Book of shadows

Sabbats

Nature is all important. But nature is not simply plants and trees, it is everything; the ocean, the sky, the stars, the sun and moon. We are nature and everything is natural, for we would not exist if were not for nature. It is the air we breathe, the ground we walk upon, the food we eat, the stars at night. Wicca is a nature based religion and so we live our lives in accordance with nature. Our holidays fall on the seasons, the solstices and the equinox. To be Wiccan is to love nature, and as balance is crucial to nature, so it is to Wicca. We strive to find a balance in our lives. We embrace our dark side as well as our light, for it is just as much part of us as light is, and to not do this would be dangerous, as it would isolate our darkness. But of course, we do not give darkness precedence, for this is dangerous too. Instead, we hold both together, balanced. We embrace our own femininity and masculinity, whatever our gender. We have a God and a Goddess and we strive to live our lives in harmony with nature.

Wiccans have four seasonal holidays:

Samhain - Winter
Imbolc - Spring
Beltane - Summer
Lammas - Autumn

We also have four major holidays celebrated on the Spring and Autumn Equinox and on the Summer and Winter Solstice:

Yule - Winter Solstice
Ostara - Spring Equinox
Litha - Summer Solstice
Mabon - Autumn Equinox

All together these are called the eight Sabbats. To find out more about these please refer to the chapter on the Sabbats. Wiccans also follow moon phases throughout the year and practice our rituals and magic using the power of the moon. There is more on this in the chapter on Esbats.

To get in touch with nature, go for long walks in the countryside, in woodland or on the beach. Pay attention to your surroundings; look at the trees and how they transform at the changing of the seasons, look at the different plants, their smells, their colors, their beauty. Feel and smell the earth and the grass. Bury your feet in the sand at the beach. Walk along river banks and notice the shrubs. See if you can identify them, look at them close up, really look at them. Attention to detail is not just being particular; it's something great poets and artists do, and yet it's inherent in all of us - it's natural, like the creativity and love within us all. Look up to the stars. Be amazed that we are all made of the same matter, whether we be animal, plant or mineral.

Learn about the different rocks and crystals, trees, plants and herbs, the different animals and their role and habits within the great cycle of life. Listen to nature, listen to the wind and the trees, listen to the singing and other animals chatting and calling out their warnings and mating calls. Listen to the rain. Smell the grass and mud after a good rainfall. Close your eyes and tune into the sound of the earth. Listen to a flowing river or the waves at the beach. how does all this make you feel? Breathe it in and smile. We were born with five senses; some might even say six. And yet modern society can take us away from all that is natural, both within us and without. Help yourself and you help us all appreciate and reclaim what is natural, because we are all connected.

Nature harnesses so much power. Inside every one of us is an enormous amount of power; we can mix ingerdients together to make a bomb that can devestate a whole city, the whole world itself. We can build crafts that can fly. We can cure disease, build cities and erect monuments. As humans we have untold power within each one of us, using the tools and ingredients nature has provided for us. Let's use it for the right purposes, to celebrate our being part of nature, not our dominance over it.

In science, within the last hundred years or so, they have discovered infra-red, ultra-violet, x-ray, radio waves, electricity and so much more. Just because these things can be explained, does it make them any less magic? These are things that were once hidden from the naked eye. What is science going to discover next? Some people say witchcraft is just magic that science hasn't discovered yet.

We have created telephones that allow us to speak to people at the other end of the world, and now we have the internet and smartphones eith their incredible fast-moving technology. It's amazing, isn't it, when you stop and think about it? But remember, these things are accomplished by using the power of the earth, using metals, generated electricity and other natural earth resources. We are just beginning to understand solar power and other natural energy resources. We understand so little about our own minds. There really is so much more out there.

Medicine is just another name for potions, a mixture of ingredients used for effect, whether that is to heal, give energy, induce coma, anesthetise, hallucinate, make you tell the truth or help you feel euphoric. They are all potions, and 'witches' were the first to put these ingredients together, to understand all this. It is where medicine was born. We were the first to use natural power for cause and effect. Shamans, witches and witch doctors were the first medical people and scientist. The vast majority of medicine that the Western world 'discovers' has been used by indigenous tribes for thousands of years. Wicca means wise or wise one. We never stop learning and discovering more about nature and its incredible power.