The Wheel of The Year: A Beginner's Guide to Celebrating the Traditional Pagan Festivals of the Seasons

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The phrase 'Wheel of the Year' was in use by the mid-1960s to describe this yearly cycle of eight holidays. [8] Prominent Wiccan Aidan Kelly gave names to the Wiccan summer solstice (Litha) and equinox holidays (Ostara and Mabon) in 1974, which were then promoted by Timothy Zell through his Green Egg magazine. [9] Popularization of these names happened gradually; in her 1978 book Witchcraft For Tomorrow, influential Wiccan author Doreen Valiente did not use Kelly's holiday names, instead simply identifying the solstices and equinoxes ("Lesser Sabbats") by their seasons. [10] Valiente identified the four "Greater Sabbats", or fire festivals, by the names Candlemas, May Eve, Lammas, and Hallowe'en, though she also identified their Gaelic counterparts Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasa, and Samhain. [11] Crossroads, W. (2015). Lammas: Where Did It Come From?. Retrieved 6 August 2020, from https://www.patheos.com/blogs/energymagic/2015/07/lammas-where-did-it-come-from/

a b Thomas, Kirk. "The Nature of Sacrifice". Cosmology. Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship . Retrieved 8 November 2012.Whether you consider yourself a witch, Wiccan or pagan or not, you can still celebrate these holidays and the wheel of the year. Think of it as celebrating nature and making the most of each season. What can we let go of and leave behind so we can move forward? What can we physically and mentally clear out to create space for the new? Where do you wish to grow, and what actions can you take toward that growth? Beltane – May 1st

Bradbury, Scott (1995). "Julian's Pagan Revival and the Decline of Blood Sacrifice". Phoenix. 49 (4 (Winter)): 331–356. doi: 10.2307/1088885. JSTOR 1088885. Litha is also known as the Midsummer. The sun is at his most powerful, and the heat of Summer still lies ahead of us. But from now on, he will leave the sky a little earlier each day between now and Yule. Crops are in full growth and are close to maturity as we edge near the first harvest.

I encourage you to make your own choices, too. Ones that truly serve you and align with the woman you’re becoming. Imbolc (Candlemas) – 1st feb Like the spring equinox, Mabon is a time to celebrate balance but also abundance, as the second harvest comes in. Some people call it the Wiccan Thanksgiving as it encourages reflection, gratitude, and sacrifice (in the form of charity). Then again, some Wiccans choose to follow completely different deities, notably from the Greco-Roman pantheons. But you don’t have to honor them if you don’t have a personal connection to them. Remember, most cultures across the world have deities that may fit in with the themes of Wiccan Sabbats. So look into your past and explore until you find the pantheon that feels significant to you! A Study of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year Wheel of the Year. (2020). Retrieved 6 August 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_Year#Autumn_Equinox_(Mabon)