Traditional Witchcraft

Firstly I will define what I believe Traditional Witchcraft means. I use the term Traditional to separate from the post Gardenarian age of Wicca. My view of the witch is one where she is stripped of her liberating feminism and taken back to her truly pagan roots where she embraces Earth Mother and takes on the role of village Shamen. Her worship revolves around the seasons with its fortunes and misfortunes affecting daily life, she prays to the Mother Goddess and lights fires to ward away the cruel intentions of the Horned God of winter. She is a healer, midwife and wise woman sought out by the needy and venerated by her peers. Her other title is Hedge Witch and her tradition traces back to Druidery and our Celtic heritage here in the British Isles.

The cycles of the seasons dictated life and thus the Sabbats and Moons were observed. The Equinoxes mark the midpoints of the seasons, while the Sabbats mark the changing of the seasons.

Spring: Starts on Candlemass (Imbolc) February 2nd and runs through to Beltane which is May Eve - April 30th. The midpoint is March 21st or the Spring Equinox.

Summer: Begins on Beltane, May 1st and runs through til Lammas which is approx. July 31st. The midpoint is the Midsummer Solstice.

Autumn: Starts on August 1st, Lammas and runs through to Samhain (Halloween) on October 31st. The midpoint is the Vernal Equinox (Mabon) on September 21st.

Winter: Begins on Samhain, October 31st and runs through to Candlemass (Imbolc)on February 2nd. The midpoint is Yule or Midwinter Eve on 21st December.

The above dates do vary by a couple of days either way due to astrological influences plus the modern adoption of leap years. The tradition of March 21st being the first day of spring occurs because of the Christianisation of England. Easter (the Christian festival) was always reckoned to be the first full moon after the Spring equinox and the church authorities decreed that Easter was to be celebrated as a more important event than Candlemass therefore removing the pagan association with the cycle of the seasons.

Pentecost was designed to coincide with Beltane so that the population would be easier to convert if a festival already existed. This also follows for Christmas which is placed on the last day of the five day Yule festival. As for Samhain it has been left alone but diluted and commercialized into Halloween. The Christian church simply created the following day, All Souls Day later changed to All Saints Day to negate the pagan festival of the dead. Samhain, the point where Autumn turns to winter was traditionally the time when the Mother Goddess abdicated her powers to the Horned God. As both powers were at their weakest then this is when the souls of the dead were said to rise and inhabit the earth. This was not regarded as a bad thing in pagan times as necromantic practices could be used for divining the future prosperity of the population and also it was said that if a chaste maiden looked in a burnished metal mirror and hid it under her bed until Beltane that a fertile lover would appear as his soul would be trapped in the mirror and be hers forever.

The Tree Calender (Celtic)

January

• Bid the past farewell receive the year the Web of Days is born.
• Birch Moon (feminine) Inception Beginning.
• Wolf Moon.

February

• Welcome Spring. Time to banish Winter.
• Rowan Moon (masculine) Vision & Spirit.
• Storm Moon.

March

• The shift from darkness to light is growing stronger.
• Ash Moon (feminine) Waters Emotions.
• Chaste Moon.

April

• Fertility and growth is upon us.
• Alder Moon (masculine) Efficacy, Self-Reliance.
• Seed Moon.

May

• Time of the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess.
• Willow Moon (feminine) Witches Moon.
• Hare Moon.

June

• Cometh the Sun. Holly-King replaces Oak-King.
• Hawthorn Moon (masculine) Restraint Summer Moon.
• Dyad Moon.

July

• First harvests, give thanks & celebrate.
• Oak Moon (masculine) Strength Bear Moon.
• Mead Moon.

August

• John Barleycorn must die. The harvest begins in earnest.
• Holly Moon (feminine) Encirclement Polarity.
• Wyrt Moon.

September

• The cycle of growth draws nears its end.
• Hazel Moon (feminine) Wise Crone Moon.
• Barley Moon.

October

• The Horned God steps forward bringing darkness, end of year.
• Vine Moon (androgynous.) Moon of Celebration.
• Blood Moon.

November

• Wheel of the Year begins anew once more.
• Ivy Moon (masculine.) Bouyancy. Resiliance.
• Snow Moon.

December

• The Holly-King dies and the Oak-King is born.
• Reed Moon (feminine.) Hearth Winter Moon.
• Oak Moon.

The Whole Year (13th Moon)

Elder Moon (masculine) Moon of Completeness.

Types of Moon

New Moon/Dark Moon Period when there is no visible moon in the sky.

Full Moon Entire moon is completely visible in the sky. On the preceding and following nights the moon may appear completely full but there is only one night when the moon is truly "Full".

Waxing Moon Period when the moon grows from New to Full.

Waning Moon Period when the moon shrinks from Full to New.

First Quarter Halfway point between New Moon and Full Moon when it is waxing.

Last Quarter Halfway point between Full Moon and New Moon when it is waning
Blue Moon Second of two Full Moons in one calendar month. Rare occurence, hence the saying "Once in a blue moon."

Black Moon Second of two New Moons in one calendar month. Like the Blue Moon a rare occurance.

Waxing Gibbous Nearly full. A phase seen to rise in the afternoon. Moon is in this phase for nearly a week between first quarter and full. A day or so before Full the Waxing Gibbous Moon appears nearly full and might be mistaken for full.
Waning Gibbous Just past full, phase rises a little after sunset. Moon is in this phase for nearly a week between full and third quarter. For a few days or so after Full Moon the waning gibbous Moon appears nearly full and might be mistaken for a full Moon.