Gatherings at the Hearth
Everything below is open. You do not need to be a member, a Wiccan, a witch, or sure of anything. You need to be eighteen or over, or with a parent, and willing to be kind to the people around you. That is the whole of the admission test.
The regular round
| Gathering | When | Where | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Esbat | Every full moon, 8 pm local time | Online, video call | A one-hour full moon rite: drawing down, sharing the month, raising power for those who ask, cakes and ale in our own kitchens. Link sent on request. |
| Sabbat circles | Eight times a year, on or near each Sabbat; usually the nearest Saturday, from late afternoon | In person in the northeastern United States, with an online circle for those further off | A seasonal ritual, a shared meal, and a long evening. Details for each Sabbat are posted a month ahead. |
| Kitchen Table | Second Tuesday of every month, 7 pm | Online, with occasional in-person evenings | Study circle. A chapter, a topic, a practice, and a lot of conversation. Currently working through the elements, one per season. |
| Flamekeeping | Continuous twenty-day cycle | Wherever you are | Nineteen keepers, one each night; the twentieth is Brighid's. See Flamekeeping. |
| Imbolc dedications | Imbolc, 1 February | In person and online | Those who have kept their year and a day make their dedication as Hearthkeepers. See Joining the Hearth. |
This year's Sabbats
Dates below are the Sabbats themselves; the circle is usually held on the nearest Saturday. Exact times, places and what to bring are sent to everyone on the gathering list a month in advance.
- Samhain, 31 October. The ancestor altar and the dumb supper.
- Yule, 21 December. The all-night vigil and sunrise.
- Imbolc, 1 February. Crosses, candles, poems and dedications. Our patron feast.
- Ostara, 20 March. Eggs and seeds.
- Beltane, 1 May. The fires and the maypole.
- Litha, 21 June. The hill and the herbs.
- Lughnasadh, 1 August. The loaf and the games.
- Mabon, 22 September. The harvest supper.
Coming for the first time
- Write first. Send us a note saying which gathering you would like to come to, and we will send details and answer any questions. This is also how we keep the in-person circles safe.
- Bring something for the shared table, a candle, warm clothes if we are outdoors, and a cushion if your knees are like ours. Robes are not required; most of us wear ordinary clothes and a shawl.
- Expect to stand in a circle, to be asked your name (any name), to hear some words you may not know, and to be invited but never required to speak. Nobody will touch you without asking. Nobody will ask you to believe anything.
- You may leave at any point. If the circle is cast, someone will cut you a door.
- Children are welcome at the Sabbat feasts and at the family-friendly parts of the day with a parent or guardian; the evening rituals are for adults.
- Accessibility. Our indoor venues are step-free; our outdoor sites vary and we will tell you honestly. Online gatherings have captions on request. Tell us what you need and we will do our best.
Etiquette in circle
- Phones off and away.
- Move clockwise, deosil, inside the circle once it is cast.
- Do not photograph or record. Some of us are not public about our path, and all of us are entitled to pray unwatched.
- What is said in circle stays in circle.
- If you need to sit, sit. If you need to leave, signal and someone will help.
- Say "blessed be" if you like. "Thank you" works just as well.
Cost
Nothing. Our halls and candles are paid for by Hearthkeepers' contributions and by the hat that goes round at the feast, into which you may put something or nothing. Nobody will know which.