At Samhain (October 31), the Craft say farewell to the God.  This is a temporary farewell.  He isn’t wrapped in eternal darkness, but readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.

Samhain, also known as November Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, Hallows, All Hallows and Hallowe’en, once marked the time of sacrifice.  In some places this was the time when animals were slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of Winter.  The God – identified with the animals – fell as well to ensure our continuing existence.

Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the last year, of coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which we have no control – death.

The Craft feel that on this night the separation between the physical and spiritual realities is thin.  Witches remember their ancestors and all those who have gone before.

After Samhain, Witches celebrate Yule, and so the Wheel of the Year is complete.

Surely there are mysteries buried here.  Why is the God the son and then the lover of the Goddess?  This isn’t incest, this is symbolism.  In this agricultural story (one of many Craft myths) the everchanging fertility of the Earth is represented by the Goddess and God.  This myth speaks of the mysteries of birth, death and rebirth.  It celebrates the wondrous aspects and beautiful effects of love, and honours women who perpetuate our species.  It also points out the very real dependence that humans have on the Earth, the Sun and the Moon and of the effects of the seasons on our daily lives.

To agricultural peoples, the major thrust of this myth cycle is the production of food through the interplay between the Goddess and God.  Food – without which we would all die – is intimately connected with the deities.  Indeed, Witches see food as yet another manifestation of divine energy.

And so, by observing the Sabbats, Witches attune themselves to the Earth and to the deities.  They reaffirm their Earth roots.  Performing rituals on the nights of the Full Moon also strengthens their connections with the Goddess in particular.

It is the wise Witch who celebrates on the Sabbats and Esbats, for these are times of real as well as symbolic power.  Honouring them in some fashion is an integral part of Witchcraft.