Experiential Sabbat Symbology - The Senses
by Blayze

We rely on our senses to help us function in the mundane world. Sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste all combine to create our perception of the world around us. This is especially true when dealing with magic and our experiences of the Wheel of the Year.

Sight equates with observance and it is this sense that allows us to notice the changes that occur around us at different times of the year. We see that the moon is closer or further away, that the days are longer, that the leaves are changing colour or there are buds of new growth. We see that the qualities of light and shadow change with the seasons. We see the changes in the behaviours and cycles of animals either in the wild or as our pets. It is the seeing of these changes that can begin to mark for us our personal observances of the dance upon the Wheel.

The scent or smells of the world around us also change with the cycles of the year. The first scent of spring perfume on the breeze may mark the subtle transition from the darkness of winter to the first hint of light and freshness of the days around Imbolc. We smell the differences between newly turned earth and the lush growth of late spring and summer or the smells of seasonal cookery that instantly place us in the realm of a particular sabbat. The scent after rain is different at each of the solstices… one dank and musty, one fresh, cleansing and cooling.  

Even when living in an urban environment we can still hear the changes of the seasons, the songs of birds that suddenly re-appear, the flapping of bats’ wings overhead, the night sounds of crickets or a symphony of cicadas that can surround you in summer. The sound of wind through leafless trees is different to the sound of the wind through full growth. The sounds of the seasons can also be invoked through music that distils the essence of the sabbat. 

The sense of touch is very important as we move through the wheel, the feel of the hot sweltering sun upon our skin, or the cooling rains, but these same sensations change during the year, in winter we revel at the sun’s kiss and hide away from the freezing rains. We feel buffeting of the strong winds or the caress of a gentle breeze. We feel different fabrics upon our skin or we lie down upon the green grass and watch the leaves gently fall or we lie upon the burnt grasses of summer and look at the bark being gently stripped from the trees. We feel the changes in the air, some make us want to huddle around a fire, others set us free with the freshness of spring.

Taste not only involves the foods of harvests, the grains, the summer fruits, or seasonal berries, it is the taste of snow or cool rain upon the tongue, the taste of the magic that nature imbues with her changing cycles. Taste is saltiness of sweat or of the sea water and the foods and drinks that instantly mark a sabbat celebration for you.

So as you dance the wheel examine your sensory reactions to your environment, take these within your self and you will find your personal path to understanding your place in the mystery.