After my previous article about Imbolc, some of you have asked for a better understanding of the wheel of the year.
The wheel of the year is a yearly cycle of seasonal celebrations. It includes eight festivals, called sabbats. This cycle highlights the four solar events: the summer and winter solstices (the longest and shortest days of the year) and the spring and autumn equinoxes (when day and night are nearly equal in length), along with four mid-point festivals.
Every festival symbolises a transformation in nature and how these changes can be mirrored in our lives and emotions. They also signify death and rebirth, the contrast of darkness and light, and the ideal balance within nature and ourselves.
Yule -Winter Solstice - Shortest day - December
Imbolc - Brigid's Day - First signs of spring - February
Ostara - Spring Equinox - Day and night almost equal - March
Beltane - May Day - Marking the beginning of summer - May
Litha - Summer Solstice - Longest day - June
Lughnasadh - Harvest - First signs of autumn - August
Mabon - Autumn Equinox- Day and night almost equal - September
Samhain - End of harvest - Marking the beginning of winter - October
Each sabbat has an associated folklore and includes a ritual to honour the changes in nature. I don't adhere to any religion or belief other than my own intuition, but I do follow the wheel of the year. To me, it makes perfect sense to align with the rhythm of the seasons. If you set aside the Gregorian calendar for a moment and recognise the transitions from light to dark days, from blooming plants to dormant trees, from breeding to weaning, and acknowledge the periods of abundance, sowing the seeds of new ideas, the letting go, and moments of stillness in our lives to reflect the seasonal changes and sabbats. Add another layer to your awareness by considering the moon cycles, which last 28 days (13 cycles a year) and their impact on nature. Full moons and new moons create spring tides. These tides also occur in trees and plants; as the full moon's light increases, sap flows more actively, and as the light diminishes towards a new moon, the sap flow slows. The moon also moves through a different astrological constellation every 2.5 days, and the constellation the moon is in during a new or full moon creates its own unique energy. All these elements don't naturally fit into the 30 or 31-day months; there is more flow and a deeper connection to nature when we plant by the moon, reflect the shifts and seasons in nature, harness the power of the tides, and work with the elements.
Indeed, the Gregorian calendar is an invaluable tool; in our hectic, schedule-driven lives, it's simpler to set an appointment for 5pm next Tuesday than at sunset during a waxing gibbous moon in Virgo! However, taking the time to acknowledge the changing seasons, moon phases, and tide times helps you reflect on your emotions, your body, and the collective experience. (Just ask anyone in the police force or paramedics—they'll tell you they're always busier during a full moon.) Having a wider awareness of the natural world also enables you to cultivate and harvest stronger, healthier food, be kind to yourself and others, and ultimately enhances your self-awareness and intuition.
Although these things are fun, you don't need to carry out elaborate rituals or believe in goddesses and green men to follow the wheel of the year, and it doesn't have to be on a set date. It is simply about acknowledging the shift in the season and the awakening or quietening of nature. You can do this by taking a mindful walk or just sitting by a tree and observing the wildlife. After all, they are our guides when it comes to honouring the wheel of the year, because it's just about tapping into our animal instinct as the wondrous mammals we are. The foxes, the owls, the badgers, ponies, and all the other creatures don't have a diary in their pocket, but they know how to time their yearly cycles perfectly!
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