I’m grateful to those who reach out and wish to seek my thoughts on a given subject, and try to reply to as many of the queries I receive as possible.

By far one of the areas that I receive the most questions about is book recommendations.

These inquiries tend, I find, to fall into one of several main topics. Amongst the most common are book recommendations for new witches/Pagans, spellwork, green witchery, kitchen witchery, the history of Paganism (as well as the history of witchcraft), coven work, and the sabbats.

Rare is the week I don’t get at least a few sabbat-related messages. Not all are seeking book recommendations, but a good many are and as a result, I’ve amassed an extensive list of books about the Pagan sabbats.

In a modern-day Neopaganism context, the eight main sabbats that some Pagans, Wiccans, and witches choose to observe are as follows:

Imbolc: On or around February 1^st

Ostara: On or around the Spring Equinox (aka, the Vernal Equinox), which falls between March 19^th and March 21^st

Beltane: On or around May 1^st

Litha: On or around the Summer Solstice, which falls between June 20^th and June 22^nd

Lammas/Lughnasadh: On or around August 1^st

Mabon: On or around the Fall Equinox (aka, the Southward Equinox or September Equinox), which falls between September 21^st and September 24^th

Samhain: On or around October 31^st

Yule: On or around the Winter Solstice, which usually falls on December 21^st or 22^nd

Note that these date ranges are for the Western Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere where the seasons are reversed, many chose to celebrate the opposite sabbat. For example, when it’ is Beltane north of the equator, it is Samhain in the southern half of the world and vice versa.

Depending on a person’s particular spiritual path, they may opt to observe other sacred dates as well, such as those pertaining to a particular branch of Paganism (i.e., Hellenistic Paganism or Slavic Paganism), to the traditions of their geographic location, and/or their ancestry.

And of course, some people do not feel drawn to observing some or all of these (or any other) Pagan sabbats, and that is totally okay as well.

As many witches, Wiccans, and Pagans do celebrate some form of these eight sabbats, however, and they hold a deeply meaningful place in a lot of peoples’ spiritual journeys, it is not surprising that folks are looking for Pagan sabbat book recommendations.

Personally – as you may have deducted if you’ve been following this blog and/or my Instagram account for very long – I madly adore and actively celebrate all eight of the Pagan sabbats that comprise The Wheel of The Year.

This facet of Paganism is integral to my practice and has the added bonus of making the year markedly more enjoyable and exciting for me (as a sabbat transpires roughly once every 6 to 8 weeks throughout each year).

I’m definitely a “sabbat witch”, if you will, and love each of these eight sacred days from the bottom of my heart.

Scores of others do as well and it’s no surprise that new witches, as well as those looking to deepen their knowledge of and/or connection to their spirituality, are keen to learn about the Pagan sabbats.

As I know that for every question on a given subject I receive, no doubt many others out there are thinking the same thing but don’t reach out ask, I’ve decided to start turning some of the questions about witchery and Paganism books that I receive into their own dedicated blog posts.

Not only will this hopefully help those searching for suggestions via Google or social media (including Pinterest), but it will allow me to quickly point people who query me about Pagan sabbat books to this very entry.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to claim that the following list encompasses every single book ever written in English about the Pagan sabbats, it is a rather extensive list of the current books on this subject.

No doubt new ones will come along in the future, and there are plenty of books on broader witchcraft and Pagan related topics that cover the sabbats to varying degrees as well (rare is the Paganism or Witchery 101 book, for example, that doesn’t provide at least a cursory overview of the sabbats).

This post houses a very extensive list and I hope that it will provide new and more experienced witches, Wiccans, and Pagans alike with plenty of appealing and informative reading options.

Pull up a cozy seat, a bevy of your choice, and your Amazon or Book Depository wishlist and let’s delve into exploring a broad range of Pagan sabbat books.

(Note: At the time of writing this post, a small number of these books are slated to be released later in 2021 or in 2022. The majority of titles are, however, in publication already.)

Llewellyn’s eight-book series on each of the sabbats

This series sprang to life in the 2010s and instantly became quite the darling of the Pagan sabbat book scene. These titles are jam-packed with tons of great information and useful ideas for celebrating each of the eight respective witch’s sabbats. And, I find, much like potato chips, it is really hard to stop at (buying) just one of these terrific titles.

Imbolc: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Brigid’s Day 

Ostara: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Spring Equinox 

Beltane: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for May Day 

Midsummer: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Litha

Lughnasadh: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Lammas 

Mabon: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Autumn Equinox 

Samhain: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Halloween 

Yule: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Winter Solstice 

Around/during the start of the 2000s, Llewellyn produced a similar eight-book series on the sabbats as well. It doesn’t look like they are still in publication, but they can be found quite easily on the secondhand market still, including from various used booksellers on Amazon. Here, for example, is a link to the Yule book from this series. 

In addition, various publishers put out annual witchcraft and/or Paganism related yearly almanac style books which are often rich in great information about the sabbats.

In particular, I recommend The Witches’ Almanac, as well as Llewellyn’s Sabbat Almanac (pictured above), The Witches’ Datebook Calendar and The Witches’ Companion, both of which are from Llewellyn as well.

Books covering the whole Wheel of The Year

These titles offer thorough and informative looks at the eight Pagan sabbats that comprise the wheel of the year. Some are beloved classics, others are newer offerings that are sure to become much-adored books in their own right.

A Circle Of Stars: An astrological journey through the lunar and Celtic wheel of the year

From Earth Mother’s Womb Workbook: Simple Earth Centering Practices using the wheel of the year

Once Around The Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year

Rituals of Celebration: Honoring the Seasons of Life through the Wheel of the Year 

Rituals & Sabbats: Sacred Rites and Seasonal Celebrations

Sabbats: A Witch’s Approach to Living the Old Ways 

Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices

Sacred Earth Celebrations 

Seasons of a Magical Life: A Pagan Path of Living

The Celtic Wheel of the Year: Christian & Pagan Prayers & Practices for Each Turning

The Great Work: Self-Knowledge and Healing Through the Wheel of the Year 

The Hearth Witch’s Year: Rituals, Recipes & Remedies Through the Seasons

The Hedgewitch’s Little Book of Seasonal Magic

The Magical Year: Seasonal Celebrations to Honor Nature’s Ever-Turning Wheel 

The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year  

The Mystical Year: Folklore, Magic and Nature

The Noble Art: From Shadow to Essence Through the Wheel of the Year

The Provenance Press Guide to the Wiccan Year: A Year Round Guide to Spells, Rituals, and Holiday Celebrations 

The Simple Sabbat: Family Friendly Approach to the Eight Pagan Holidays

The Spirited Kitchen: Recipes and Rituals for the Wheel of the Year

The Wheel of The Year: A Beginner’s Guide to Celebrating the Traditional Pagan Festivals of the Seasons

The Wheel of the Year: One Year Workbook and Journal for the Pagan Festivals

(Note: This author, who is currently publishing independently, also has a series of books devoted to each of the individual sabbats. On Amazon, simply search for her name and the sabbat of your choice to find her title on that festive Pagan day.)

The Ultimate Guide to the Witch’s Wheel of the Year: Rituals, Spells & Practices for Magical Sabbats, Holidays & Celebrations 

Turn of The Wheel: A Year of Modern Pagan Prayer and Praise 

The Zenned Out Guide to The Wheel of The Year

Wheel of The Year: Living The Magickal Life 

Wicca Wheel of The Year Magic 

Wicca Year of Magic: From the Wheel of the Year to the Cycles of the Moon, Magic for Every Occasion

Witch’s Wheel of the Year: Rituals for Circles, Solitaries & Covens 

(Whose Pathos blog, Raising the Horns, I highly recommend.)

Year of the Witch: Connecting with Nature’s Seasons through Intuitive Magick 

(Ancient Ways: Reclaiming The Pagan Tradition by the same author is a stellar book as well.)

Books on specific Pagan Sabbats

Much like Llewellyn’s eight-part series devoted to each of the sabbats, various other titles have been released over the years that focus on either one specific sabbat or a portion of the sabbats. These are fantastic resources if you’re looking to add to your knowledge of, or be inspired about, certain Pagan sabbats in particular.

A Witch’s Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells, and Lore 

Beltane: The Ultimate Guide to May Eve and How It’s Celebrated in Wicca, Druidry, and Paganism

Celebrating Autumn Equinox: Customs & Crafts, Recipes & Rituals for Harvest, Sukkot, Mid Autumn Moon, Michaelmas, Eleusinian Mysteries & Other Autumn Holidays

Celebrating Spring Equinox: Customs & Crafts, Recipes & Rituals for Celebrating Easter, Passover, Nowruz, Lady Day, & Other Spring Holidays

Celebrating Summer Solstice: Customs & Crafts, Recipes & Rituals for Midsummer, Kupala, Ligo, San Giovanni & Other Summer Holidays

Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon 

Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara 

Celebrating Winter Solstice: Customs and Crafts, Recipes and Rituals for Festivals of Light, Hanukkah, Yule, and Other Midwinter Holidays

Llewellyn’s Little Book of Halloween

(Mickie has a wonderful, informative YouTube channel that is well worth following.)

Llewellyn’s Little Book of Yule

Midsummer: The Ultimate Guide to Litha or the Summer Solstice and How It’s Celebrated in Wicca, Druidry, and Paganism

Ostara: The Ultimate Guide to Spring Equinox and How It’s Celebrated in Wicca, Druidry, and Paganism

Pagan Christmas: The Plants, Spirits, and Rituals at the Origins of Christmas

Samhain Traditions: 13 Simple & Affordable Halloween Spells & Rituals for the Witches’ New Year

(This author runs a terrific Pagan/witchy blog called the Penniless Pagan that I highly recommend following.)

The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year

The Sacred Herbs of Beltane

The Sacred Herbs of Samhain

The Summer Solstice: Celebrating the Journey of the Sun from May Day to Harvest

The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas

This post was last updated with one or more new titles on April 21, 2022

Books are a valuable resource, but don’t stop there!

As awesome as books about a given topic – in this case, the Pagan sabbats – are, it’s important to remember that there are many channels through which to obtain knowledge on a given subject.

In the case of the sabbats, some of these include blogs and websites (as well as social media), spending time in person with fellow Pagans/witches, joining a coven or grove, and through your own ongoing experiences with the Wheel of The Year.

While there are various traditions and important meanings associated with each of the sabbats, observers are free to interpret and experience the Pagan sabbats however they desire.

Learn from books such as those listed above, as well as other resources and experiences, but do not feel that you must follow everything they suggest to the letter.

And by the same token, please, please, please, do not feel obliged to observe each sabbat annually if you do not feel inclined or are, for whatever reason, unable to do so.

You are not a “bad” or “lazy” witch at all if you are not rolling out the proverbial red carpet and throwing yourself into OTT sabbat celebrations eight times a year.

If that is your jam, awesome, if not, equally awesome. There is a ton to be said for simple, meaningful sabbat happenings.

Indeed, I would argue that if a sabbat causes you a great deal of stress, worry, anxiety, or expense, you may want to rethink how you approach these special days. They are meant to be times of deep meaning, personal reflection, spiritual connections, and positivity, not something you dread more than going to the dentist.

As there will no doubt be future books penned about the witch’s sabbats, I will strive to update this blog post periodically with new titles that cross my path.

If you are aware of any Pagan sabbat books that I have not included here yet, please feel free to let me know about them in the comments below or via email.

And on that note, as I adore hearing from my readers, please do not hesitate to send your witchery and Paganism-related questions my way anytime.

Who knows, your query might just be the catalyst for a future blog post here!

Do you observe the Wheel of the Year? And if you do, what Pagan sabbat books are your personal favourites? 🕮

The post Your Ultimate Guide to Books About the Pagan Sabbats appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.