INTERNATIONAL RED GARTERS
                             Sabbats and Esbats
                   Both Tropical and Traditional Reckoning

     Here are the important dates for 1988.  For the Greater Sabbats we have 
listed both the Traditional calender dates (Imbolc = FEB 1, Beltane - APR 30, 
Lughnasadh = JUL 31, Samhain = OCT 31) AND the more accurate Tropical dates.  
Contrary to popular belief, the dates for the Greater Sabbats are dependent on 
the Lesser Sabbats.  While the ancient Celts didn't celebrate the Lesser 
Sabbats, they used them to calculate the dates of the Greater Sabbats.  Each 
of the Greater Sabbats is celebrated on the fortieth evening following the DAY 
of the Solstice or Equinox.  The Lesser Sabbats (Equinoxes and Solstices) are 
determined by the time that the sun enters the Cardinal Elemental Zodiac Sign: 
if the event occurs during darkness, the Sabbat is celebrated that night; if 
it occurs during daylight, it celebrated the night before.  The same rule 
applies to Esbats.  By the old reckoning, the day begins at sundown, rather 
than at midnight as we do now.  Therefore dual dates (i.e. "4/5") mean that 
the celebration begins the night of the first date, and continues till sundown 
of the second date.  

1988      Dual dates, "4/5", mean night  Pacific   Rocky    Central   Eastern
          of the 4th & day of the 5th                Mt
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Jan 3     Capricorn Moon                 05:40pm   06:40pm  07:40pm   08:40pm
Jan 28    Sun enters Aquarius            12:25pm   01:25pm  02:25pm   03:25pm
Jan 30/31 Imbolc, Imbolg, Oimec, 
          ("In the Belly"); Brigit; 
          Al Rabi (Arabic); Candlemas;
          Ground Hog's Day; Spring begins
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Feb 1/2   Aquarius Moon                  12:51pm   01:51pm  02:51pm   03:51pm
                                         FEB 2nd   FEB 2nd  FEB 2nd   FEB 2nd 
Feb 2     Traditional Ground Hog's Day;
          Traditional Candlemas
Feb 15    Lupercalia
Feb 20    Sun enters Pisces              02:35am   03:35am  04:35am   05:35am
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Mar 2/3   Pisces Moon                    08:01am   09:01am  10:01am   11:01am
                                         MAR 3rd   MAR 3rd  MAR 3rd   MAR 3rd
Mar 19/20 Ostara, Oestra; Lady Day;
          Alban Eilir
Mar 20    Sun enters Aries; Spring 
          Equinox                        01:39am   02:39am  03:39am   04:39am
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Apr 1/2   Aries Moon                     01:21am   02:21am  03:21am   04:21am
                                         APR 2     APR 2    APR 2     APR 2
Apr 19    Sun enters Taurus              01:45pm   02:45pm  03:45pm   04:45pm
Apr 28/29 Scottish Beltane, Bealtaine 
          ("Bel Fire", "Lord's Fire"); 
          Cetshamain; Al Saif (Arabic); 
          Roodmas; Summer begins
Apr 30    Traditional Beltane; May Eve; 
          Walpurgis Night
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Apr 30/
  May 1	  Taurus Moon                    04:41pm   05:41pm  06:41pm   07:41pm
                                         MAY 1st   MAY 1st  MAY 1st   MAY 1st
May 1     May Day; Traditional Roodmas   
May 20    Sun enters Gemini              12:57pm   01:57pm  02:57pm   03:57pm
May 30-31 Gemini Moon (Blue Moon)        03:53am   04:53am  05:53am   06:53am
                                         MAY 31st  MAY 31st MAY 31st  MAY 31st
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June 20   Litha; Alban Hefin; 
          St. John's Day; Irish Beltane  
June 20   Sun enters Cancer; Summer 
          Solstice                       08:57pm   09:57pm  10:57pm   11:57pm
June 28   Cancer Moon                    12:46pm   01:46pm  02:46pm   03:46pm
                                         JUN 29th  JUN 29th JUN 29th  JUN 29th
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Jul 16    Iuchar begins
Jul 22    Sun enters Leo                 07:51am   08:51am  09:51am   10:51am
Jul 28    Leo Moon                       08:25pm   09:25pm  10:25pm   11:25pm
Jul 30/31 August Eve; Irish "Lughnasad(h)",
          Scottish "Lunasad(l)", Manx 
          "Laa Luanys" or "Laa Lunys" 
          (Commemeration of Lugh"); 
          Lughna Dubh ("Dark Lugh") begins; 
          Lammas (Loaf Mass); Al Kharif 
          (Arabic); begins Autumn begins
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Aug 13    Iuchar Ends; Lughna Dubh ends
Aug 22    Sun enters Virgo               02:54pm   03:54pm  04:54pm   05:54pm
Aug 26/27 Virgo Moon                     03:56am   04:56am  05:56am   06:56am
                                         AUG 27th  AUG 27th AUG 27th  AUG 27th
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Sep 21/22 Mabon, Alban Elfed, Michaelmas 
Sep 22    Sun enters Libra; Autumn 
          Equinox                        12:29pm   01:29pm  02:29pm   03:29pm
Sep 24/25 Libra Moon                     12:07pm   01:07pm  02:07pm   03:07pm
                                         SEP 25th  SEP 25th SEP 25th  SEP 25th
Oct 22    Sun enters Scorpio             09:44pm   10:44pm  11:44pm   12:44am
Oct 24    Scorpio Moon                   09:35pm   10:35pm  11:35pm   12:35am
Oct 31    Traditional Halloween          
Oct 31/
  Nov 1   Irish Samhain, Scottish Samhuin; 
          Hallowe'en; Ashita (Arabic); 
          Winter begins
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Nov 21    Sun enters Sagitarius          06:12pm   07:12pm  08:12pm   09:12pm
Nov 22/23 Sagitarius Moon                07:53am   08:53am  09:53am   10:53am
                                         NOV 23rd  NOV 23rd NOV 23rd  NOV 23rd
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Dec 20/21 Yule, Geola, Giula, ("Wheel");
          Alban Arthan                   
Dec 21    Sun enters Capricorn; Winter
          Solstice                       07:28am   08:28am  09:28am   10:28am
Dec 22    Capricorn Moon                 09:29pm   10:29pm  11:29pm   12:29am