Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magick) [Paperback]

Edain McCoy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

First and foremost, Witchcraft or Wicca is a religion. In The Sabbats, Edain McCoy reveals the eight major holidays of this faith and the many ways in which they are celebrated.

There are two basic types of holidays. The first come at the Solstices and Equinoxes. The others divide the time between those dates in two, resulting in eight major holidays or Sabbats with approximately the same amount of days between them. The balance, here, gives the appearance of spokes in a wheel, so this cycle is commonly called the Wheel of the Year.

The holidays represent two things. First, the harvest cycle. Each holiday represents a time in the growth of crops. From planting to growth, from harvesting to letting the lands lie fallow in the cold winter, the festivals follow the agricultural cycles of ancient times. However, they also represent the eternal love of the God and Goddess, following the God's birth from the Goddess and his death before she gives birth to him again. This also follows the pattern of the Sun which moves from warm and high in the sky to cold and low in the sky.

The book is filled with ways you can follow the Wheel of the Year, whether you work with a coven, with your family, or by yourself. You will learn the secrets of ritual construction and handicrafts appropriate to each of the festivals. You will also learn recipes for traditional foods for each holiday and even songs appropriate to the Sabbats.

This is a wonderful, joyous book filled with color, information, and wisdom. If you are involved with Paganism in any way, this book is a must for your studies and practices. This book functions as both a resource and as a practical manual for the celebration of the holidays. Get your copy today.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Many different types of books have value. Some, like encyclopedias, are broad works which give general introductory material. Such books help people learn if they are really interested in something and need to get a basic idea of what is involved.

Then there are also in-depth resources that reveal intricate and detailed information. Sometimes this type of resource will contain lots of interesting bits of information, but have no continuity.

Breaking the mold of the latter is Edain McCoy's wonderful book, The Sabbats. This is one of the most in-depth studies of the eight major Pagan holidays ever written. In it you will discover the history of the eight holidays — Samhain, Mabon, and the rest. But that is not all. You'll also learn ways to celebrate the festivals including games, arts and crafts, music, recipes for traditional foods, and much more.

I suspect that you will read this book twice. First, it is such fun that you are going to read right through it, learning all about the holidays you celebrate. You'll learn their sources and alternate methods of participating in the festivals. This alone will add greatly to your understanding of the Wheel of the Year.

But second, you're going to pull this book out and go through it every time a Sabbat is about to occur. You'll look at it for new ideas and deeper understandings of the day. Of course, you might also want to use the glossary of common Pagan terms on a daily basis, so don't put this book on a back shelf!

This is a book you will learn from initially, and then learn more from every time you open its fun and intriguing pages. This book must be on your shelf.

About the Author

Edain became a self-initiated Witch in 1981 and has been an active part of the Pagan community since her formal initiation into a large San Antonio coven in 1983.  Edain has researched alternative spiritualities since her teens, when she was first introduced to Kaballah, or Jewish mysticism.  Since that time, she has studied a variety of magickal paths including Celtic, Appalachian folk magick, and Curanderismo, a Mexican-American folk tradition.  Today, Edain is part of the Wittan Irish Pagan tradition, where she is a priestess of Brighid and an elder.  

An alumnus of the University of Texas with a BA in history, she is affiliated with several professional writer's organizations and occasionally presents workshops on magickal topics or works individually with students who wish to study Witchcraft.

This former woodwind player for the Lynchburg (VA) Symphony claims both the infamous feuding McCoy family of Kentucky and Sir Roger Williams, the seventeeth-century religious dissenter, as branches on her ethnically diverse family tree.  In her "real life," Edain works as a licensed stockbroker.

Edain is the author of fifteen books, including Bewitchments; Enchantments; and her most recent release, Ostara: Customs, Spells & Rituals for the Rites of Spring.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567186637
• ISBN-13: 978-1567186635
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Paganism

More About the Author

Edain McCoy has written more than twenty books on metaphysical and occult topics since she was first published in 1993. Her popular titles include Celtic Women's Spirituality, Astral Projection For Beginners, How to Do Automatic Writing, Karmic & Past Life Tarot, The Sabbats, Advanced Witchcraft, If You Want to Be a Witch (Llewellyn Worldwide), and The Healing Power of Faery (Adams Media).

An alumnus of the University of Texas with a B.A. in history, she is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at Butler University. She is affiliated with several professional organizations including the Authors Guild and the American Translators Association. She is listed in the reference guides Contemporary Authors, Who's Who Among American Women, and Who's Who In America, and her articles have appeared in Fate, Circle, Enlightenments, and similar periodicals.

Edain held positions related to education including handscoring standardized testing, substitute teaching, music education, and private tutoring. She spent many years as a licensed stockbroker and financial advisor for several international investment firms before making the leap of faith into her first love--writing full time. In 2006 she was granted a Certificate in Paranormal Investigation from Flamel College, an online institute devoted to training leaders and scientists who study various aspects of the occult. This training assisted her and her expatriate friends in Argentina (visit them at www.TangoWithJudy.com) to investigate haunted sites that have been, and continue to be, denied to other investigators. In December 2008 she completed her studies to become a Reiki Master of the Usui-Rand linage, an intuitive healing art that is still opening new doors to both spirit and spirituality.

She often gives workshops on metaphysical and New Age topics, and has taught the art of guided mediation to many students eager to use this technique for spiritual exploration. Pagan festivals energize her spiritually because she says she learns something wonderful from every person she meets. To view her speaking schedule, learn more about her books, or to find her e-mail address, visit her website at www.EdainMcCoy.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sabbats with a little 101, August 9, 2002

By 

Sussi Eriksen "marua" (Denmark) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magick) (Paperback)

This book contains lots of material on the sabbats, complete with recipies, fun crafts for the pagan family, and sabbat rituals for both coven and solitary. If you're past the 101 stage, just ignore the those sections of the book, or read them anyway like I did, just to see Edain's point of veiw.
It's an exellent book, for those wanting more background info on the sabbats, but most of it can be found in other books aswell.
Despite that I knew most of it already, I still found something I could use and did'nt know about, plus it contains a wonderful
story/guided meditation that, just by reading it made me feel
warm and happy.
I look forward to read other books by Edain:o)

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Celebration Of The Pagan Sabbats, June 17, 2000

By 

Richard Ballard "rjballard" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magick) (Paperback)

The Sabbats are pagan and witches' most important celebrations. Pagan tribes and witches' covens celebrate the Sabbats according to local tradition. It is difficult for novices and solitary practitioners to learn Sabbat history and rituals. Ms. McCoy's excellent book fills this void.

The author addresses the Sabbats from a broad pagan perspective. She discusses the history of each Sabbat, and relates each Sabbat to ethnic celebrations held globally. Ms. McCoy provides both solitary and group rituals for each Sabbat, and explains each ritual's meaning. She describes activities, recipes, and crafts for each Sabbat, and describes natural items appropriate to each Sabbat's celebration.

Ms. McCoy provides several useful appendices. Appendix I describes how One can construct their own rituals. Appendix II describes elements of spell construction. Appendix III is a *very* comprehensive glossary which itself is a valuable reference. Appendix VI lists items (e.g., activities, foods, plants, and symbols) appropriate to each Sabbat.

I recommend this book as a companion volume to Ms. McCoy's excellent beginner's book "Inside A Witches' Coven". Together, these two books provide good insight into what beginners should expect if they choose to join a pagan tribe or witches' coven.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Activity Book for the Pagan/Wiccan Family, January 11, 2001

By 

Kat K. Munro (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways (Llewellyn's World Religion and Magick) (Paperback)

My husband and I are very pleased with this book as a "family title". It includes all kinds of crafty celebration ideas, recipes, rituals for the major Sabbats (or Pagan Holidays). It offers several pages on the origins of the traditional celebrations and the historical significance of each. This goes much more indepth than most Pagan/Wiccan books that only mention Sabbats in passing. The activities are group/family oriented and give the reader a few ideas for new (and also steadfastly traditional) ways to celebrate our holidays of the year. Well written and enjoyable for everyone!