Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways

by Edain McCoy

First and foremost, Witchcraft or Wicca is a religion. In The Sabbats, Edain McCoy reveals the eight major holidays of this faith and the many ways in which they are celebrated.

There are two basic types of holidays. The first come at the Solstices and Equinoxes. The others divide the time between those dates in two, resulting in eight major holidays or Sabbats with approximately the same amount of days between them. The balance, here, gives the appearance of spokes in a wheel, so this cycle is commonly called the Wheel of the Year.

The holidays represent two things. First, the harvest cycle. Each holiday represents a time in the growth of crops. From planting to growth, from harvesting to letting the lands lie fallow in the cold winter, the festivals follow the agricultural cycles of ancient times. However, they also represent the eternal love of the God and Goddess, following the God's birth from the Goddess and his death before she gives birth to him again. This also follows the pattern of the Sun which moves from warm and high in the sky to cold and low in the sky.

The book is filled with ways you can follow the Wheel of the Year, whether you work with a coven, with your family, or by yourself. You will learn the secrets of ritual construction and handicrafts appropriate to each of the festivals. You will also learn recipes for traditional foods for each holiday and even songs appropriate to the Sabbats.

This is a wonderful, joyous book filled with color, information, and wisdom. If you are involved with Paganism in any way, this book is a must for your studies and practices. This book functions as both a resource and as a practical manual for the celebration of the holidays. Get your copy today.

Genres: Paganism, Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Wicca, Spirituality, Occult, Religion

368 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Scarlet Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so McCoy ain't the greatest pagan author this side of Kansas, but this overview of pagan Sabbats (particularily, Wiccan sabbats mainly drawn from her own tradition) was helpful to me as a beginner. While I wouldn't trust her interpretation of history as far as I could throw her, her fun crafts, recipes and ideas can be useful to any pagan who wants to expand their celebration of the witches sabbats to beyond just casting circles and recounting the myths. I still refer to it when I'm at a loss for holiday activities. It certainly does not qualify as the end-all-be-all of sabbat volumes, but it can be helpful. I'd recomend this to any pagan looking to expand their sabbat celebrations and any kitchen-witches who like to try new recipes.

[Heather Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute necessity for any practitioner. I can't wait to try out some of the recipes included for the sabbats.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, comprehensive view of Pagan/Wiccan Sabbats, aka holidays, with history, ideas, inspirations, recipes, and a whole lot of information. A recommended read for anyone interested in the topic!

[Jo M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite some negative aspects of the author's other writing, this book is an excellent resource to have at hand. While it does limit itself mostly to Wiccan holidays, and thus a Wiccan approach to them, it also gives brief information on different cultures and their different approach to the various Sabbats.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive guides to the sabbats in witchcraft and the practices associated with them. It is a wonderful tool to help one with their book of shadows. The back features multiple lists of correspondences associated with each sabbat. It is incredibly helpful for spell work, circle ideas and altar set up.

[A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, this one was not great. It's full of suggestions for cultural appropriation (Samhain and Dia de los Muertos are really not the same holiday and you shouldn't be mixing and matching them just because it looks cool) and lots of factual errors that range from amusing to kind of concerning. Poorly researched, even for the early 90s, and just overall, not a particularly interesting book.

[Joshua Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book I will mostly use for reference but wanted to get an overall sense of it. It is just what I was looking for, a reference that provides information on all the sabbats with all the ways of celebrating and all the correspondences. It also provides recipes, crafts, resources, and rituals.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! My friend lent it to me because I wanted to know more about winter solstice traditions. I learned a lot, and not just about the winter solstice. As someone who knew very little about paganism, I felt I learned a ton about the nature religions.

I personally enjoyed how open the author was to other belief systems and ways of living.

My only qualm about this book was that I read a version published in 1994, so some information was out of date. I'm going to buy a more updated copy, so it won't be an issue.

[Swankivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The single most useful book on Pagan holidays I ever encountered.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent holiday rituals, food and decor

[John]

Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magick) by Edain McCoy (2001)

[John]

Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magick) by Edain McCoy (2001)

[Dazy]

I use it regularly.

[Phillip]

A good reference book to find certain rituals for different times of the year

[Amy Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had this book for years and constantly refer to it.

[Jenni Ghill · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it..

[Jason Baldauf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough treatise of the pagan "Wheel of the Year" holidays. Gives a general overview before each holiday is described with some history, and gives recipes and crafts that would be associated. The second section gives group and solitary rituals, followed by a third section with dense appendices, including ritual and spell construction, glossary, how to make felt calendars, symbiologies and cross stitch patterns. Correspondences are given throughout. A fair introduction if you want to learn more about the sabbats.

[Gale Bruckner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a comprehensive and very detailed look at the wheel of the year and how one can celebrate it both individually as well as part of a larger coven. Some of the examples feel a little dated and I appreciate the variety of activities and rituals as well as additional reading material reviewed in this book.

[Magen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a simple and practical guidebook on traditions for the eight sabbats, this is a good text. Most traditions are geared towards family/group gatherings, but many things can be adjusted for solitary practitioners. My issue is that there weren't enough things geared towards solitary practice specifically.

[Lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me long enough. Decided it best to read each section by calendar. Historically intriguing. Enjoy the art and natural beauty embedded in the practices and rituals. As an individual, some of the practice appeals but none of the gawd, gawdess material.

[Kelly D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Not quite I was looking for. I wanted more history on the old ways than DIY craft projects.

[WillowRaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. My only irk is with the Goodreads "version" ... I read the paperback book however it had the blue cover as seen for the Kindle edition.

[Araminta Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want to believe the anthropological references to "actual" sabbat celebrations over the course of centuries and across cultures, but the lack of direct citation in this book leaves me frustrated. It cannot be argued that modern-day paganism is the product of several "movements" and that proof that pagans evolved from the secret-keeping of old family stories has been refuted time and again by scholars. Thus, if you're going to claim "Old Religion," you need to cite your sources, McCoy.

Having said that, I'm also dismayed by the consumerism of this book. Nearly every Craft craft references "your local craft store," and the use of products like glue. At one point, she even goes so far as to suggest fake flowers "harm no living thing," which is ridiculous and easily proven false.

Even so, I did appreciate the weaving of each sabbat-story, and I also appreciated the resources in the back. I'm a Cumberland General Store convert. Thanks, McCoy. Now, I call upon you to provide your in-text and bibliographical citations, please. Where did you get your "history?"

[A. J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few books by McCoy recently, so I figured I'd give this book a try because of that. I enjoy her writing style and her explanations of all things Wiccan.

Sabbats is a great overview of the Pagan wheel of the year, and all the sabbats in it. It goes through each one and gives a summary of what they are, and then different rituals you can perform. Both for covens and for the solitary witch.  It also gives recipes that follow the theme for each sabbat, as well as an activity that can be good for children.

Overall I felt like this book would be the perfect book for new witches like me, who have a hard time remembering all that I can do on the sabbat. I would love to own this book someday so that I can reference it.

I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads, and recommend it to any and all!

[Julie Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains an overview of all eight Pagan holidays--Samhain, Yule, Imbolg, Ostara, Bealtaine, Midsummer, Lughnasadh, and Mabon--and discusses their lore, their recipes, their symbolism, and some suggested rituals for each. It's informative and adaptable to whatever kind of celebration you want, and its incorporation of the actual wheel of the year makes the overall context of how the Sabbats rotate more accessible. The individual holidays don't feel so much like islands of partying so much as they read as acknowledgment of a season that flows into the next one, bringing lessons learned. I did actually find this to be THE most useful holiday book I've read.

[Mary Drover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I didn’t totally enjoy the last book I read by McCoy, so I was a little hesitant about picking this up, but it’s the only book I’ve seen recently that combines all of the Sabbats together rather than requiring me to buy eight different books. And I actually really enjoyed it! McCoy broke down each of the eight Sabbats in a way that was easy to understand and comprehensive. She talked about the history behind each one, how it’s celebrated in other cultures, and provided examples of how we can celebrate it today. I feel like I learned a lot, and I’ll definitely be referring back to this.

[Jessica Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to the holidays and their rituals. This book isn't an end all know all, but instead gives an inside peek at the type of rituals and practices that accompany each holiday along with activities and crafts to introduce family members and children. Another thing this job does very well is provide a friendly doorway in, without sounding too sugary or unbelievable. It's also great as a quick reference guide to keep if you prefer to not have a specific book for each holiday in your collection.

[Tasha Thibodeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the first books on the Sabbats that I bought. I love this book. It gives the reader a lot of information about the 8 Wiccan holidays and also goes into the Esbats as well, which I thought was AWESOME. The book has beautiful rituals throughout. I have done some of the rituals and I have found them powerful, beautiful and they seemed to resonate with the people whom I have shared them with. I would recommend this to a beginner or novice who is looking to get a good grounding on the Wiccan holidays.

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an ok book. The writing is friendly but rather tedious for me and there really isn't anything mind-blowing in this book. It gave me a couple ideas for crafts and ritual foods, but that's about it. It's lacking historical research too, which is kind of what I was hoping to find. I'm a bit disappointed, but oh well. On to the next book...

[Sara Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book. It has lots of information about he Sabbats. Though it is definitely not very detailed which is why I am giving it a 4 star. There is some good information and some crafts and recipes that I will definitely be trying. I would recommend this book to beginners.