The wheel of the year has turned four times since I wrote a book by that title, and for Dan and me, the quest for the old ways continued.
As Pagans we believe that:
All of nature is a manifestation of divinity or the creative forces, and that everything in nature has a spirit.
These divine creative forces can be perceived as a pantheon of gods and goddesses.
As everything in nature has its complement, so must it be with the gods, a polarity of male and female, spirit and matter, god and goddess.
As nature proceeds in the cycles of the season, so must we be born to die and be born again.
And that by actively participating in these natural cycles through ritual, we can attune ourselves to the creative forces that flow through us, to live happy, creative, and productive lives for our own benefit and that of the planet.
The simplest way to do this is to celebrate the seasons of the year according to the ancient Pagan traditions of our ancestors, and we have all of the traditions of all of the nations of the old world to examine for Pagan origins. Some of the places these traditions have been found are in the seasonal celebrations of the new religion, in legends and faery tales, and in the objects and ornaments used to celebrate the seasons.
This book is arranged according to the Great Sabbats, and it tells of ways of preparing for, enhancing, and celebrating the Sabbats of the old religion. The magical charms, spells, and rituals given here are drawn from ancient sources, but are easily applied to contemporary practices. Many of the activities are planned to use to fullest advantage the currents of magical energy that ebb and flow prior to and following each Great Sabbat.
The time has come for all of us on the Pagan path to examine these ancient ways and to reclaim them as our own.
Pauline Campanelli
Flying Witch Farm
Oak Moon, 1991
