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A Year of Ritual: Sabbats & Esbats for Solitaries & Covens
It's easy to lose ourselves in the everyday business of life. One way to bring our bodies, minds, and spirits into alignment is through ritual celebrations. A vital part of Wicca and Paganism, ritual strengthens our connection to nature and helps us enter the realm of the Divine.
For Witches and Pagans of all levels, A Year of Ritual provides ready-made rituals for a full year of Sabbats and Esbats. Groups or solitary participants can use these easy-to-follow rituals straight from the book. Ideas, words, and directions for each ritual are included along with background information, preparation requirements, and themes. This unique sourcebook also explains basic formats and components for creating your own rituals.
For Witches and Pagans of all levels, A Year of Ritual provides ready-made rituals for a full year of Sabbats and Esbats. Groups or solitary participants can use these easy-to-follow rituals straight from the book. Ideas, words, and directions for each ritual are included along with background information, preparation requirements, and themes. This unique sourcebook also explains basic formats and components for creating your own rituals.
231 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
12 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Kynes
56 books124 followersI describe myself as an explorer of myth and magic. My inquisitiveness has led me to investigate the roots of my beliefs and to integrate my spiritual path with everyday life. I like to develop creative ways to explore the world, which serves as the basis for my books. I have written nine books; numbers ten and eleven are in progress. In addition to writing, I am a yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 6, 2016
I like that this book points out that ritual sites mark civilization, and how central ritual is to humans. I like this introduction--especially since it opens by telling us we are not passive in ritual and that we create or awaken aspects of ourselves that we can't just put on a shelf for the next time--that we have to do something with it throughout the year. But something I didn't like was the overused "science destroys mystery, and that is Bad" attitude. I don't believe science, or understanding, destroys the awe and amazement a person can feel. If you know how something works, and you fully understand it, you can still be in awe of it; your respect for it shouldn't depend entirely on having no idea what's going on, and I don't believe demystifying nature automatically turns it into a commodity that we will then dismantle and use. You can have respect for something while understanding it, too.
There's an element in the opening where the author says "Nature knows best" and that any Pagan will agree with this law. I'm Pagan and I agree in general, but I think this is commonly used to push what's thought of as "natural" over "artificial," categorizing much of what humans do in civilizations as artificial. I believe that a lot of what we do IS part of nature--our nature. I don't believe it's unnatural, for instance, for us to use medicines to improve our lives. If we left it alone and "let Nature take its course," many very treatable illnesses would kill us. I really hope that people who live by "Nature knows best" would understand that human nature is also Nature. Thankfully, except for this, there's not much dogmatic-sounding stuff. It just kinda assumes that if you got this book, you're probably the kind of person who will get something out of the rituals included in your own way, and the author probably does not need to preach to the choir--so she doesn't.
After the introduction, there's a brief explanation of what a Sabbat is and why they're important. Most books have some lore in there, but I particularly appreciate that the book spells out the waxing year and waning year, the greater and lesser Sabbats and their connection with agrarian life, and a general mythology of the God and Goddess without going into a ton of detail--which is good, because most Pagan individuals and groups bring their own deity beliefs. Each of the following rituals provides both a solo and a group ritual.
On Yule: The lore gives a nice explanation of why Yule is considered the New Year in many traditions while still explaining why Samhain is considered the New Year in others. I appreciate that care is taken to acknowledge and explain variety in traditions. You get the background of the waxing light, the God's birth, and the tale of the Oak King and Holly King.
On Imbolg: Everything's there about Brigid and milk and bonfires. I like that the themes--celebrate lengthening days, picking a path for the coming months, and asking Brigid for guidance--are all outlined at the beginning so you can figure out how to celebrate those yourself if you don't dig the rituals.
On Ostara: Quite a variety of myths and practices are highlighted, including Eostre, Demeter/Persephone, and Lady Day. And, of course, we have a bit about egg decoration! I like that the background specifies that this ritual should be celebrated during the day. And the planting ritual carries through elements of the previous holidays very well.
On Beltane: It's great that the author highlights this holiday's comparison to Samhain, because the veil being thin at this time is nowhere near as commonly acknowledged as it is for Samhain. Here we hear about the elements of a traditional bonfire, the faery myths, and of course the maypole.
On Litha: Here we are at midsummer/summer solstice. There's a nod to Dianic tradition here, as well as the mention of Lugh/the Sun King and the bonfires and traditional divination. And there's some discussion of the Celtic tree calendar and the Druid rituals. The ritual has two parts: rededicating yourself to the path, and the importance of ritual spaces.
On Lughnasadh: The first harvest highlights grain myths, Lugh's withering, and the waning light. It's encouraged to focus on abundance and the importance of the harvest in ancient times. The reflection reminds us we can just go to the store if we want to get food, but that we should remember how it got to us and forge some connection with that. I like that it reminds you transformation is coming.
On Mabon: For the autumn equinox, balance is discussed, with the Sun King/Corn King's descent and the harvesting of roots. Gardening is encouraged. While celebrating the bounty, there's a reminder that the God is dying.
On Samhain: There's lots of lore here--probably because this holiday is so popular in the West, as Halloween. Topics that are touched on are ancestor honoring, the history of the jack o'lantern, the final harvest, hazelnuts, the Crone, and hibernation. The ritual has cord magic and a meditation about transition.
To be perfectly honest, the rituals didn't do anything for me. I read through them and I think the author set them up well as things to grab if you don't have the time or inclination to write your own, but I think if I was still doing rituals for holidays (I'm not, except I redecorate my house for every new season), I wouldn't have use for these. The background information was a nice condensed version that wasn't too focused on any one tradition, but I didn't learn anything new from it.
The next section is on Esbats, which are the moon rituals. The introduction to this section is particularly effective. As the author describes the magic of moonlight, you can't help but imagine the times you've been out in it and felt what probably made people worship the moon since antiquity. The intro explains that waxing moon is a time for growth and waning moon is a time for reflection. It also acknowledges that some people only celebrate full moons, while others also celebrate new moons.
I wasn't expecting separate Esbat rituals that are modified for each different moon within the year, though! Though I generally never changed my moon rituals much when I had formal moon rituals, it makes sense that you might contextualize them in between holidays and acknowledge the wheel of the year as you do. I guess I always thought of the moon as more consistent since it does the same thing in the same order monthly, but this is a useful way to think of it too.
Each moon ritual gives you other names for the moon, Celtic Tree Calendar info, background, and both a solo and a group ritual. And as was the case with the Sabbat rituals, themes are provided for each moon, which was especially interesting to me.
January's moon is about accepting winter and connecting with it, and taking time to assess your path. February's moon is about divination for the coming months and strengthening your connection to the natural world. March's moon is about spring cleaning and making room for the new things that will be coming (and the ritual has a besom!). April's moon is about water's importance, celebrating your own nurturing abilities, and honoring change. May's moon is about studying flowers' meanings and pondering gentleness. June's moon is about long summer days, dancing and drumming, and celebrating life. July's moon is about fire's importance, honoring sacred flame and its transformative power, and visualizing renewal through fire. August's moon is about our ancestors' dependence on water and recalling summer memories. September's moon is about the harvest, abundance, and sharing (of course). October's moon is about the power of storytelling--and this book recommends highlighting J.R.R. Tolkien and incorporating his work into your ritual (weird). November's moon is about preparing for the darkness and contemplating the underworld. December's moon is about reaffirming your spirituality and creating intentions for the year ahead.
I think most of the moon stuff is kind of wild interpretation (especially the Tolkien bit) and I'm not sure whether to "give it points" for originality or if I'm just kinda shrugging at the whole thing. I guess I'll lean toward a thumbs up, because if you're going to write a book that condenses so many traditions and does what so many other books do, you've got to have your own swing.
There are some appendices, featuring stuff on ogham, a glossary, sachet-making tips, ritual prep, and a bibliography, but the first appendix is the most important. I like that the first appendix goes over what YOU should consider when creating your own rituals (calling to worship, casting circle, calling quarters and deities, core of the ritual, grounding, and closing). The table of correspondences is really nice! I like how you can just use it to look up elements and how they correspond to directions (with variations depending on what tradition you are), tools, powers, seasons, times, colors, trees, and so on. And there are some suggestions in the "meat of the ritual" section as to what should go there, like your cakes and ale, your spellwork, your chanting or dancing, and the moon-specific Drawing Down stuff. Oh, and it's nice that it tells you the after-ritual time is great for socializing if it's a group ritual and for journaling and reflecting if you're solitary. The wrap-up explaining what ritual does for your everyday life is also nice. I feel like people who pick up this book are getting more or less exactly what they came for.
There's an element in the opening where the author says "Nature knows best" and that any Pagan will agree with this law. I'm Pagan and I agree in general, but I think this is commonly used to push what's thought of as "natural" over "artificial," categorizing much of what humans do in civilizations as artificial. I believe that a lot of what we do IS part of nature--our nature. I don't believe it's unnatural, for instance, for us to use medicines to improve our lives. If we left it alone and "let Nature take its course," many very treatable illnesses would kill us. I really hope that people who live by "Nature knows best" would understand that human nature is also Nature. Thankfully, except for this, there's not much dogmatic-sounding stuff. It just kinda assumes that if you got this book, you're probably the kind of person who will get something out of the rituals included in your own way, and the author probably does not need to preach to the choir--so she doesn't.
After the introduction, there's a brief explanation of what a Sabbat is and why they're important. Most books have some lore in there, but I particularly appreciate that the book spells out the waxing year and waning year, the greater and lesser Sabbats and their connection with agrarian life, and a general mythology of the God and Goddess without going into a ton of detail--which is good, because most Pagan individuals and groups bring their own deity beliefs. Each of the following rituals provides both a solo and a group ritual.
On Yule: The lore gives a nice explanation of why Yule is considered the New Year in many traditions while still explaining why Samhain is considered the New Year in others. I appreciate that care is taken to acknowledge and explain variety in traditions. You get the background of the waxing light, the God's birth, and the tale of the Oak King and Holly King.
On Imbolg: Everything's there about Brigid and milk and bonfires. I like that the themes--celebrate lengthening days, picking a path for the coming months, and asking Brigid for guidance--are all outlined at the beginning so you can figure out how to celebrate those yourself if you don't dig the rituals.
On Ostara: Quite a variety of myths and practices are highlighted, including Eostre, Demeter/Persephone, and Lady Day. And, of course, we have a bit about egg decoration! I like that the background specifies that this ritual should be celebrated during the day. And the planting ritual carries through elements of the previous holidays very well.
On Beltane: It's great that the author highlights this holiday's comparison to Samhain, because the veil being thin at this time is nowhere near as commonly acknowledged as it is for Samhain. Here we hear about the elements of a traditional bonfire, the faery myths, and of course the maypole.
On Litha: Here we are at midsummer/summer solstice. There's a nod to Dianic tradition here, as well as the mention of Lugh/the Sun King and the bonfires and traditional divination. And there's some discussion of the Celtic tree calendar and the Druid rituals. The ritual has two parts: rededicating yourself to the path, and the importance of ritual spaces.
On Lughnasadh: The first harvest highlights grain myths, Lugh's withering, and the waning light. It's encouraged to focus on abundance and the importance of the harvest in ancient times. The reflection reminds us we can just go to the store if we want to get food, but that we should remember how it got to us and forge some connection with that. I like that it reminds you transformation is coming.
On Mabon: For the autumn equinox, balance is discussed, with the Sun King/Corn King's descent and the harvesting of roots. Gardening is encouraged. While celebrating the bounty, there's a reminder that the God is dying.
On Samhain: There's lots of lore here--probably because this holiday is so popular in the West, as Halloween. Topics that are touched on are ancestor honoring, the history of the jack o'lantern, the final harvest, hazelnuts, the Crone, and hibernation. The ritual has cord magic and a meditation about transition.
To be perfectly honest, the rituals didn't do anything for me. I read through them and I think the author set them up well as things to grab if you don't have the time or inclination to write your own, but I think if I was still doing rituals for holidays (I'm not, except I redecorate my house for every new season), I wouldn't have use for these. The background information was a nice condensed version that wasn't too focused on any one tradition, but I didn't learn anything new from it.
The next section is on Esbats, which are the moon rituals. The introduction to this section is particularly effective. As the author describes the magic of moonlight, you can't help but imagine the times you've been out in it and felt what probably made people worship the moon since antiquity. The intro explains that waxing moon is a time for growth and waning moon is a time for reflection. It also acknowledges that some people only celebrate full moons, while others also celebrate new moons.
I wasn't expecting separate Esbat rituals that are modified for each different moon within the year, though! Though I generally never changed my moon rituals much when I had formal moon rituals, it makes sense that you might contextualize them in between holidays and acknowledge the wheel of the year as you do. I guess I always thought of the moon as more consistent since it does the same thing in the same order monthly, but this is a useful way to think of it too.
Each moon ritual gives you other names for the moon, Celtic Tree Calendar info, background, and both a solo and a group ritual. And as was the case with the Sabbat rituals, themes are provided for each moon, which was especially interesting to me.
January's moon is about accepting winter and connecting with it, and taking time to assess your path. February's moon is about divination for the coming months and strengthening your connection to the natural world. March's moon is about spring cleaning and making room for the new things that will be coming (and the ritual has a besom!). April's moon is about water's importance, celebrating your own nurturing abilities, and honoring change. May's moon is about studying flowers' meanings and pondering gentleness. June's moon is about long summer days, dancing and drumming, and celebrating life. July's moon is about fire's importance, honoring sacred flame and its transformative power, and visualizing renewal through fire. August's moon is about our ancestors' dependence on water and recalling summer memories. September's moon is about the harvest, abundance, and sharing (of course). October's moon is about the power of storytelling--and this book recommends highlighting J.R.R. Tolkien and incorporating his work into your ritual (weird). November's moon is about preparing for the darkness and contemplating the underworld. December's moon is about reaffirming your spirituality and creating intentions for the year ahead.
I think most of the moon stuff is kind of wild interpretation (especially the Tolkien bit) and I'm not sure whether to "give it points" for originality or if I'm just kinda shrugging at the whole thing. I guess I'll lean toward a thumbs up, because if you're going to write a book that condenses so many traditions and does what so many other books do, you've got to have your own swing.
There are some appendices, featuring stuff on ogham, a glossary, sachet-making tips, ritual prep, and a bibliography, but the first appendix is the most important. I like that the first appendix goes over what YOU should consider when creating your own rituals (calling to worship, casting circle, calling quarters and deities, core of the ritual, grounding, and closing). The table of correspondences is really nice! I like how you can just use it to look up elements and how they correspond to directions (with variations depending on what tradition you are), tools, powers, seasons, times, colors, trees, and so on. And there are some suggestions in the "meat of the ritual" section as to what should go there, like your cakes and ale, your spellwork, your chanting or dancing, and the moon-specific Drawing Down stuff. Oh, and it's nice that it tells you the after-ritual time is great for socializing if it's a group ritual and for journaling and reflecting if you're solitary. The wrap-up explaining what ritual does for your everyday life is also nice. I feel like people who pick up this book are getting more or less exactly what they came for.
September 6, 2016
This concise book gives the Pagan reader a nice overview of Sabbats (solar festivals) and Esbats (lunar celebrations) and provides both solitary and group ritual suggestions for every one. Every holiday includes background information about the lore surrounding this time--including, where applicable, common traditions, deity associations, and suggestions on incorporation of various Pagan symbols--and gives a list of preparations, a script to run the ritual, and a bullet list of themes for each one. And there's just enough info here on what to consider when forming your own rituals that an enterprising Pagan practitioner can be inspired to create satisfying celebrations that fit whatever they want.
I wouldn't personally use a book like this for a ritual--partly because I don't do scripted rituals anymore, and partly because I always preferred writing my own when I did them--but the format is very nice for gathering all the important bits of knowledge about each Sabbat and Esbat. It seems like a good jumping-off point. I didn't like the author's philosophy in a couple places, but it was primarily kept out of the main part of the book, and individualized practice seemed highly encouraged. This book knows what it is and delivers it well.
I wouldn't personally use a book like this for a ritual--partly because I don't do scripted rituals anymore, and partly because I always preferred writing my own when I did them--but the format is very nice for gathering all the important bits of knowledge about each Sabbat and Esbat. It seems like a good jumping-off point. I didn't like the author's philosophy in a couple places, but it was primarily kept out of the main part of the book, and individualized practice seemed highly encouraged. This book knows what it is and delivers it well.
April 6, 2014
A nice groundwork for Sabbats and Esbats. Conveniently adapted for both the solitary and group setting. I have used this book as a layout for rituals I have constructed, however this is a great place for a beginner to follow another's design.
June 27, 2013
Good book for people who are just starting down the path.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews