INTERNATIONAL RED GARTERS Sabbats and Esbats of 1988 Both Tropical and Traditional Reckoning Here are the important dates for 1988. For the Greater Sabbats we have listed both the Traditional calender dates (Imbolc = FEB 1, Beltane - APR 30, Lughnasadh = JUL 31, Samhain = OCT 31) AND the more accurate Tropical dates. Contrary to popular belief, the dates for the Greater Sabbats are dependent on the Lesser Sabbats. While the ancient Celts didn't celebrate the Lesser Sabbats, they used them to calculate the dates of the Greater Sabbats. Each of the Greater Sabbats is celebrated on the fortieth evening following the DAY of the Solstice or Equinox. The Lesser Sabbats (Equinoxes and Solstices) are determined by the time that the sun enters the Cardinal Elemental Zodiac Sign: if the event occurs during darkness, the Sabbat is celebrated that night; if it occurs during daylight, it celebrated the night before. The same rule applies to Esbats. By the old reckoning, the day begins at sundown, rather than at midnight as we do now. Therefore dual dates (i.e. "4/5") mean that the celebration begins the night of the first date, and continues till sundown of the second date. 1988 Dual dates, "4/5", mean night Pacific Rocky Central Eastern of the 4th & day of the 5th Mt _____________________________________________________________________________ Jan 3 Capricorn Moon 05:40pm 06:40pm 07:40pm 08:40pm Jan 28 Sun enters Aquarius 12:25pm 01:25pm 02:25pm 03:25pm Jan 30/31 Imbolc, Imbolg, Oimec, ("In the Belly"); Brigit; Al Rabi (Arabic); Candlemas; Ground Hog's Day; Spring begins ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feb 1/2 Aquarius Moon 12:51pm 01:51pm 02:51pm 03:51pm FEB 2nd FEB 2nd FEB 2nd FEB 2nd Feb 2 Traditional Ground Hog's Day; Traditional Candlemas Feb 15 Lupercalia Feb 20 Sun enters Pisces 02:35am 03:35am 04:35am 05:35am ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mar 2/3 Pisces Moon 08:01am 09:01am 10:01am 11:01am MAR 3rd MAR 3rd MAR 3rd MAR 3rd Mar 19/20 Ostara, Oestra; Lady Day; Alban Eilir Mar 20 Sun enters Aries; Spring Equinox 01:39am 02:39am 03:39am 04:39am ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apr 1/2 Aries Moon 01:21am 02:21am 03:21am 04:21am APR 2 APR 2 APR 2 APR 2 Apr 19 Sun enters Taurus 01:45pm 02:45pm 03:45pm 04:45pm Apr 28/29 Scottish Beltane, Bealtaine ("Bel Fire", "Lord's Fire"); Cetshamain; Al Saif (Arabic); Roodmas; Summer begins Apr 30 Traditional Beltane; May Eve; Walpurgis Night ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apr 30/ May 1 Taurus Moon 04:41pm 05:41pm 06:41pm 07:41pm MAY 1st MAY 1st MAY 1st MAY 1st May 1 May Day; Traditional Roodmas May 20 Sun enters Gemini 12:57pm 01:57pm 02:57pm 03:57pm May 30-31 Gemini Moon (Blue Moon) 03:53am 04:53am 05:53am 06:53am MAY 31st MAY 31st MAY 31st MAY 31st ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 20 Litha; Alban Hefin; St. John's Day; Irish Beltane June 20 Sun enters Cancer; Summer Solstice 08:57pm 09:57pm 10:57pm 11:57pm June 28 Cancer Moon 12:46pm 01:46pm 02:46pm 03:46pm JUN 29th JUN 29th JUN 29th JUN 29th ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jul 16 Iuchar begins Jul 22 Sun enters Leo 07:51am 08:51am 09:51am 10:51am Jul 28 Leo Moon 08:25pm 09:25pm 10:25pm 11:25pm Jul 30/31 August Eve; Irish "Lughnasad(h)", Scottish "Lunasad(l)", Manx "Laa Luanys" or "Laa Lunys" (Commemeration of Lugh"); Lughna Dubh ("Dark Lugh") begins; Lammas (Loaf Mass); Al Kharif (Arabic); begins Autumn begins ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aug 13 Iuchar Ends; Lughna Dubh ends Aug 22 Sun enters Virgo 02:54pm 03:54pm 04:54pm 05:54pm Aug 26/27 Virgo Moon 03:56am 04:56am 05:56am 06:56am AUG 27th AUG 27th AUG 27th AUG 27th ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sep 21/22 Mabon, Alban Elfed, Michaelmas Sep 22 Sun enters Libra; Autumn Equinox 12:29pm 01:29pm 02:29pm 03:29pm Sep 24/25 Libra Moon 12:07pm 01:07pm 02:07pm 03:07pm SEP 25th SEP 25th SEP 25th SEP 25th Oct 22 Sun enters Scorpio 09:44pm 10:44pm 11:44pm 12:44am Oct 24 Scorpio Moon 09:35pm 10:35pm 11:35pm 12:35am Oct 31 Traditional Halloween Oct 31/ Nov 1 Irish Samhain, Scottish Samhuin; Hallowe'en; Ashita (Arabic); Winter begins ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nov 21 Sun enters Sagitarius 06:12pm 07:12pm 08:12pm 09:12pm Nov 22/23 Sagitarius Moon 07:53am 08:53am 09:53am 10:53am NOV 23rd NOV 23rd NOV 23rd NOV 23rd ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dec 20/21 Yule, Geola, Giula, ("Wheel"); Alban Arthan Dec 21 Sun enters Capricorn; Winter Solstice 07:28am 08:28am 09:28am 10:28am Dec 22 Capricorn Moon 09:29pm 10:29pm 11:29pm 12:29am