When
we enter into ritual we strengthen our connection with the cycles
of nature, bringing us into rhythm with the natural world and
with our own nature. When we take time to step outside of the
mundane world, we encounter the rich flow of spiritual energy.
We can reach deep inside ourselves and connect on a level that
nourishes and gives us the strength to carry on in the rough and
tumble of the physical and mental parts of our lives.
The
Esbats relate the advancing seasons with the magic of moonsheen.
Even though the full moon rises at sunset on the opposite horizon
from the sun, her mood reflects the seasons without being completely
tethered to them. The Sabbats have their traditional purposes
but the Esbats can run free. The energy is vibrant. Esbats are
a time to laugh from the belly and dance like there is no tomorrow.
Excerpted
from
A Year of Ritual
© Llewellyn