In conversations with students, and indeed with many longer term Wiccans as well, it seems to me that full moon Esbat rituals have become the accepted necessity, the expected norm if you like and this worries me. If you look at the evidential history of Wicca, in the beginning under Gerald Gardner rituals were rarely conducted at full moons and instead it was the Sabbats that were the main focus of group ritual. In truth, the full moon Esbats we tend to conduct now came about in later years. That’s Ok but I guess what worries me is the potential issue of conducting a full moon Esbat because it’s expected rather than because it’s wanted.  

For many people in more mainstream religions, one of the frequent complaints is that their regular Sunday or Sabbath services, sermons and rituals have become routine. For example, many Christians are expected to attend Sunday services because “that’s what you do” as I was once told. Isn’t it a bit sad when you ‘have to’ attend a service because that’s what’s expected on that day at that time? Wouldn’t the Gods and Goddesses prefer to see us honour them because we want to and because it feels right rather than because that day or date has come around? 

Let me make it clear that I’m not suggesting we all shun full moon Esbats. I’m certainly not saying that we shouldn’t conduct these wonderful rites. I love my full moon rite and I know the coven members love getting together as a community to share their love of deity and to honour their fellowship with one another. What I am suggesting however is that if those rites end up being conducted because that’s what you ‘have to do’ rather than that’s what you’d like to do, then they’ve become an institutionalised expectation rather than a rite of honour and love. 

If I feel like casting a circle and honouring the Divine, then I do that. I do it on a full moon because I like to, but I’ll often do it say on a Tuesday, maybe a Friday. I’ll do it at 11am, maybe at 8:30pm, maybe I’ll do it because it’s raining, maybe because I want to say thanks for my daughter’s smiles, or because the washing machine is fixed now, or maybe because I just feel like it. If any of that falls on a full moon, then great. If it doesn’t, then so what?  

In other words, I wonder if it’s dangerous to always timetable the ritual. Full moon Esbats are wonderful but so are spontaneous rituals for whatever reason is right at the time. The Gods and Goddesses should be honoured all the time and any time, not just because the calendar says so.

Smiles and blessings, Amethyst