Pagan Holly

Last year I made apple pie for my partner’s birthday, which we happened to celebrate around Mabon (his actual birthday is a bit earlier in September but we were busy). Since I was already thinking of apple pie as Mabon pie, it occurred to me that there’s probably a perfect pie for every sabbat: one that aligns well with what’s in season where I live, what we’re celebrating, and what flavors our secular culture associates with that time of year. Without further ado, here’s the Wheel of the Year expressed in pie. Imbolc: This is a holiday we traditionally celebrate with dairy foods to acknowledge the first milk as animals become pregnant and give birth to their young. A simple, dairy-based pie is appropriate, so custard is a solid choice. Banana cream and coconut cream pie work well too, since tropical fruits are in season even when my corner of the northern hemisphere is in the grip of winter. Ostara: Where I live, Ostara can be a pretty snowy holiday. There isn’t really any...

It’s been one full turn of the Wheel of the Year for me and this blog. I plan to discuss all the sabbats again in 2020, but rather than repeat last year’s format, I’m trying something new. If you’re interested to know the history, science, and common modern approaches to Imbolc, as well as how I fumbled my way through my first-ever Pagan holiday, check out last year’s Imbolc post . This year, I’m sharing my experiences of the sabbats in pictures. I decorated for Imbolc with handmade fabric bunting. I’m actually in the process of making one of these buntings for every sabbat. I chose white and gold for Imbolc; the internet suggests white, gold, yellow, orange, and red as appropriate Imbolc colors, but I feel like that’s a bit much for this snowy and sedate holiday. I chose white for snow and yellow/gold as a reminder of the returning light. I also put up some decorative lights. I think it’s silly that HOAs and nosy neighbors insist that people take down their “Christmas” lig...