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The Goddess is viewed as eternal, but her form changes throughout the year: from a young woman, to a mother, and eventually a crone in fall then back to a young woman the following spring. The growth from youth, to adulthood, to old age, to death and then to the continuing cycle of new birth or rebirth. For most Wiccans this myth is viewed as symbolic of the ongoing cycle of life and in nature. For example, Diana may represent the Goddess in youth, Demeter the motherly aspect of the Goddess, and Hecate the crone.Įach sabbat celebrates a different aspect of the relationship between the Goddess and God.
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A central “myth” of every sabbat is the changing relationship between the God and the Goddess, who may have different aspects or be represented in several forms. Midsummer, the pinnacle of light, is the time for celebrating nature’s growing fertility.Īs part of the ritual that marks each sabbat, the earth and the divinities are venerated. These form what is called the “Wheel of the Year.” Each sabbat celebrates what is happening at that moment in nature. The year begins with Samhain, which is considered the Wiccan New Year, followed by Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh and Mabon. Wiccans observe eight sabbats, or holidays, throughout the year.
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As a sociologist of religion whose research has focused on contemporary Paganism, I know that for Wiccans, it is a day of celebration and joy at the light’s full return. On this day the North Pole is at its greatest tilt toward the sun, creating the longest day and the official beginning of summer. Summer solstice, a time when the northern hemisphere will experience the maximum hours of sunlight, takes place on June 21 – and will be celebrated by followers of Wicca, a form of contemporary Paganism, with a holiday known as Litha.
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