Xia Hunt's Blog

Beltane is one of four festivals celebrated in ancient Ireland, along with Samhaine, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh. Traditionally held on April 30th-May 1st, it is also known as Cetshamain or “first summer.” the Beltane festival marked the beginning of the summer season, when cattle were driven to summer pastures. As such, the rituals performed during this time centered around the protection of livestock and themes of growth, fertility, and prosperity.  17th-century historian Geoffrey Keating claims there was a great gathering at the hill of Uisneach each Beltane in medieval Ireland, where a sacrifice was made to a god named Beil. Keating wrote that...

This month, we're learning all about Ostara, the Pagan Sabbat that falls on the Spring Equinox. from March 21st through the 23rd. While Christians celebrate Easter in honor of Christ's resurrection, ancient cultures across the world have recognized the Spring Equinox as a time of rebirth and celebration. In ancient Greece, the Phrygian cult worshipped Cybele, an Anatolian mother goddess who is most well known for resurrecting her mortal lover, Attis after he committed suicide. He was resurrected each spring during the vernal equinox (between March 22nd and March 25th) and a festival was held in his honor. The ancient...

The ancient Irish festival Imbolc or "Oimlec," roughly translates to "in the belly" and references the end of winter when pregnant ewes are giving birth to and nursing their newly born lambs. This marks the beginning stages of spring and the coming abundance it entails. This ancient celebration is held on February 2nd and was also a time for honoring the goddess Brigid, the patroness of the arts, blacksmithing, medicine, livestock, childbirth, and springtime. Her name stems from the Proto-Celtic word Briganti, meaning "the High One" or "the Exalted One," and likely refers to the goddess’s connection to sunlight and fire, but may also be related...

Hello all and Merry Yuletide! We're back again with another one of our Sabbat series. This month we'll be covering Yule, also known as the Midwinter Solstice,  Alban Arthan in Druidic tradition, or Saturnalia in the Roman tradition. All of these festivals recognize the winter solstice, which passes from December 21st through January 1st. During Samhain, we honored our descent into the darkness, marking the start of the Pagan new year and celebrating the new beginnings that emerge from the darkness. During the Winter Solstice, we reach into those very depths with the longest night of the year. Darkness has reached its...

Samhain (pronounced "Sow-Win" or "Sow-Ween") is the eighth sabbat in the Pagan Wheel of the Year and is celebrated from October 31st to November 1st. The festival originated in Ireland and similar late harvest festivals were also recognized in other Celtic lands, such as Scotland, Brittonic Calan, and the Isle of Man. Samhain was recognized as a liminal time, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year. As such, it was believed that the veil between our world and the world of the spirits was at its thinnest. During this time, villagers...