WIccan Holidays?

[Inner Beauty]

Can someone please list the Wiccan holidays (in order if possible), with their dates and why it is celebrated?

P.S. Can anyone point me in the direction of any good books to read for new commers to Wicca?

[Brijrian]

Lark has a great list of "starter" books around here somewhere...

But my own favorite 101 books are:

*Witchcrafting by Phyllis Curott
*Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
*Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Llewellyn's Practical Magick Series) by Scott Cunningham
*The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess: 20th Anniversary Edition by Starhawk

For some instant gratification, my favorite Wicca 101 website (a la Lark) is:

*Wicca For the Rest of Us
http://wicca.timerift.net/

[RedRonin]

Have you checked out witchvox.com?  The Witches Voice is a tremendous site with literally thousands of pages of information, including answers to much of what you're asking here.  You can look around at your leisure and get a lot of questions answered there.

As to books, "Wiccan and the Solitary Practioner" by Cunningham is a good place to start.

Lark has a really good post she puts up now and then with a lot of very good suggestions.

[Brijrian]

As for the Sabbats, there are many variations, but the overall general themes are as follows:

    Samhain (Oct 31) ~ New Year. Third harvest celebration. God enters Underworld. Celebration of the Dead/Ancestors. A time when the veil between the realms is thinnest.
    Yule (Dec 20/23) ~ Winter Solstice, longest night. Celebrate the rebirth of the Sun God/defeat of the Holly King by the Oak King. Welcome returning light, hope (that winter will end and life will continue), and potential (of what the new spring will bring).
    Imbolc (Feb 2) ~ New Beginnings. First spring celebration. Time to chase away winter (possibly origin of the spring cleaning tradition). Traditionally a time to reaffirm your chosen path. Excellent time to cleanse away unwanted things, habits.    
    Ostara (Mar 20/23) ~ Vernal Equinox. Second spring celebration. Time to celebrate balance, harmony, and the reawakening of fertility and life.
    Beltane (May 1) ~ Celebration of Love, Union, and Sex. Third and final spring celebration. The passion of the God and Goddess renews creation. Time to celebrate the return of fertility to the earth, reclaim your passions, and dance around the Maypole. A time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest.
    Litha (June 20/23) ~ Summer Solstice. Time of passion, success, power, & handfasting. Celebrate the Sun King at the height of his power. Potential planted at Yule in full bloom.
    Lammas (Aug 1) ~ First harvest celebration. Time to harvest what you planted, celebrate the bounty of the earth, & be thankful for the sacrificial death of the God so we may live.
    Mabon (Sept 20/23) ~ Autumnal Equinox. Second harvest celebration. Life of the God is waning. Time to preserve what you harvested, time of balance, karma, justice, and tying up loose ends as the earth moves toward barreness and death.

[Brijrian]

Here is an addendum to my previous post. Comments about the Wheel of the Year.

From Amber K (author): Some say the Lady of Life rules Spring and Summer, while the Lord of Death and Resurrection rules Fall and Winter. Others say that the Divine Son is born of the Great Mother at Yule, Lies in ecstasy with the Young Goddess at Beltane, and sacrifices himself to in life's cause at Lammas, to be taken into the Underworld by the Crone at Samhain.
 
From B'Aylana (HPS of the Order of the Aurora Coven): The goal of the novice witch is to recognize the cycles of the natural world. Because we see Divinity in nature, becoming accustomed to the cycles of nature is imperative. It is by celebrating these cycles and working with the energy of each that we come closer to the Gods, understanding the universe, and peace (within and without).

[Lark]

To start with, here are some books that I would suggest.

"A Witch Alone" by Marian Green
"The Elements of Ritual" by Deborah Lipp
"Witchcrafting" by Phyllis Curott
"21st Century Wicca" by Jennifer Hunter
"Before You Cast a Spell" by Carl McColman
"When, Why...If" by Robin Wood
"Practical Pagan" by Dana Eilers
"Wicca; A Year and a Day" by Timothy Roderick

You can also find the recommended reading list that my coven uses at: http://www.tangledmoon.org/reading_list.htm

In addition, here’s a link to my discussion of some Pagan authors that I do not personally recommend:

http://www.branwenscauldron.org/index.php/topic,4935.0.html

Here's some websites that you may find useful in helping you with questions.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7280/?200520 - Really good information on the Wheel of the Year.

http://www.wiccanrede.dreamhost.com/

http://wcc.on.ca/faq/faq1.html

http://www.widdershins.org/vol10iss3/04.htm

http://wicca.timerift.net/

http://www.witchvox.com

http://www.branwenscauldron.org/index.php/topic,5398.0.html

http://www.branwenscauldron.org/index.php/topic,5355.0.html

http://www.tangledmoon.org/wiccan-exercise.htm

http://www.tangledmoon.org (this is my own coven site.)

And a couple of articles on the Wheel of the Year that you might find helpful can be found at http://www.proteuscoven.org/proteus/sabbats.htm  and at http://www.proteuscoven.org/proteus/Season-0.htm

And for books that are helpful in celebrating the Sabbats I'd suggest two by Ashleen O'Gaea "Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon" and "Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara"

-Lark-

[Brijrian]

Ah, there's the list! Lark, what do you think about creating a FAQ or Article out of that info? I don't know how to do it, but I thought it might save you some time!

Good luck on your term paper!

[Lark]

Ah, there's the list! Lark, what do you think about creating a FAQ or Article out of that info? I don't know how to do it, but I thought it might save you some time!

Good luck on your term paper!

Actually I thought I had put it on here as a sticky.  I guess I need to do that.

BTW, B'aylana is in class with me this semester.

-Lark-

[Brijrian]

If it's a sticky, then I missed it and you can call me blind! (It happens!--especially with car keys...) I hope you are having fun with B'Aylana, she's a great woman.

[Lark]

You didn't miss it.  I just added it.  It's in the topics at the top of the page in The Cauldron.

-Lark-