Wheel Of the Year
Alright part two, let’s pick up right where we left off.
Beltane: May 1
Another Celtic fire festival, also known May Day. One of the most well known celebrations of the year. When the earth’s power is strongest, sense of fun and passion to celebration - return of summer. The marking of life as well as the unity involved.
Deities: Bel
Colours: Green & white
Herbs: Rosemary & vanilla
Decorations: Rowan, maypoles, ribbons, candles
The union of the God (sky) and Goddess (earth). So many Wicca marriages, known as Handfastings, will happen at this time.
Maypoles are used, decorated with flowers to symbolize the God and Goddess. Belfires are lit for protection and jumped over for luck.
Here is an article that highlights many traditions of the sabbat.
Litha: June 21-22 (Mid-summer, Summer Solstice)
Celebration of the longest day & shortest night. Turning point - the goddess in pregnant & flourishing, the earth is bathed in light for short time.
Deities: Sun Goddesses
Colours: blue, green, orange, purple, red, yellow
Herbs: all
Decorations: summer flowers, yellow & orange candles
Time to celebrate all you’ve achieved, embrace joy and develop a sense of fun.
Fire plays an important part, and should be used with create caution, even though people will jump through fire to gain a sense of purity. Said to drive out evil and misfortune as representation of the sun.
Little extra info.
Lammas: July 31 - August 1
First harvest festival, the God and Goddess union is complete. A time to give thanks for the blessings in life and reap what you sowed. The sun begins to wane its power - given to the harvest.
Deities: Lugh (Celtic), Demeter
Colours: Gold, orange, yellow
Herbs: Mint and Sage
Decorations: Corn dolls and wheat/grain
Common things to do are make bread and corn dolls. There’s not much to this one, here’s a little more info.
Mabon: Around September 21
Held on a equinox, both day and night, light and dark are in perfect balance. Time to celebrate the fruit of your labour. Time to honour the crone part of the goddess and accept that winter will overtake the earth to replenish it’s beauty.
Deities: Demeter, Hekate
Colours: Orange, red
Spices: Frankincense, juniper, marigold
Decorations: Red Apples, acorns, pine cones
This is also a time to honor the Sun god as he has passed as the days get shorter. Another Harvest festival held mid-harvest.
Samhain: October 31 (All Hallows Eve, Summer’s End)
End of the summer and beginning of the darker half of the year. Winter is coming (Jon Snow said dramatically) so we thank the deities for all they have given us.
Deities: Deities of the Underworld
Colours: Black, gold, orange
Herbs/Spices: Sage, Allspice
Decorations: Pumpkins, photos of passed loved one
The highest of holy days for Wiccan’s. A time to remember lost loved ones and honour the absent sun God who will be reincarnated as the Child of promise at the winter solstice.
New Year’s Day (which I just learned, good to know.) The veil between is thinnest this time of year, to allow spirits to wander.
More Info.
Yule: December 21 (Winter Solstice)
Extra Information
Shortest day of the year, when the Goddess prepares to once again give birth to the new sun. Often called “the dark night of the soul”. A time for hope, when in the darkness is the spark of life and light is reborn. A time to give thanks.
Deities: Brigid, Diana, Apollo
Colours: Gold, green, red, white
Herbs/Spices: Bayberry, frankincense, pine
Decorations: Yule log, evergreen trees branches (holly & ivy), mistletoe
Represented through the symbol of the wheel, as if the year is turning to the next stage. Holly and ivy invite in good fortune.
It was this day that gave the idea to Christmas as many traditions can be seen in the christian holiday.
And that’s the year my friends. Thank you to all of those books I had to cross reference with websites. Hope this information explains a few things.
Beltane: May 1
Another Celtic fire festival, also known May Day. One of the most well known celebrations of the year. When the earth’s power is strongest, sense of fun and passion to celebration - return of summer. The marking of life as well as the unity involved.
Deities: Bel
Colours: Green & white
Herbs: Rosemary & vanilla
Decorations: Rowan, maypoles, ribbons, candles
The union of the God (sky) and Goddess (earth). So many Wicca marriages, known as Handfastings, will happen at this time.
Maypoles are used, decorated with flowers to symbolize the God and Goddess. Belfires are lit for protection and jumped over for luck.
Here is an article that highlights many traditions of the sabbat.
 |
| May Pole |
Litha: June 21-22 (Mid-summer, Summer Solstice)
Celebration of the longest day & shortest night. Turning point - the goddess in pregnant & flourishing, the earth is bathed in light for short time.
Deities: Sun Goddesses
Colours: blue, green, orange, purple, red, yellow
Herbs: all
Decorations: summer flowers, yellow & orange candles
Time to celebrate all you’ve achieved, embrace joy and develop a sense of fun.
Fire plays an important part, and should be used with create caution, even though people will jump through fire to gain a sense of purity. Said to drive out evil and misfortune as representation of the sun.
Little extra info.
Lammas: July 31 - August 1
First harvest festival, the God and Goddess union is complete. A time to give thanks for the blessings in life and reap what you sowed. The sun begins to wane its power - given to the harvest.
Deities: Lugh (Celtic), Demeter
Colours: Gold, orange, yellow
Herbs: Mint and Sage
Decorations: Corn dolls and wheat/grain
Common things to do are make bread and corn dolls. There’s not much to this one, here’s a little more info.
Mabon: Around September 21
Held on a equinox, both day and night, light and dark are in perfect balance. Time to celebrate the fruit of your labour. Time to honour the crone part of the goddess and accept that winter will overtake the earth to replenish it’s beauty.
Deities: Demeter, Hekate
Colours: Orange, red
Spices: Frankincense, juniper, marigold
Decorations: Red Apples, acorns, pine cones
This is also a time to honor the Sun god as he has passed as the days get shorter. Another Harvest festival held mid-harvest.
Samhain: October 31 (All Hallows Eve, Summer’s End)
End of the summer and beginning of the darker half of the year. Winter is coming (Jon Snow said dramatically) so we thank the deities for all they have given us.
Deities: Deities of the Underworld
Colours: Black, gold, orange
Herbs/Spices: Sage, Allspice
Decorations: Pumpkins, photos of passed loved one
The highest of holy days for Wiccan’s. A time to remember lost loved ones and honour the absent sun God who will be reincarnated as the Child of promise at the winter solstice.
 |
| Wiccan Symbol Jack-o-lanterns |
New Year’s Day (which I just learned, good to know.) The veil between is thinnest this time of year, to allow spirits to wander.
More Info.
Yule: December 21 (Winter Solstice)
Shortest day of the year, when the Goddess prepares to once again give birth to the new sun. Often called “the dark night of the soul”. A time for hope, when in the darkness is the spark of life and light is reborn. A time to give thanks.
Deities: Brigid, Diana, Apollo
Colours: Gold, green, red, white
Herbs/Spices: Bayberry, frankincense, pine
Decorations: Yule log, evergreen trees branches (holly & ivy), mistletoe
Represented through the symbol of the wheel, as if the year is turning to the next stage. Holly and ivy invite in good fortune.
It was this day that gave the idea to Christmas as many traditions can be seen in the christian holiday.
 |
| Yule Log |
And that’s the year my friends. Thank you to all of those books I had to cross reference with websites. Hope this information explains a few things.
Till next time.
Blessed Be.
Dani
Blessed Be.
Dani
It's good that you've taken the time to explain our holidays, since very few people actually know about them. Having this extra information is beneficial because I didn't even know some of this (still learning). Have you ever made a corn doll before, because I haven't.
ReplyDeleteNo I haven't because during these times of the year I find myself busy and can not do a proper ritual. So I just say a prayer. And I'm still learning myself so I don't the corn doll would look at nice if I tried.
Delete