The Wheel of the Year
by Blayze

There are many pagan paths and not all of them celebrate the same festivals. There may be similarities in what is being honoured but the amount of festivals that a path celebrates, the timing of those festivals and their focus changes from path to path. This can make it very confusing to someone who is trying to find out about the festivals that they wish to celebrate.

Most Wiccans celebrate 8 sabbats, some witchcraft paths celebrate 10 and others 4. The focus of the festivals also changes depending on which pantheon a group or individual may be worshipping at the time.

I view the standard, generic Wiccan wheel of the year as a created mythology, which is overlayed upon the agricultural and seasonal changes throughout one yearly cycle. It works in that it allows access to the deeper mysteries of what is happening in and around ourselves.

Whatever the mythology or structure that is used, one should try to stick to the same mythology  for a whole cycle and observe how the mysteries, the physical and the spiritual, come together. 

This workshop examines the mythologies and mysteries associated with the Sabbats of modern Wiccan practice. It is divided into several sections including a brief outline of names, dates and order of the Sabbats, an overview of the main aspects of each festival and its correspondences, and an interpretation of the mythological cycle of the Wheel of the Year and the associated Mysteries contained within each Sabbat

Around the circle are placed 8 altars. These altars correspond to one Sabbat each and are aligned for Southern Hemisphere workings. The directions and representations for each of these Sabbat altars will be outlined later in the workshop.

The Sabbats in the Southern Hemisphere

As we are in Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere, we will work with the dates that correspond to our seasons here.

The Witches Year begins and ends with Samhain and so the first Sabbat we will look at is Yule. Note that the dates for the Solstices and Equinoxes are not exact as these dates change each year but tend to fall within the three day period given below.

The Eight Sabbats in order are

Yule: The Midwinter Solstice
Southern Hemisphere 21st - 23rd June
Northern Hemisphere 21st - 23rd December

Imbolc: Imbolg, Candlemas
Southern Hemisphere 2nd August
Northern Hemisphere 2nd February

Ostara: Eostre, Spring Equinox
Southern Hemisphere 21st - 23rd September
Northern Hemisphere 21st - 23rd March

Beltane: Beltaine, May Day, Love Festival
Southern Hemisphere 1st November
Northern Hemisphere 1st May

Litha: Midsummer Solstice
Southern Hemisphere 21st - 23rd December
Northern Hemisphere 21st - 23rd June

Lughnasadh: Lammas, Harvestfest
Southern Hemisphere 2nd February
Northern Hemisphere 2nd August

Mabon: Maybon, Autumnal Equinox
Southern Hemisphere 21st - 23rd March
Northern Hemisphere 21st - 23rd September

Samhain: Hallowe’en
Southern Hemisphere 29th April
Northern Hemisphere 31st October

As above it can been seen that the Southern Hemisphere festivals are celebrated 6 months from the Northern Hemisphere festivals. This is so that in Australia, Midsummer is celebrated in Summer and Midwinter in Winter.

Wiccans celebrate 4 Lesser Sabbats which are the equinoxes and solstices and 4 Greater Sabbats which are more agricultural than astronomical. Each of the festivals have their opposite festival in the Wheel.

YULE: Midwinter 			>>>	LITHA: Midsummer	
IMBOLC: Returning of first light	>>>	LUGHNASADH: Fading of light and the first harvest	
OSTARA: Spring Equinox		>>>	MABON: Autumn Equinox
BELTANE: Spring turning to		>>>	SAMHAIN: Autumn turning to 	 
Summer and Union of God 			Winter and the Union of God  
and Goddess in the Greenwood		and Goddess in the Otherworld

The Sabbats are cyclical, each one leads to the next and they do not stand alone. 

Overview of the Sabbats 

Yule
Yule is the time of the shortest day and longest night. Midwinter - the time of greatest darkness. At Yule the Child of Promise is born, light born at the time of darkness. At Yule we celebrate the potential of the return of the Sun’s power as from now on Light / Sunshine will return to the world in greater amounts.

In some mythologies Yule is a time of battle between the Light and the Dark, the Oak King and the Holly King, it is also the time of the great Hunt, replenishing the supply of meat to see out the Winter. It is therefore a time of feasting also, where the stores that will not last are eaten and the success of the Hunt is celebrated. 

At this time of darkness, when food can be scarce it is also a time when the old would set themselves in the cold to die to lighten the load on those who remained.

Midwinter, coldest and darkest time of the year. A time to share handmade gifts made throughout the long idle time of winter, a time to decorate an evergreen tree with symbols of returning Sun, to encourage growth in the spring. Bring a flaming torch from the forest, symbol of the birth of the Sun that all may be warmed by its flame.

Symbols of Yule include
Holly - for its evergreen leaves and rich red berries. It is still green in winter when even the Oak has lost its leaves and when the berries fall they are as the blood upon the snow.
Red and Green - for the holly, for the potential of returning green to the land, for the blood of hunt and from the birth of the Sun and the red of the holly berries.
White - for the winter. Shining symbols of sun and flame hung on an evergreen tree to honour the rebirth of the sun.

Yule altar
Objects of red and green, winter greenery including holly, images of the stag of the Hunt which also represents the Child who will become the Horned One, symbols of the Sun.

Imbolc
Imbolc is the time that marks the first stirring of spring in the Land. The days are becoming noticeably longer and the first flowers of spring appear. It is a celebration marked by the lactation of the ewes and the birth of the lambs. It is also a festival of the Maiden and of Light, this idea comes together in the crown of candles sometimes worn by the Maiden. It is a time of female initiation into womanhood.

It can also be regarded as a festival of the hearth… a time when new fires are lit and a time of new beginnings, new journeys and journeying deeper on present paths.

As the festival of the Maiden it honours the potential of fertility in all things and traditionally the blessings of the Spring Maiden are bestowed upon all present as well as the fields that are being prepared for later planting. 

Symbols of Imbolc include
Brighid’s bed and Brighid corn doll - traditionally taken from house to house with the corn doll finally laid in a basket / bed by the hearth. A phallic wand is also placed in the bed and if an imprint of the wand is seen in the ashes the next morning then fertility and blessings will be upon those who dwell in the house.
Crown of Candles - symbol of the Maiden and the returning light.
The first flowers of spring - as an offering to the Gods and an honouring of the coming spring.
Colours are White and Green for the maiden and spring growth. 

Imbolc Altar
Candles representing the maiden or the maiden, mother and crone. Crown of candles. First flowers of spring.

Ostara
Ostara marks the celebration of the Spring Equinox, the time when day and night equal, however it also signifies that from this date forward the days are definitely becoming longer as we head to the longest day at Midsummer. Where Imbolc is the time of female initiation, Ostara is the time of initiation for the Male coming into manhood. The progression of the Young Stag to the Horned One also occurs at this time.

Ostara is marked by the growth of spring, it is also a time for planting the seeds to be reaped the following year… usually the seeds that were collected from the harvest at Mabon, Ostara’s opposite festival on the wheel.

Symbols of Ostara
Eggs and Seeds - Eggs and seeds represent the growing cycle within the earth and within ourselves… the potential inception of events to be harvested at a later date.
Spring Flowers - Spring is well and truly upon us by the equinox and we celebrate by offering bright and scented flowers to the Gods and by smelling them ourselves to remind us that the winter is truly over and all things, whilst at rest at this time of equality, will continue to grow.

Ostara altar
Representations of the Horned One. Spring flowers, Eggs and seeds, Pot of earth for planting.

Beltane
Beltane is the time to celebrate the turning of spring into summer. It is a time of fertility and celebration of the Union of Goddess and God.  As a fertility festival it is usually wilder than any of the other festivals, a time for love and renewing of friendships. A time for gathering flowers and making love in the Greenwood.

Beltane symbolises the union of many ideas, the weaving together of lives and loves and the celebration of that. Most Beltane rituals will involve the dancing of the Maypole… the weaving and twining of ribbons and male and female energies together. The wedding of the May Queen and her consort the May King, Moon and Sun, Earth and Sky. The coming together of powers to renew and regenerate the land. The sowing of the seed of man into the womb of the woman… the seed planted in the earth. A time to dance, sing, make music and love all in their praise. A time to leap the Bale fire and consign old memories and acts to the flames… to go forth in a new union.

Symbols of Beltane
Red and White - The red of the blood of the fertile woman, the white of the seed of the fertile man. The weaving together of these.
Ribbons - the weaving of lives together.
Fire - To cleanse in preparation for the union. To bless and to represent the sun and summer.

Beltane altar
Handfasting cord of red and white, Red and White flowers with greenery, Loving cup, Pink Candle

Litha
Litha is the time of the Midsummer Solstice, the time of the Longest Day and Shortest Night. A time when the power of the Sun is at it’s height. It is the last day of solar pre-eminence before the shadows enter the land and the days become shorter. At this time we celebrate under the heat of the Sun but as the shadows encroach upon us at the end of the longest day we are reminded of the potential of the sacrifice which is to come. 

Litha is also a time of maturing and maturity. The maturity of the Sun and Son’s power, the maturing of the Child within the Womb of the Goddess / Queen and the maturing of the grain in the fields.  It is our creativity and our fertility which has also come into maturity and we celebrate this as well. Fertility can also be celebrated at Litha as well as Beltane and many rituals include the plunging of a spear or lance into a cauldron or running water to enact the sacred union.

Symbols of Litha
Sun symbols to acknowledge and honour the power of the Sun. Oak leaves for the Oak King
Summer fruits - use as offerings and drink cold fruit punches made of the summer’s bounty
Wicker Man - to burn as an offering or to take into itself our prayers or changes to be made within ourselves. These are released as the wicker man is burnt.
Cauldron and Spear
Athame and Chalice

Litha altar
Colours of yellow, red and gold. Colours of the Sun, Bowl of Summer Fruit, Cauldron of Water, Spear or Knife, Wicker Man, Solar Wheel

Lammas
Lammas is the time of the first harvest. The grain has ripened and is cut down. The child conceived at Beltane is born. The Sun’s power is weaning though not yet equal to the dark.

We celebrate the harvest and acknowledge the sacrifice made through the cutting of the grain. This continues the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

In some traditions the last sheaf of wheat is saved and acknowledged as  the Sovereignty of the Land. All share in the sacrifice of the King by  throwing their sickles at the Last Sheaf. This means that no one person takes the responsibility for the sacrifice - all take this upon themselves equally.

Symbols of Lammas
Bread and grain for the harvest. 
A sickle to cut the grain, offerings of the harvest and a sharing of the bounty. The saving of the seed grain from the harvest.

Lammas Altar
Wheat, sickle, bread, corn dolly.

Mabon
Mabon brings us to equal day and night once more, but this time it is the night / darkness that will be in the ascendant. It is the Autumn Equinox and darkness has truly entered the Land. 

The Child born at Lammas has come into his power with the ripening of the second harvest. Mabon is a time if challenge and descent as well as further sacrifice.

It is an acknowlegement of growing older and taking responsibility that comes with that. The days have been getting shorter as the powers of the Sun diminish. It is a time for journeys - for ourselves, our deities and for the harvest.

Mabon symbols
Fruits of the harvest - Corn and wheat, divination, Sun and Moon symbols, Autumn leaves.

Mabon altar
Wheat - Seasonal fruit and vegetables, Autumn leaves. 

Samhain
Samhain is a time to acknowledge the Otherworld - the time when autumn is changing to winter. A time to remember those who have gone before, to remember our beloved dead. At this time the veil between the Worlds is thin and we can feast with our beloved dead and our ancestors.

As the festival opposite to Beltane it is also a time of union, of joining with those who are no longer on this plane, just as the Goddess descneds and joins with her Lord in the Otherworld. The child born at Yule is conceived at this time.

Samhain symbols
Apple - The fruit of life which holds the seeds of death.
Pomegranate - The fruit of death which holds the seeds of life.
Pumpkins and Squash - Feasting with the Ancestors and Beloved dead. 
Colours - Black and silver for night and moon.

Samhain altar
Pumpkins, apples, pomegranate, Cup of the Dead.

Mystery and Mythological Cycle of the Wheel of the Year
The Wiccan Wheel of the Year is just that, a Wheel. It is cyclical in nature and as such has no beginning and no end. There are points that mark renewals of phases but all of the mythology flows back into itself.

This can cause confusion as there can seem to be conflicting issues or Sabbats that have similar themes. Most events in the wheel are paired but the focus tends to shift to one main occurrence and one lesser occurrence. Again, this can cause some confusion. There is also the blending of different stories, mythologies and mysteries to cope with.

I am going to outline one mythological cycle. This may not highlight some of the more well known themes of the Sabbats but will serve to show the cyclical nature of the Sabbats as reflected by what is happening around us. Remember, this is only one of many mythological cycles and does not really tie in to a specific pantheon. It is more an eclectic and generic blending of many ideas into a cohesive whole.

The Sun is seen as representing the male aspect of the God / Horned One / King / Lord of Death and Resurrection. The potential fertility of all things is represented by the Earth who is also the Goddess of many faces. She is eternal no matter what aspect she shows to us. Her aspects can also be seen to change as the seasons change. She is also the Moon who controls the tides. She may hide her face in darkness but she is always there.

As we began with Yule in the overview, so we will start our mythic journey there as well.

At the time of greatest darkness, the light is reborn into the world in the form of the Child of Promise. This child is born from the union of Goddess and God in the otherworld. The Child brings the promise of Light returning with his birth.

At Imbolc we see the face of the Maiden, of spring and the renewing of life energies within the Land. The Child born at Yule is also effected by the coming spring. He is growing into the Young Stag and starts to feel the tides of Moon, Sun and Season running in his blood. This is highlighted when he sees the maiden for the first time. His mate and his other half. Yet now is not the time for union with the Maiden as he has not yet reached his maturity. 

The frisky Young Stag will have to wait a little longer for his rite of passage into manhood. It is time for the Maiden to undergo her own initiation and become a woman. The Young Stag is attracted to the Maiden and the chase is on. The footsteps of the Young Stag and the Maiden wake the energies of life within the Land.

Time passes and we come to the Spring Equinox - a time of balanced day and night. Now is the time for the Young Stag to become the Horned One, his time of initiation to bring his power into balance with that of the Maiden. She who carries within herself the potential of the Mother / Queen as the Horned One now carries the potential of the Father / King. The chase continues.

We arrive now at Beltane - Spring’s turning and the chase is now over. The Horned One chases the Maiden to find that she has caught him instead. They lay down amongst the trees and with their union the Land is made fertile once more. They are as King and Queen in the Green Wood.

By the time of the Midsummer Solstice the Horned One has come into his Sovereign power. He is stronger than he has ever been and the long hot days of summer are upon us. But suddenly a shadow appears on the longest day. A dark stranger who claims the Land and the Queen both. The King is strong and battles the Challenger for his right to rule. He will not accept the loss of his love, his Queen and their unborn child.

During the battle the King takes a wound in the thigh. He is still strong though and the wound does not kill him. The Dark Stranger is defeated but the shadow still remains in the Land and the days become shorter as the King’s power wanes.

At the first harvest the child conceived at Beltane is born, child of the sacred union. But what of the King Stag when the Young Stag is grown? The King is now aging and he has never fully recovered from his wound taken in battle with the Dark Stranger. Will his power hold? Will he be cut down like the grain?

The child is growing into a Youth and when Day and Night are equal once more the Youth challenges his Father for the right to rule. They encounter each other in the forest and once again the King is forced to defend himself - this time against the Child of his own seed.

But day and night are equal so the King and his Son are equally matched. During the battle the King realises that he is fighting an aspect of himself, both deal fatal blows at the same time. With their deaths, Father and Son descend to the Otherworld where they are transformed into the Lord of Death and Resurrection.

The Queen witnesses the fatal moment and the Goddess keens for her lost Husband / Lover / Son.

The time of equal day and night passes - darkness descends upon the Land. The Queen in her grief has become the Crone, yet she is still powerful and she has the knowledge of ages behind her. She sees her Husband / Lover / Son lead the Wild Hunt and she seeks to follow him on his return to the Otherworld. At the time when the veil between the Worlds is thinnest she descends to the Otherworld to be with her Lord. She enacts the mysteries of Death and is joined with Him once more.

From this union the Child of Promise is born from darkness, and light again returns to the world on the longest night.

Alignments and Correspondences
When performing Sabbat rituals the altar can be repositioned around the circumference of the circle to  align with the Sabbats as they occur on the Wheel of the Year. If you do choose to move the altar around the wheel then it is a good idea to be  consistent and move it for each Sabbat. It is also important to stick to one  direction of movement, such as anti-clockwise for the Southern Hemisphere or  clockwise for the Northern Hemisphere.  In the Southern Hemisphere we would have the altar for Litha in the North as  this is the Sabbat of greatest light, being the Midsummer Solstice, the  longest day. North represents Midday and the Place of greatest light. 
  
Moving deosil (anti-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere) we would see Lughnasadh in the cross-quarter of the North-West. This is the first harvest  and a time when the light has only just begun to wane. It is the period  between Midday and Sunset. Moving to the West we come to Mabon, the Autum  Equinox. The time of Sunset and the second harvest. The time when the God  descends to the Otherworld. Samhain would then be placed in the South-West. The time between Sunset and  Midnight, the time between the Worlds. The nights are growing longer as we  approach winter. Yule is the Midwinter Soltice, the longest night. It is  appropriate then that this festival would fall in the place of greatest  darkness, the South. The time of midnight. Note how the Solstices fall  opposite each other on the wheel. 
 
Continuing in our anti-clockwise movement around the wheel we come to the  South-East and Imbolc. A cross-quarter again. A time of emerging light. The  false dawn between Midnight and Sunrise. A festival celebrating the first light after the long dark of Winter. This brings us to Ostara, where day and  night are equal once more. The East, Sunrise and the place of new beginnings. Dawning of a new season of light and birth.   Beltane is then placed in the North-East. The time between Sunrise and  Midday. The celebration of Spring moving into Summer and the fertility of the Land. The time when passions are at their height, moving to the heady  Summer of the North once again.   

The same applies for altar placement in the Northern Hemisphere when you  plot it on an eight spoked wheel.. The alignment, moving clockwise around the wheel is as follows: North - Yule, North East -  Imbolc, East - Ostara, South East - Beltane, South - Litha, South West - Lughnasadh, West - Mabon,  North West - Samhain,  and back to Yule in the North.  It is interesting to note that the positions of Mabon and Ostara do not change for either  Hemisphere. Yet even though they stay at West and East they still fit in the  cycle as in the Southern Hemisphere we move around the wheel in an  anti-clockwise direction and in the Northern Hemisphere in a clockwise  direction. This quirk of plotting occurs because Mabon and Ostara are the Equinoxes, both Day and Night are equal.   

Placing the altar around the Circle at different points on the Wheel can be a useful tool in helping us to understand the relationships of the Sabbats  and how the journey of the Wheel of Life impacts on our lives and the world  around us. Decorating the altar for each Sabbat is a wonderful experience  and serves to keep us in touch with each celebration. 

The alignments for each Sabbat are as follows:

Yule:	South & Midnight
Imbolc:	South East & between Midnight and Sunrise
Ostara: 	East & Sunrise
Beltane:	NorthEast & Between Sunrise and Midday.
Litha:	North & Midday
Lughnasadh:	NorthWest & Between Midday and Sunset
Mabon:	West & Sunset
Samhain:	SouthWest & Between Sunset & Midnight

Bibliography
Phillips, Julia & Matthew. The Witches of Oz , CapallBann Publishing
Meyers, Stuart. Between the Worlds. Llewellyn Publications
Cunningham, Scott. Wicca, A guide for the solitary practioner. Llewellyn Publications
K, Amber. True Magick, Llewellyn Publications.
Material adapted from Applegrove & Circle of the Hearth Teaching Notes by Gabrielle Cleary.
All artwork is by Gabrielle Cleary.