For the witch, life is a festivity; a party; a grand ritual. Witches come from various spiritualities, religions, and backgrounds, so the way they celebrate milestones and seasonal events may be much different depending on the location, the coven, or the solitary practice the witch embarks on.

There is no way the Mental Health for Witches team can encompass all witchy celebrations on one page or in one post, but this is a general guide to how witchy celebrations can help to enhance your emotional well-being and even your mental health.

First, let’s dive into what it means to celebrate as a witch.

What Do Witches Celebrate?

Since a witch can be from any religious or ethnic background, a witch can celebrate in any way they want. For example, there are neopagan witches, Catholic witches, and witches who don’t seem to think too much about who is below or above them. Some witches incorporate their ancestry, their family’s witchcraft lineage, or their geographic location into their celebrations. Others follow a certain type of path or combine different beliefs into an eclectic, solitary practice. The important thing is that you are feeling fulfilled from your celebratory practices, or that it is bringing your closer to something you care about, whether it is your family, your friends, or nature.

Speaking of nature, one thing that many witches share is that they revere nature or the seasons. Some witches honor or observe what is known as The Wheel of the Year. These observances began thousands of years ago, in places like what is now Ireland and what was known at the time as Mesopotamia. If you are new to neopagan religions, want to incorporate more reverence of nature into your life, or would otherwise like to begin honoring the different phases of the year, understanding The Wheel of the Year is an excellent place to start. Get Mental Health Meditations for Yule here.

If you are a witch who would like to share what or how you celebrate, please feel free to email us. We are always interested in others’ perspectives. Again, this guide is intended to be a place of exploration. If you are curious how a witch celebrates, strike up a conversation. Learn from other witches in your circle, or within the MHW community.

Honoring the Moon

Moon worship is another hallmark of the witch. The moon is symbolic of and sacred to women and many key phases of life. It is also representative of the Universe. For more on moon worship and lunar deities, read the Britannica religion guide. You can also get ideas for honoring the moon by understanding more about moon worship in history. Our friends at Witch Swap will tell you a little more about moon magick, if you’d like. You may also be interested in learning how to do a Drawing Down the Moon ritual.

Wiccan / Neopagan Sabbats

Let us start out by saying, again, that not all Wiccans are witches and not all witches are Wiccans. However, many people are both, and they also make up a good bit of our MHW community. Many witches who are exploring different religions and spiritualities are also interested in Wicca – or should know more about what Wicca is and Wicca isn’t. For a quick primer on Wicca, click here.

Please note that other religions, spiritualities, and cultures revere the Wheel of the Year. However, here, we are talking about neopagan Wicca specifically. Wiccan holidays or Sabbats are timed to the Earth’s natural rhythms and seasons. The Sabbats celebrate our journey around the Sun, and Wiccans refer to this process as “Turning the Wheel of the Year.”

Learn more about the eight Sabbats, which include Yule, Samhain (Halloween), and Beltane, in this quick and easy guide to the Wiccan Sabbats. If you would like to dive deeper into the Sabbats, review this handy guide from The Goddess and the Greenman.

Personal Celebrations

There are so many ways to make a personal celebration more witchy in nature. When creating any new tradition, Amber and the MHW team like to start with a core question: What do you like about being a witch or witchcraft? What about witchcraft feels celebratory to you? Once you jot down a few ideas in your journal or personal grimoire, it is time to put them to use.

Here are a few ideas for making a personal celebration or family event more witchy:

-Cleanse your party or event space beforehand, to ensure you are only bringing good vibes into the room.

-Births, birthdays, and weddings are great times to do a blessing, especially if you are a lightworker or healer who considers it a part of your sacred craft.

-Give crystals, essential oils, herbs, and witchy crafts as presents or incorporate them into your holiday observances.

-Pray or meditate before the event to help ensure that it goes well.

-Add incense, music, or take the celebration outdoors: anything that makes you feel more connected to yourself and your spirituality

-Colored candles and color magick are a fun and easy way to add style and intention to your party or celebration

How to Celebrate

The only rule is there are no rules. Unlike some other spiritual practices or religious ways of life, you can celebrate any way you want. Incorporate holidays or traditions from your childhood, add new celebrations that you’ve learned about from your ancestral research, or simply honor the way the seasons change in your geographical location. When you feel whole about your spirituality and the way you celebrate with loved ones, you feel better inside and out.

Learn more about your mental health and more about witchy things in our exclusive MHW guides. You may also want to get ideas for how to enhance your holistic health while deepening your craft with our 10 Witchy Wellness Activities.