The Witches' Sabbats [Paperback]

Mike Nichols (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2005

From the award-winning author of The Witches' Sabbats Web site, Nichols discusses the historical and mythological customs, lore, and traditions associated with the eight Pagan holidays. This illustrated volume includes: A new, never-before published essay, 'Marking the Sabbats'; a new preface, 'Counting the Days'; a new bibliography; plus six additional thought-provoking essays!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A treasure trove of information . . . Whether you are a new student or a seasoned practitioner, you'll love his [Mike Nichols'] personable writing style, the well-researched information, and his bold and interesting theories."  —Silver Ravenwolf, author, Halloween and HedgeWitch

"One of the best books on the Wheel of the Year."  —Christopher Penczak, author, The Living Temple of Witchcraft

"Mike Nichols is one of those unique scholars that has the ability to make historical and advanced information accessible to everyone."  —Kristin Madden, author, Magickal Crafts

"You couldn't ask for a better explanation of what the holidays are all about."  —Robin Wood, creator, The Robin Wood Tarot

"Multi-decade, Craft Veteran Mike Nichols's work on the Pagan Holidays is quickly becoming the standard on the subject."  —Wren Walker, The Witches' Voice

"An excellent tool for those seeking a good understanding of how modern Wiccans conceive their holidays."  —Jason Pitzl-Waters, The Wild Hunt Weblog and columnist, newWitch magazine

"Arguably the finest Sabbats writing in the modern Craft today."  —Fritz Jung, The Witches' Voice

"Mike's articles provoke thought, make you consider how and why you do the things you do. Be prepared, however, to have your brain cells exercised."  —Ellen Cannon Reed, author/creator, The Heart of Wicca and The Witches Tarot

About the Author

Mike Nichols taught classes on Witchcraft for twenty years continuously in the 1970s and '80s in Columbia and Kansas City, Missouri, through the Communiversity and at his bookstore, The Magick Lantern. He was the first Wiccan representative on the Kansas City Interfaith Council. Nichols received his BA from the University of Missouri, with a double major in communications and psychology (specializing in parapsychology). He has done graduate work in the field of library and information science.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Acorn Guild Press (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971005028
• ISBN-13: 978-0971005020
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #590,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Book on The Sabbats, September 28, 2005

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Witches' Sabbats (Paperback)

Many years ago, when the Internet was a path only traveled by the experienced "geeks" and witches and pagans were some of the few "outworlders" who posted websites dedicated to their "techno-magical" paths, there was a wonderful website put up by Mike Nichols with information about the pagan "Wheel of the Year". There was more to it than just the Wheel of the Year, but the way Mike Nichols approach to the pagan/witch holidays, his way of writing about it so anyone could understand or connect to the pagan calendar was unique and well thought out and put together. So much so that many websites, including our own TWPT, linked back to his site, referenced it and rather than being redundant and trying to repeat an already well researched offering, used Mike's site as the standard.

Mike has finally put out a book that covers his original material. He has done an excellent job defining, tracing the history, and giving both the beginner and the experienced pagan a good resource for the Wheel of the Year outside the Internet experience.

Each of our eight Sabbats is covered here, from the traditional standpoint, including some history, some insights and some traditional pastimes that make each Sabbat unique from the pagan perspective. There are some nice illustrations, though the bunny does look a little neurotic. The nice thing is that this material does not run on and one, but does a very effective job in a minimal amount of space. He discussed "High" and "Low" holidays, their Celtic roots, some modern day traditions, and their older counterparts.

The book, while focusing on the Sabbats, has some hidden gems. The second part of the book covers other associated material. There is a discussion on The Death of Llew in reference to the Sun God and the balance of power.

The Ever Widening Circle is observations and inclusion of material that Mike sees as new patterns developing and material he didn't include in the Wheel of the Year. Some really good observations, and worth the read.

Marking the Sabbats is a discussion on how the Sabbats are recognized. Do we look to astrological signs, are we looking at the changing of the seasons, or is it a day marked on your calendar? More interesting musings by Mike.

Rethinking the Watchtowers is an old argument which Mike brings up and adds his own keen sense of observations to. A good read, and one which will spark much discussion in the pagan community.

Ten Years Gone is a reflection by Mike on the Pagan Community and it's growth over the years. A little bit about Mike himself is offered and we find he has more to say than just what he teaches. He has some keen insights here as he compares his previous experiences with the pagan community and new ones - ten years after.

The final chapter Two Witches is a very good fairy tale about how we perceive Divinity. I will not spoil it for you, but it is a very good example of Mike's ability to teach while allowing the curl of a smile upon the lip. Must read, folks!

The book contains a good bibliography, and is indexed for easy reference.

As Mike was when we first found him on the web, so he is today in print: a wonderful teacher, a man who has some interesting insights, musings worth sharing and does his homework. He also spells it out and makes it clear so anyone can understand. This is the mark of a good author, one who has withstood the test of time, and he is now available to those who have never wandered into cyberspace, or touched the magical mouse. boudica

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have!, February 13, 2007

By 

Lupa (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Witches' Sabbats (Paperback)

It's been a good long while since I've read anything specifically pertaining to witchcraft; most of my studies and practice in the past few years have been less about religion, and more about practical and metamorphic magic, as well as smatterings of shamanism. But I'd heard some good stuff about this book, and decided to snag a copy for myself.

If you need a really good resource on the history of the eight sabbats, this is your book! I've seen a number of books published in recent years on specific sabbats, but they always seme to be stuffed full of prefabricated rituals. This is a wonderfully streamlined book that will be an excellent addition to both beginning and experienced pagans' libraries; beginners will get a good overview of the origins of the sabbats, while more experienced folk can breeze past the books of pre-written rituals and use the information in The Witches' Sabbats as inspiration to create their own rituals from scratch.

I won't fault the book for not having in-text citations because the earliest drafts were written nearly 40 years ago. However, the lengthy bibliography promises many wonderful book hunts, and is additionally a cornucopia of nonfluffy sources. Much of the material in the book originated from essays that may still be found online (including Mike's own website). However, there is some unique material here. Additionally, for those of us raised on books rather than computers, and whose optical systems are thus conditioned for the visual setup of paper rather than a very long webpage, this is an ideal format. And it won't run out of power, doesn't need to be turned on, and is a heck of a lot easier to carry around.

Oh, and for those of you who are in the habit of skipping the foreword and preface? Don't, especially not with this book-there are some really good pieces of information in them.

My only little bitty quibble is that it's occasionally quite evident that the chapters were written individually. It's mentioned a number of times that the Celts started their celebrations the sundown before the big day, something that probably only needs to be mentioned once at the beginning; and he occasionally also refers to something "in another esay" or somesuch.

Still, this is only a tiny complaint, and overall I think this is an awesome book. I can definitely see why the writings are considered classics in the realm of neopaganism, and this is a great way to not only have a convenient, easy-to-navigate, portable version of these writings, but to also give something back to the guy who did all that hard work and who often goes uncredited.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars classic underground essays finally in print, January 10, 2007

By 

Ben Gruagach "Ben Gruagach, author of The Wic... (Eden Prairie, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Witches' Sabbats (Paperback)

Mike Nichols first established himself in the Pagan community in Missouri where he taught Witchcraft classes starting in 1970. He also ran a bookshop and published his own Pagan newsletter. His famous sabbat essays started as material for his classes and articles in his newsletters. In those days there wasn't a lot of information of this sort that was freely available. Pagans are ever hungry to learn more about our history and ideas about how our ancestors might have practiced so Mike's essays were eagerly received. And they weren't just read and then filed away either - they were shared, and shared widely, until they could be found all over PODSNet and then later all over the internet.

The next stage in the lives of these essays saw them brought together in a single website with Mike's stamp of approval. The copied and recopied and rerecopied versions that were floating around sometimes had mistakes in them, omissions, or outright changes. Mike's website at [...] corrected that by making the essays available in their complete form. The essays remained popular and to this day when you search for "witches sabbats" on Google.com you will get Mike's website as the first returned result. Mike's essays are considered the classic historical explanation of the Wiccan wheel of the year.

In 2005 this important collection of essays was finally put into paper-published form thanks to Acorn Guild Press. Mike's essays can reach an even wider audience and will be ensured their rightful place in Wiccan history.

The printed collection of Mike's sabbat essays goes further than his website, though. Sure, the essays are there in their intact glory, but Mike's skilled pen has produced an insightful introduction and further essays to accompany them. Additional historical context is also provided in a foreword by Wren Walker, one of the founders of the popular [...] website. The additional materials alone are worth the price of the book.

Some of the extra essays take the sabbats further by providing insights into larger thematic cycles to tie the holidays together. We also get a glimpse into Mike's observations of changes in the Wiccan and Pagan communities, particularly the growth of the festival circuit, from the vantage point of one who has participated for decades. He also shows us with a gentle sense of humor how we might get bogged down in our own individual opinions of the Divine and need to learn to see the larger picture. He demonstrates how our spiritual paths can be enriched through examination of specific mythological narratives, and how psychological groundwork such as correspondence tables need to be understood rather than merely accepted as dogma in order to be most effective.

The only weakness with the book, which Mike openly acknowledges, is the lack of sources cited within the original sabbat essays. The essays were written so long ago, and for a very informal audience at the time, that it's impossible now to identify all the sources used for the essays. Instead a bibliography of relevant books is listed so that readers who want to learn more, or who would like to try and track down some of the likeliest sources, can do so.

There are quite a few other books available today that examine the Wiccan sabbats. Most of them owe a debt of gratitude to Mike Nichols and his original sabbat essays, which started the journey for so many. "The Witches' Sabbats" by Mike Nichols is a must-read for anyone involved in Wicca, and should be on the required-reading list for training covens.