Researching Sabbats

The following information is mostly for those who are new to the Craft, and want to learn a little more than what is stated in books. Most Wiccans/Pagans who have been practicing for a while know to research Sabbats to understand the Holiday more.

 

Now why would you want to research a Sabbat when the book has so much information? The answer? It will help you celebrate it to the fullest extent. In fact, I own Witch's Halloween by Gerina Dunwich. It is chock full of information for things like symbols, spells, divination, history, and even recipes for Samhain. Learning all of that helped me celebrate it instead of commercialized decorations. I was able to find out why the bat was part of it or how trick 'or' treating came about.

How does this make me a better Pagan? You gain more knowledge that will help you as go down the Paganism path. You learn things you never knew! Like did you know that Beltane actually started in medieval Ireland? If you have Irish ancestry (like me), you get to actually see where it all started.

How does one start researching the Sabbats? I personally started on my favorite, Samhain. Research all the history you can. Want to know where the Yule Log came from? Google it. Go to your local library and look in their books. Buy books if you need to. If you have Pagan relatives or even Pagan friends, ask them if they know anything. More than likely, they will have something that can be of use to you. Keep a bibliography of where you get everything. If you get it from someone, write their name down to give them credit. Make sure you write everything down. Don't just keep it on the computer. If you lose your computer, you have lost all of your research and have to start from scratch. I keep all my Sabbat information in a binder that is part of my Book of Shadows (BOS). I have them categorized as they fall on the calender that way I can find them a lot easier. But do what makes sense to you.

You can also search for Sabbat crafts, recipes, and ways to celebrate to add to your list.

Here are some websites that have information on the Sabbats:

The Pagan Library
The Celtic Connection
Wikipedia- Wheel of the Year (has links to the Sabbats themselves)
The Meditative Cat (once you get past the small amount of info, there is a list of books on the Sabbats)
PaganWiccan.About.com