The Wheel of the Year
Holidays and festivals of Witches/Pagans/Wiccans.
Samhain – 31st October
Yule – 21st December
Imbolic – 2nd February
Oestare – 21st March
Beltane –1st May
Litha – 21st June
Lammas – 1st August
Madron – 21st September
The Eight Sabbats are the major festivals of the Witches year and together they form the wheel of the Year.
They celebrate the changes in nature’s cycle and that of the Goddess and God.
The Four major Sabbats are Samhain, Imbolic, Beltane and Lammas; these festivals are the four fire festivals of old.
The other four are the two Equinoxes and Solstices of the year, although dates are specified they will vary from year to year.
Samhain – 31st October
This is the most important date in the Wheel of the year. It marks the beginning and end of the year. On this date the veil between worlds is at it thinnest and it is considered to be a night when the spirits of those who have passed on may revisit us.
It is also marks the change of the goddess to her crone image, the old woman of wisdom. For this reason divination is commonly practiced at this time. This is also the time when the horned God leads the ‘Wild Hunt’, this is the gathering of souls who have passed on or strayed this year.
Yule – 21st December
This is the winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. This day also marks the rebirth of life in to the lands, as the sun will now begin to shine longer and warm the earth in which life sleeps.
This day is the day that the Oak King is reborn, the Lord of Summer begins his return to the land as the days begiin to lengthen. His battle with the Holy King, who has ruled for the past months, represents the light and dark of all life. It is common to have holy about to symbolise the passing of the holly king who has ruled until this time. The red berries also represent the goddess and the life returning to the land.
This is also the origin of the Yule Log, on to which each person in the group will place a candle and which represents the rebirth of life into the world, up on lighting each candle a wish will be made for the following year.
Imbolic – 2nd February
The light of the life has now return to the land and the first signs of spring our showing, there are buds on the trees and flowers will begin to bloom. Imbolic means “In the Belly”, and refers to the fact that many animals will be with young at this time of year.
At this time the Goddess will assume her role as the maiden, the god who was reborn at Yule has know reached manhood and will begin his pursuit of the Goddess.
Oestare – 21st March
Oestare is the spring equinox and is seen as a time of balance, here we throw out the old and take in the new. We look at ourselves to contemplate our good and bad points, we try to reduce our bad points and strengthen the good ones. This is also where the tradition of spring-cleaning comes from.
At this time spring is well underway and life has return everywhere. The ritual of Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny come from Oestare as they are used to represent the rebirth of life.
Beltane – 1st May
Beltane is the second most important ritual of the witch’s year. It is a day to celebrate the union of the Goddess and the God or the great rite as it is more commonly known. It is also a fire festival and it is common for fire jumping rituals to be performed as this is said to promote fertility of mind and body for the following year.
This date is an intercalary day and is considered to be a date when the veil is thin, however unlike Samhain the spirits abroad are more mischievous and divination at this time is likely to be somewhat tricky. Also it considered a tricky time for magic as it has a way of turn out not entirely as you wanted.
Litha – 21st of June
This is the summer solstice when the day is at it longest. It is also the time when the year begins its descent into the winter months. This event is symbolised by the battle between the Oak King and the Holly king, this time the Holly King wins and resides until Yule.
The Goddess is now full with child and represents the coming harvest and treasures of the earth. This date is often considered to be a time of magic and it is common for many rituals to be performed at this time of year.
This is also a time of contemplation for the year is beginning its move towards the winter months.
Lammas – 1st August
Lammas is the celebration of the first harvest and it is believed that the God dies at this time of year to provide the harvest and the slaying of a corn king often represents this.
The first corn of the year would have been traditionally baked in to loaves and eaten at the festival, this is also a representation of the God's sacrifices at this time of the year. This time also marks the rebirth of the God for at this time the goddess will give birth to the god in his youthful aspect.
Madron – 21st September
Madron is the autumn equinox when day and night are again equal. It is similar to Oestare in that we contemplate what we have achieved, but is also a time for forgiveness and healing.
In day of old this was traditional the time of release for prisoners taken in battle. It was also the time when the last harvest had been take and people prepared for the coming winter.
This brings us to Samhain and the wheel of the year starts again.
