5

The Sabbats are the eight calendar holidays of the year that Wicca recognises. An Esbat is any gathering that is not on a Sabbat, although they are most often timed with the new or full moons.

Answer 6

Well in Wicca specifically, a sabbat is one of the eight holidays spaced throughout the year to celebrate the changing of the season. An esbat is a ritual that's not on a sabbat.

As far as full moon and new moon, I'm less knowledgeable. I certainly acknowledge the full and new moons, however I rarely perform rituals for them. However I know that full moon rituals are often performed to make changes in one's life for the better- like a sort of "full moon resolution".

Answer 7

As a Wiccan for over 20 years, I agree with Nightwind, Sabbats are seasonal and solar, Esbats are anything else.

And they most assuredly include new moons.

Full moons are generally chosen because of Valiente's line "And BETTER it should be on the Full Moon," but both the use of the Full and New moons are justified in Murray's Witch-Cult in Western Europe, which, while atrocious, is the reasoning behind the liturgical calendar.

Answer 8

Sabbats are holy days such as Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Midsummer, Lughnassadh, Mabon and Samhain.

An Esbat is specifically a Full Moon ritual.

There is no new moon Esbat, although people do celebrate the new moon.

My wheel of the year specifically addresses the equinoxes and solstices, Samhain and Beltane. My family honors the new and full moons as well.

Answer 9

Hellenic Pagans as a general rule do not have an equivalent to Esbats and Sabbats. Many of us follow one of the Festival calendars of the city-states of Classical Greece.

Each lunar month in the calendar is named for the predominant festival within it although there are usually several festivals in any given month. Also we tend to dedicate specific days of the month to specific Gods (such as the 6th and 7th days being for Artemis and Apollo respectively)

Many times the festivals within the Athenian calendar will have a rough correspondance with the Celtic Wheel of the Year such as this year's Rural Dionysia corresponding in date to Yule/Winter Solstice

Answer 10

Most of my Sabbats are spent with family, Christian family, and is somewhat difficult to celebrate with wiccan traditions. I try to take a day or two before the holiday, and do my rituals. As for full moons, I try to have a 'drawing down the moon' ceremony, but there have been times that it's been completely in my mind. that's also pretty much the only time i do any kind of magick. New moons, i try to meditate.