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Esbat

An esbat /ˈɛsbæt/ is a coven meeting or ritual at a time other than one of the Sabbats[1] within Wicca and other Wiccan-influenced forms of contemporary Paganism.

Esbats can span a wide range of purposes from coven business meetings and initiation ceremonies[2] to social gatherings, times of merriment, and opportunities to commune with the divine.[3] Janet and Stewart Farrar describe esbats as an opportunity for a "love feast, healing work, psychic training and all."[4]

Esbats are typically held once per month on or near the night of a full moon or new moon.[3] Due to the connection between the Moon and femininity in Wicca, esbats are associated with goddesses.[5]

Esbats are a time set aside for formal worship and have been described as similar to Sundays for Christians or Friday nights for Jewish people. They can be solitary affairs but tend to be conducted in groups. Sources vary on whether these rituals are open to the public or only to initiated members.[3][5]

  1. ^ Farrar, Janet and Stewart (1984). The Witches' Way: Principles, Rituals and Beliefs of Modern Witchcraft. Phoenix Publishing, Incorporated. p. 320. ISBN 0-919345-71-9.
  2. ^ "esbat", Wiktionary, 2018-11-26, retrieved 2022-10-28
  3. ^ a b c Chambers, James (2018). Holidays around the world : detailing more than 3,400 observances from all 50 states and more than 100 nations (6th ed.). Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics. ISBN 978-0-7808-1658-9. OCLC 1011548144.
  4. ^ Farrar, 1984, p. 178.
  5. ^ a b "Hold an Esbat Rite - Celebrate the Full Moon". Learn Religions. Retrieved 2022-10-28.

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