Wiccan Sabbats in 2022: The Complete Guide

As we near the end of this year, it’s time to look forward to what 2022 has in store. I am already excitedly planning my sabbat celebrations for this coming year! If you’re like me and can’t wait to start a new rotation on the Wheel of the Year, let’s learn about the dates of Wiccan Sabbats in 2022.

In 2022 the Wiccan sabbats fall on the following dates:

• Samhain – October 31 – November 1
• Yule (Winter Solstice) – December 21
• Imbolc – February 1 – 2
• Ostara (Spring Equinox) – March 20
• Beltane – April 30 – May 1
• Litha (Summer Solstice) – June 21
• Lammas – August 1 – 2
• Mabon (Autumn Equinox) – September 22

Each one has its own special meaning, history, and correspondences. Although they all represent something different, each one is a time of reflection, introspection, endings, and new beginnings. Each one also has an important magickal lesson. As the dates can vary from year to year, we’ve made sure to provide the most accurate Wiccan sabbat dates for 2022.

What Are Wiccan Sabbats

The Wiccan sabbats are seasonal celebrations (you can think of them like Wiccan holidays or festivals). Each one marks an important time in the yearly planting and harvest cycle.

We visualize the sabbats as spokes on a wheel, called the Wheel of the Year. Taken together, the sabbats represent a powerful saga about the Wiccan Goddess and God.

Wiccan Wheel of the Year

The Wheel of the Year is the set of eight major Wiccan holidays that occur approximately every six weeks. The holidays form spokes on the wheel. Each holiday, or sabbat, as they are termed, is a festival which brings awareness of the seasons and rhythms of nature.

One turn of the wheel

Wiccan sabbats are particularly important these days, because modern life has few ties to the natural world. We don’t need to use the sun for light, we don’t grow our own food, etc. Wiccan sabbats bring us back to our roots.

The dates for the Wheel of the Year festivals are determined by the sun, moon, and tradition, so they may not be the same from one calendar year to the next, or even from coven to coven. That’s why the dates need to be determined on a yearly basis. In addition, gatherings may be moved forwards or backwards by a couple of days so that they can occur on the weekend out of convenience.

Wiccan Sabbats and the Goddess and the God

Within Wicca, the Wheel also tells a powerful story about the Goddess and the God. It portrays the two deities in important roles– first as lovers, then as parent and child.

In the Wiccan mythology, as Wheel of the Year spins, a timeless saga is played out. In it is the Goddess, who represents the Earth, and the God who represents the Sun.

As Earth and Sun, their relationship drives the cycle of death and rebirth in a delicate balance between male and female energies.

Lesser and Greater Wiccan Sabbats

Sabbats can be categorized between lesser and greater sabbats.

Some sabbats are determined based on solar events, like solstices (longest and shortest day of the year) and equinoxes (day and night are equal). Together, these solar dates comprise the four Lesser, or Sun sabbats. These dates fall in December, March, June, and September.

The remaining four sabbats are known as the Greater Sabbats. They are also termed the Earth Sabbats or Cross Quarter Days

The terms Greater and Lesser Sabbat have ties to the deities as well. Because the steadfast Goddess rules over the Earth, the Earth sabbats have more power and energy than the Sun Sabbats. Thus the Earth Sabbats / Cross Quarter Sabbats are the Greater Sabbats.

2022 Wiccan Sabbats

Now that we’ve got a great overview of the Wheel of the Year

Samhain / Halloween / All Hallows Eve / Day of the Dead – October 31 – November 1

We start with the cross quarter (greater) sabbat of Samhain. This is often considered the Witches New Year, and so can be the year’s biggest and most grand celebration. Samhain falls on the third and last harvest festival (we’ll explain these more later on).

This sabbat centers around death and the spirit world. At this time, both the God has died and the Earth are dying, and we prepare for cold times ahead. We expect to see bare fields, fallen leaves, and grey and cold skies. The days are getting shorter, and we prepare for the long, cold nights ahead.

However, just like the Wheel of the Year, the world has a cycle of death and rebirth. So although our God is dying, he will be reborn at Yule. And similarly, since death isn’t the final destination, we can commune with those that have passed on at this time of the year when the border between our and the spirit world is thin.

Spirits can cross over easily through this porous border so we can make contact with the dead at Samhain. We can reach out to them for comfort, communication, guidance, or closure. We can rejoice in our knowledge that although death is one ending, there are simultaneous beginnings elsewhere.

Samhain Correspondences and Rituals for 2022

Samhain

Herbal correspondences include gourd, garlic, apple, allspice, beech, witch hazel, corn, catnip, mugwort.

Crystal correspondences include obsidian and onyx.

Deity correspondences tend to revolve around the spirit or underworld. Look to Hecate, Hel, Kali, Loki, Hades & Pluto, The Dagda, Durga, and Rhiannon.

Look to the bat, cat, spider, owl, and world for animal correspondences.

To celebrate the Samhain sabbat this year, consider the following activities:

• Honor your ancestors with an ancestor altar
• Pay respect to the dead with a cemetery ritual
• Hold seances to communicate with those on the other side
• Host a silent dinner to remember loved ones (set a place for each treasured person)
• Conduct necromancy
• Hold a candle ceremony to welcome deceased loved ones into your home
• Honor the cycle of death and rebirth
• Celebrate the last harvest
• Decorate your altar with gourds, apples, candles, nutmeg, and dark stones
• Perform divination to reach into the spirit world while the veil is thin
• Work on visions, lucid dreaming, and foretelling
• Embrace stillness, dormancy, and rest

Yule / Winter Solstice / Saturnalia / Jul – December 21

After the God’s death on Samhain, we reach the shortest day of the year when night is longest and darkest. This day is the winter solstice, which typically falls around December 21. This solar (lesser) sabbat represents the day when the Great Mother gives birth to the Horned God.

On this darkest of days, she has breathed new light and life into the world. Yule is a rebirth, upon which the God reincarnates himself. The newborn God is a fresh start and conveys the promise of the return of light and spring.

Meanwhile, the Goddess is so tired that she goes to sleep after giving birth. She will sleep until Imbolc when she wakes again.

On Yule we welcome the return of light and life. It is a time of new beginnings, warmth, and joy.

Yule Correspondences and Rituals for 2022

Yule is primarily associated with the colors of red, green, white, gold, and silver. It has a number of other correspondences.

Herbal correspondences include ivy, holly, rosemary, evergreen, pine, juniper, sage, chestnut, and fir.

Crystal correspondences include ruby, garnet, and jasper.

Deity correspondences tend to revolve around power, celebration, and joyousness such as Hel, Lugh, Odin, Fortuna, Gaia, Janus, Ishtar, and Ra.

Look to deer, geese, robins, and bears for animal correspondences.

There are many Yule rituals which you can perform.

• Light up your home to make it a beacon in the darkness
• Burn yule logs
• Decorate
• Put up a Yule tree (the Pagan origin of the Chrismas tree)
• Scent your home with ancient herbs like myrrh and frankincense
• Perform magick related to darkness and light
• Hold a candle ceremony to welcome back the sun
• Celebrate and feast with your coven or fellow Wiccans and Pagans
• Embrace generosity with gift giving and contributions to charity
• Spend time with family and friends
• Cast spells for peace
• Meditate on resolutions for personal growth
• Perform magickal work on puruficaiton, rebirth, and transformation

Imbolc / Imbolg / Brigid’s Day / Candlemas – February 1 – 2

Imbolc, observed during the frigid month of February, is a sabbat which marks the first day of spring. It’s a cross-quarter (greater) sabbat that reminds us that light and warmth are on the way, and falls on February 1.

The Goddess has been sleeping since giving birth at Yule, so she arises on Imbolc from her wintertime slumber. Her awakening marks the end the winter and bring the promise of light, love, and opportunity. Imbolc reminds us that new beginnings are possible. It is a time to strive for purification, both inside and out.

Many Wiccans choose to celebrate Brigid, the Triple Goddess, on this day. Brigid is a Celtic deity of fire, fertility, craftwork, healing, and arts.

Imbolc Correspondences and Rituals for 2022

Imbolc is primarily associated with the colors of white, red, pink, and light yellows and greens. It has a number of other correspondences.

Herbal correspondences include basil, rowan, wheat, and cedar.

Crystal correspondences include turquoise, amethyst, and aquamarine.

Deity correspondences tend to revolve around love and feminine power such as Brigid, Cupid, Vesta, Eros, Selene, Gaia, and Athena.

Look to the swan for animal correspondences.

There are many lovely Imbolc rituals which you can incorporate into your practice.

• Do a spring cleaning of your home
• Purify and bless your altar
• Cast cleansing spells
• Do spellwork to clean your energy and purify your mind, heart, and spirit
• Perform a winter farewell ritual
• Honor goddess Brigid
• Do some arts and crafts
• Use fire in your rituals
• Gather and feast with family and friends
• Light a candle in every room of your house after sundown to bless the return of spring
• Work on creative inspiration, planning, and initiation
• Do some planning and preparation for future goals
• Work on increasing your magical gifts and abilities

Ostara / Spring Equinox / Eostre / Oestarra – March 20

Ostara falls on the spring (vernal) equinox when day and night are equal in length. This solar (lesser) sabbat is a symbolic day of balance, and falls on March 20 this year. Its name comes from Eostre, the Saxon goddess of the moon.

It’s a time of growth, fertility, and renewal. The nighttime will start shortening and the daytime will lengthen. The Earth is green and fertile, and we are joyful to be in the start of the growing season.

The dullness of winter will be replaced with the regrowth and rebirth of spring. Ostara often coincides with the Christian holy week of Lent and Easter, which is also a time of rebirth and renewal.

Ostara Correspondences and Rituals for 2022

Ostara is primarily associated with pastel colors like pink, yellow, green, and blue. It has a number of other correspondences.

Herbal correspondences include daffodil, honeysuckle, ash, rose, violet, and maple.

Crystal correspondences include rose quartz, pink tourmaline, and rhodonite.

Deity correspondences are strong, feminine deities such as Ostara, Aphrodite, Pan, Venus, Demeter, Gaia, Osiris, Iris, Ishtar, Isis, Juno, Vesta, Adonis, and Diana.

Look to simple animals like sheep, sparrows, and rabbits for animal correspondences.

Try some of these Ostara rituals this year.

• Plant seeds to invoke new life
• Reenact the consummation between the Goddess and the God (chalice and athame)
• Bring greenery into your home
• Decorate colored eggs
• Give away eggs as gifts in a basket, which represents a fertile womb
• Enjoy time in nature noticing the new signs of growth and spring
• Set new intentions and start new projects
• Cast balancing spells
• Perform spellwork related to love, beauty, and fertility
• Do grounding work

Beltane / May Day / Walpurgisnacht – April 30 – May 1

Beltane is a magickal time when April showers have nourished the Earth, and green and lush fertility fills the land.

This sabbat is a cross-quarter (greater) sabbat, so it doesn’t correspond to a particular solar event. However it’s midway between the spring equinox (Ostara) and summer solstice (Litha). So it’s the halfway point between spring and summer. It’s most commonly observed on May 1, although festivities often begin the night prior on April 30.

It is at this joyful time when the feminine Earth opens herself up to the God, both literally and figuratively. We celebrate the marriage and consummation of the Goddess and God together. It is a very sexually

The union of the Goddess and the God creates a fruitful existence for all. Greenery, healthy livestock, strong crops, and new life everywhere we look. It is the start of the planting cycle, and we hope for a bountiful harvest later on. And the maiden Goddess will become the Mother in a few months’ time.

Beltane Correspondences and Rituals for 2022

Beltane is primarily associated with the colors of red and white. It has a number of other correspondences.

Herbal correspondences include daisy, linden, primrose, willow, lilac, rowan, and honeysuckle.

Crystal correspondences include sapphire and heliotrope.

Deity correspondences tend to revolve around merriment, mischief, and passion such as Aphrodite, Cupid, Venus, Diana, Flora, Eros, Freya, Cernunnos, Faunus, and Pan.

Look to the rabbit for an animal correspondence.

For your Beltane celebration this year, there are many rituals that you may enjoy.

• Wear flower crowns
• Carry flower baskets
• Decorate everything with ribbons
• Build a ceremonial bonfire (safely!)
• Walk between two bonfires
• Make love with your romantic partner
• Engage in all forms of romance, love, sensuality, and intimacy
• Dance around a maypole
• Perform purification spells
• Attend weddings and handfastings, or plan your own around this time
• Bless the coming harvest for summer
• Honor sacred feminine energy
• Celebrate female ancestors, family, and friends
• Celebrate youth, lust, and sensuality
• Welcome pregnancy announcements
• Perform magick related to rebirth

Litha / Summer Solstice / Midsummer – June 21

Litha is a solar (lesser) sabbat falling on June 21. It marks the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. It also marks the first day of summer. On this day the sun is at its highest position and at its most powerful.

This sabbat is a day of perfection. The sun is abundant on this brightest and longest day. Greenery is at its fullest, crops are growing, and warm days are ahead. We pray for bounty during the harvest season ahead, and always remember this day because the very next day darkness will again start creeping in as autumn approaches.

Litha Correspondences and Rituals for 2022

Litha is primarily associated with bright primary colors like orange, yellow, gold, red, blue, and green. It has a number of other correspondences.

Herbal correspondences include lavender, beech, ginger, saffron, holly, vervain, and laurel.

Crystal correspondences include jade, lapis lazuli, and emerald.

Deity correspondences embrace strong, masculine gods like Apollo, Jupiter, Ra, Loki, Lugh, Thor, Zeus, and the Dagda.

Look to the robin, horse, and meadowlark for animal correspondences.

Try your hand at these powerful Litha rituals:

• Build bonfires
• Bask in the sun’s heat and power
• Play games, sing, feast, and be merry
• Perform faery magick
• Charge tools and altar items in the sun while it’s most powerful
• Pray for bountiful harvests
• Give blessings for all you have been given
• Bless new couples and attend handfastings

Lammas / Lughnasadh – August 1 – 2

The sabbat of Lammas is the first harvest of the year and falls on August 1. It’s the first of three harvest festivals. This cross quarter (greater) sabbat embraces both hope and fear. We hope and pray for an abundant harvest, but fear that the yield may not last us through the winter. It is a time to face realities, move forward in the face of fear, and sacrifice.

On Lammas we know that the warm, bright summer weather will come to and end. Our planting efforts will be realized, as we reap what we’ve sown over the past few months. It is a time when Wiccans face their inner fears and own up.

Lammas Correspondences and Rituals for 2022

Lammas is primarily associated with earthy colors like dark yellows and oranges, browns, and dark greens. It has a number of other correspondences.

Herbal correspondences include strawberries, blackberries, wheat, and aloe.

Crystal correspondences include peridot and citrine.

Deity correspondences tend to be related to the harvest such as Ceres, Persephone, Odin, Demeter, Freya, Inanna, Frigg, and Lugh, and John Barleycorn

Look to the cow for animal correspondences.

There are many meaningful Lammas rituals which you can incorporate into your practice.

• Pray to the God and Goddess for a fruitful and abundant harvest
• Give thanks and express gratitude in all areas of your life
• Dry herbs for healthful meals in the dark winter months
• Save seeds for planting next year
• Honor the pregnant Goddess
• Feast with fellow Wiccans or witches
• Decorate your altar with fruits and grains of the harvest
• Give offerings of bread and cider to the Goddess and God
• Leave offerings to wild animals
• Meditate on your fears

Mabon / Autumn Equinox – September 22

Mabon, which occurs on the autumn equinox, falls on September 22. It is a solar (lesser) sabbat where both day and night are equal. On this day, the It is another day of balance just like Ostara.

Mabon is also the second harvest festival so we give thanks for the bountiful crops and the beauty of summer. But the harvest season is nearing its end. The fields may appear barren and empty.

On this day, the God’s power is waning as autumn is just around the corner and we know colder and shorter days are coming. The God’s power is stored within seeds, that will spring to life later in the warmer months. The Goddess is also further along in her pregnancy.

Mabon Correspondences and Rituals for 2022

Mabon is primarily associated with the darker colors of red, brown, maroon, orange, and golden yellow. It has a number of other correspondences.

Herbal correspondences include maple, cedar, oak, sage, thistle, marigold, and blackberry.

Crystal correspondences include amethyst, topaz, and aragonite.

Deity correspondences tend to revolve around The Morrigan, Persephone, Epona, Inanna, Hermes, Thoth, The Green Man, and Dionysus & Bacchus.

Look to the dog, wolf, hawk, and goose for animal correspondences.

Choose comforting activities at Mabon:

• Create a cornucopia with autumn vegetables
• Feast with family and friends to celebrate the harvest
• Hold a ritual to say goodbye to the sun
• Adorn your altar with apples, acorns, dried corn, and gourds
• Honor your ancestors by decorating their graves
• Cast spells encouraging harmony and balance in your life
• Give thanks for the harvest’s yield and the abundance of summer
• Reflect on the rule of three: Like planting and harvest, we reap what we sow
• Turn inward for introspection
• Reflect on lessons learned during the year