Summary
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
It has been suggested that the eight Sabbats reflect the stages and functions in our lives as follows. The four solar festivals correspond to: Inspiration (Winter Solstice); Reception (Spring Equinox); Expression (Summer Solstice); and Recollection (Fall Equinox). The four fire events relate to: Imbolc: early childhood, the need for mothering; Beltane: adolescence and early womanhood and manhood; Lughnasadh: becoming adults, family responsibilities; and Samhain: our later years, opening ourselves to the existence of other worlds and the spirits of our loved ones and preparing to meet them.
The celebrations and observances of these eight Sabbats include ancient traditions that are intertwined with spirituality. They are a way to orient ourselves with the powerful connections and energies that exist between the Earth, Sun, and Cosmos. We are honoring the natural cycles of life as well as our individual major phases of life on earth.