Wheel of the Year

The Cauldron's server is expensive and requires monthly payments. Please become a Bronze, Silver or Gold Donor if you can. Donations are needed every month. Without member support, we can't afford the server.

Or donate directly via Paypal

This message board is The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's SMF Archive Board. It is closed to new memberships and to posting, but there are over 250,000 messages here that you can still search and read -- many full of interesting and useful information. (This board was open from February 2007 through June 2011).

Our new vBulletin discussion board is located at http://www.ecauldron.com/forum/ -- if you would like to participate in discussions like those you see here, please visit our new vBulletin message board, register an account and join in our discussions. We hope you will find the information in this message archive useful and will consider joining us on our new board.

[Smoke]

Okay so I've been putting off asking this for a while but I decided to ask now.

What's the eightfold wheel of the year? And what are the holidays/festivals/sabbats/whatever their names are on them? What are the about? Can someone tell me a bit about them?

If so I'd really apprecaite it. Thanks

-Smoke

[Jenett]

Okay so I've been putting off asking this for a while but I decided to ask now.

What's the eightfold wheel of the year? And what are the holidays/festivals/sabbats/whatever their names are on them? What are the about? Can someone tell me a bit about them?

The wheel of the year comes out of Wiccan and some strands of modern Druid practice: there are a bunch of different ways different groups/paths/traditions look at it. There are also variations on names.

One is a linked myth cycle of the God and Goddess - where the God is born from the Goddess at Yule, grows through the spring, they become lovers at Beltane, and the God sacrifices himself for the good of the harvest sometime in the fall. (Depending on the group, this might be Lammas, Mabon, or Samhain.)

Another deity myth variation is two Gods - the Holly King and the Oak King, most commonly - each ruling for half the year, and switching places when they weaken. (Some traditions have this happen at the Equinoxes, some at the Solstices).

Another way of looking at it is growth tied to the agricultural cycle - this works particularly well in places where the weather is similar to northernish Europe. It needs some adaptation in other climates.

A related way (and one that's less place dependent) is to look at it as a cycle of personal transformation and growth: taking the time between Samhain and Yule to rest and reflect, then to pick a goal, plant it at Imbolc, nourish it through the growing season, harvest it at Mabon, and repeat.

http://wicca.timerift.net/sabbat.shtml and http://www.witchessabbats.com/ have a lot more general information, including dates and common names and the more common variants.

[Smoke]

The wheel of the year comes out of Wiccan and some strands of modern Druid practice: there are a bunch of different ways different groups/paths/traditions look at it. There are also variations on names.

One is a linked myth cycle of the God and Goddess - where the God is born from the Goddess at Yule, grows through the spring, they become lovers at Beltane, and the God sacrifices himself for the good of the harvest sometime in the fall. (Depending on the group, this might be Lammas, Mabon, or Samhain.)

Another deity myth variation is two Gods - the Holly King and the Oak King, most commonly - each ruling for half the year, and switching places when they weaken. (Some traditions have this happen at the Equinoxes, some at the Solstices).

Another way of looking at it is growth tied to the agricultural cycle - this works particularly well in places where the weather is similar to northernish Europe. It needs some adaptation in other climates.

A related way (and one that's less place dependent) is to look at it as a cycle of personal transformation and growth: taking the time between Samhain and Yule to rest and reflect, then to pick a goal, plant it at Imbolc, nourish it through the growing season, harvest it at Mabon, and repeat.

http://wicca.timerift.net/sabbat.shtml and http://www.witchessabbats.com/ have a lot more general information, including dates and common names and the more common variants.

So do you like celebrate the things on it? Does every practice follow it or only a few?

[Jenett]

So do you like celebrate the things on it? Does every practice follow it or only a few?

Ah - now I see where you're starting from. (Have you read the Teens and Paganism FAQ that a number of us on the forum helped put together? It's got some really good starting info that seems like it might be helpful to you too. http://old.ecauldron.net/teensandpaganismfaq.php is the link to download it...)

Exactly what people do on it depends on several things.

First of all, not every Pagan path celebrates the Wheel (like I said earlier, it's mostly Wicca, Wiccan-based paths, and some Druidic paths that do... Reconstructionists would celebrate the festivals of their path.)

Four of the Sabbats (those eight festivals on the wheel - Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnassadh, and Samhain) do come from Celtic practice, but they weren't necessarily quite at the same time or celebrated in the same way as those other paths do now.

Many people who celebrate the Sabbats celebrate all 8, but some people celebrate only four - I know people who only celebrate the Celtic ones, and I know people who only celebrate the other four, the solstices and equinoxes. (And I know people who celebrate other combinations, though at that point, calling it a 'wheel' makes a little less sense.)

Do I? Yes: I'm an initiate and priestess in a Wiccan-derived tradition. My tradition leans toward the idea of the Wheel as a process of self-transformation, but we also have some specific practices around particular Sabbats.

For example, for us, the summer solstice is a time to revision what we want for group work and for our place in it, as well as a time to celebrate the work we've already put in on our own personal goals. At Samhain, we honor our ancestors, but we do so with some specific ritual pieces (and it's the one ritual in our practice besides initiations that doesn't change much from year to year, other than practical changes like how many people we're splitting roles between, or where we're doing it.)

My actual ritual practice is a little varied these days from what I'd prefer (my coven being on hiatus mostly until I get a new job, as that job might require a move.) But the upcoming Sabbat is Mabon or the fall equinox - it also happens to be my birthday. Generally, we combine it into a party with lots of good food and interesting things to drink, and a chance to reflect on the past year, and what we'd like to have happen in the coming year that builds on the harvest from this year.

However, this year, the party part is waiting until later in October (one of my dear friends is out of town until then, and has offered to host), so my own celebration is going to be much more personal than usual. I plan to sit down and think (and write down) what I want my coming year to be about, to do some divination, and to do some magical workings to help that come about. I've been working up to that for a few weeks already: creating a prosperity statue that I intend to use, picking up other things that I want to have be part of the day. And, of course, since it's a *practical* harvest festival, thinking about what food and drink I want to have that day.

Traditionally, Sabbats are more a time of celebration and general focus, rather than a time for formal magical working or spellcraft (those usually happen at the Esbats - the full and/or new moon celebrations, especially the full moon). This year, Mabon and the full moon come very close to overlapping, so combining them makes more sense.

[Smoke]

Ah - now I see where you're starting from. (Have you read the Teens and Paganism FAQ that a number of us on the forum helped put together? It's got some really good starting info that seems like it might be helpful to you too. http://old.ecauldron.net/teensandpaganismfaq.php is the link to download it...)

Exactly what people do on it depends on several things.

First of all, not every Pagan path celebrates the Wheel (like I said earlier, it's mostly Wicca, Wiccan-based paths, and some Druidic paths that do... Reconstructionists would celebrate the festivals of their path.)

Four of the Sabbats (those eight festivals on the wheel - Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnassadh, and Samhain) do come from Celtic practice, but they weren't necessarily quite at the same time or celebrated in the same way as those other paths do now.

Many people who celebrate the Sabbats celebrate all 8, but some people celebrate only four - I know people who only celebrate the Celtic ones, and I know people who only celebrate the other four, the solstices and equinoxes. (And I know people who celebrate other combinations, though at that point, calling it a 'wheel' makes a little less sense.)

Do I? Yes: I'm an initiate and priestess in a Wiccan-derived tradition. My tradition leans toward the idea of the Wheel as a process of self-transformation, but we also have some specific practices around particular Sabbats.

For example, for us, the summer solstice is a time to revision what we want for group work and for our place in it, as well as a time to celebrate the work we've already put in on our own personal goals. At Samhain, we honor our ancestors, but we do so with some specific ritual pieces (and it's the one ritual in our practice besides initiations that doesn't change much from year to year, other than practical changes like how many people we're splitting roles between, or where we're doing it.)

My actual ritual practice is a little varied these days from what I'd prefer (my coven being on hiatus mostly until I get a new job, as that job might require a move.) But the upcoming Sabbat is Mabon or the fall equinox - it also happens to be my birthday. Generally, we combine it into a party with lots of good food and interesting things to drink, and a chance to reflect on the past year, and what we'd like to have happen in the coming year that builds on the harvest from this year.

However, this year, the party part is waiting until later in October (one of my dear friends is out of town until then, and has offered to host), so my own celebration is going to be much more personal than usual. I plan to sit down and think (and write down) what I want my coming year to be about, to do some divination, and to do some magical workings to help that come about. I've been working up to that for a few weeks already: creating a prosperity statue that I intend to use, picking up other things that I want to have be part of the day. And, of course, since it's a *practical* harvest festival, thinking about what food and drink I want to have that day.

Traditionally, Sabbats are more a time of celebration and general focus, rather than a time for formal magical working or spellcraft (those usually happen at the Esbats - the full and/or new moon celebrations, especially the full moon). This year, Mabon and the full moon come very close to overlapping, so combining them makes more sense.

Alright. I think I got it now.

So not every Pagan follows the wheel and some only follow parts of it. And on different Sabbats you do different things?

[Darkhawk]

So not every Pagan follows the wheel and some only follow parts of it. And on different Sabbats you do different things?

Much like not everyone celebrates Christmas and Easter, or Eid, or Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur, and on different holidays they do different things, yes.

[Susan M.]

Ah - now I see where you're starting from. (Have you read the Teens and Paganism FAQ that a number of us on the forum helped put together? It's got some really good starting info that seems like it might be helpful to you too. http://old.ecauldron.net/teensandpaganismfaq.php is the link to download it...)

Exactly what people do on it depends on several things.

Well, I think you were very informative!   

[Jenett]

Alright. I think I got it now.

So not every Pagan follows the wheel and some only follow parts of it. And on different Sabbats you do different things?

Like Darkhawk said, yep. Remember that Paganism covers a whole bunch of different religions. They don't have the same holy days (or things you do on holy days) any more than Christianity, or Judaism, or Islam, or Hinduism share the same holy days and what you do on them.

Likewise, different holy days during the year honor different things in most religions. Again, Christmas is not the same as Easter in Christianity, and it's not the same as Pentecost, either. There are some things that are the same in a general sort of way (attending a religious service or ritual), but specific things about the ritual are going to change depending on what you're honoring and thinking about. That's just the same in Wicca, in Druidry, in various religious witchcraft traditions, in Hellenic Reconstructionist practice: there are some common practices, and then specific practices for particular celebrations.

What those practices are depend on the specific path - as I said in my first post in this thread, there are a number of different ways looking at it even from a Wiccan-based perspective. (and many many more variations within those broad four options I mentioned.)

And, to make it more complicated, the practices do vary not only path to path, or group to group, but even year to year. There are certain things I do every Samhain, for example, or certain themes we're working with every Beltane - but how that comes out in practice depends on a lot of other factors and details. (It's actually one of the things I very much like about my religion path of choice: the chance to have a common frame work - how we create our ritual space - but to be able to adjust what we do in that space to reflect the needs of the people there.)

Does that help any?

[Aster Breo]

What those practices are depend on the specific path - as I said in my first post in this thread, there are a number of different ways looking at it even from a Wiccan-based perspective. (and many many more variations within those broad four options I mentioned.)

This is a good question, since you hear about the Wheel of the Year all the time, and Jenett has given some really great answers.

Maybe a personal example will help it all gel.

I'm NOT Wiccan or Druid.  I don't have a relationship to any formal religion.  I'm dedicated to Brighid, though, so I celebrate Imbolc, because that holiday is very closely associated with Brighid. 

For Imbolc, my daughters and I make Brighid's crosses (usually out of pipe cleaners), and we have a special meal featuring a traditional Irish Imbolc dish call "Poundies".  Basically, that's mashed potatoes with onions and a lot of butter.  Yum!     And I light my oil lamp and many candles.  Other activities really depend on what else we've got going on and what day of the week it is.

Since Brighid is an Irish deity, I do acknowledge the other traditional Celtic holidays:  Samhain, Beltaine, and Lughnasa.  But I don't usually do a whole lot for them.  For the other for holidays -- the solstices and the equinoxes -- we don't have any evidence that the Celts celebrated those.  But we also don't have any evidence that they did not celebrate them, either, and I -- personally -- think they were at least aware of them.  So I acknowledge those, too.

What does "acknowledge" mean?  Well, it depends on what other responsibilities I have at the time, how my health is (I have some significant health issues), stuff like that.  At the very least, I know it's the holiday, and I wish my family "Happy Whatever".  Often, I'll try to have some representative food for the evening meal.  For example, on Lughnasa, we often have corn bread or something like that to represent the harvest.  Things like that.

Hopefully, that will give you a better idea of how someone who is not Wiccan or Druid might approach the holidays.

[Smoke]

This is a good question, since you hear about the Wheel of the Year all the time, and Jenett has given some really great answers.

Maybe a personal example will help it all gel.

I'm NOT Wiccan or Druid.  I don't have a relationship to any formal religion.  I'm dedicated to Brighid, though, so I celebrate Imbolc, because that holiday is very closely associated with Brighid. 

For Imbolc, my daughters and I make Brighid's crosses (usually out of pipe cleaners), and we have a special meal featuring a traditional Irish Imbolc dish call "Poundies".  Basically, that's mashed potatoes with onions and a lot of butter.  Yum!     And I light my oil lamp and many candles.  Other activities really depend on what else we've got going on and what day of the week it is.

Since Brighid is an Irish deity, I do acknowledge the other traditional Celtic holidays:  Samhain, Beltaine, and Lughnasa.  But I don't usually do a whole lot for them.  For the other for holidays -- the solstices and the equinoxes -- we don't have any evidence that the Celts celebrated those.  But we also don't have any evidence that they did not celebrate them, either, and I -- personally -- think they were at least aware of them.  So I acknowledge those, too.

What does "acknowledge" mean?  Well, it depends on what other responsibilities I have at the time, how my health is (I have some significant health issues), stuff like that.  At the very least, I know it's the holiday, and I wish my family "Happy Whatever".  Often, I'll try to have some representative food for the evening meal.  For example, on Lughnasa, we often have corn bread or something like that to represent the harvest.  Things like that.

Hopefully, that will give you a better idea of how someone who is not Wiccan or Druid might approach the holidays.

Okay! Thanks for your input!

[KatAutumn]

So not every Pagan follows the wheel and some only follow parts of it. And on different Sabbats you do different things?

I, personally, only observe two of the Solar Sabbats and two of the Greater Sabbats. I observe Yule, Mabon, Samhain and Beltane. Being a solitary eclectic I find I am free to observe the Sabbats and Esbats I am most drawn to. If you are initiated into a tradition, they always have very specific Sabbats and Esbats they observe and have detailed rituals that are performed during those times of celebration. If you are a solitary, your Sabbat activities can be as complex or as simple as you like. Below are some examples of how I observe the Sabbats, in no particular order:

Mabon
Make corn husk dolls with my son, drink apple cider, decorate the altar with Autumn leaves, chesnuts and the corn dolls that have been made. The altar cloth is red and I light brown candles. A prayer of thanks is offered for our Summer garden and all of the vegetables we harvested.

Yule
Yule tends to be overshadowed by traditional Christmas festivities in our family, since there are so many kids and the whole Santa thing is a pretty big deal for them, but I still try to decorate my altar with holly berries and a dark green cloth. I have some wonderful pine candles that I light and reflect on the birth of the gods.

Beltane
The altar cloth is pink and the decorations are flowers and rose quartz. We do a May pole every year with a large staff and bright, colorful ribbons.

Samhain
Samnhain is a HUGE deal in our family. It's probably the single most significant Sabbat we observe. My husband actually takes the day off from work every year. His supervisors don't find it very amusing when he tries to explain to them it's a religious holiday. Anyway, this is the day I set up the ancestral altar to honor our loved ones who have passed. This year we will be adding my beloved mother-in-law's photo to the altar. The altar cloth is orange and the candles are brown. We leave an offering on our front porch for the spirits. We also have a traditional, modern Halloween party for my son and then have one later just for the grown-ups. We always set an extra place at the dinner table for the loved ones who have passed in the last year. Weather permitting we light a bonfire in the backyard and go around and share what we hope to accomplish over the next year and what sort of goals we reached over the past year.

[GarlicandMint]

I, personally, only observe two of the Solar Sabbats and two of the Greater Sabbats. I observe Yule, Mabon, Samhain and Beltane. Being a solitary eclectic I find I am free to observe the Sabbats and Esbats I am most drawn to.

Thank you so much for posting your practice! I'm also a solitary eclectic and find it hard to organize my thoughts in terms of what I should do. It's nice to see what others do, particularly with children! I don't have any yet, and my partner is an atheist, so I'm banking ideas since any religion/spirituality will be my turf. 

I like the Wheel of the Year because it spreads out so nicely (and I love holidays) and because it ties in so well with the natural world/the seasons where I live. 

[KatAutumn]

Thank you so much for posting your practice! I'm also a solitary eclectic and find it hard to organize my thoughts in terms of what I should do. It's nice to see what others do, particularly with children! I don't have any yet, and my partner is an atheist, so I'm banking ideas since any religion/spirituality will be my turf. 

I like the Wheel of the Year because it spreads out so nicely (and I love holidays) and because it ties in so well with the natural world/the seasons where I live. 

You're most welcome. Children are amazing to watch when they are taking in the various principles and practices of Paganism. My sister and her husband are expecting their first child. She is an eclectic practitioner and her husband does not follow anything, but he is very supportive of her raising their child to be included in her practice. My son likes to stop by the altar on the Sabbats and he'll say something like, "I'm praying with these acorns" or "I'm praying with these flowers right now". It's cute.

The Wheel is beautiful and it's neat how it not only ties into the natural world and changing of the seasons, but also tells the story of the life of the Goddess and God. Even if a person doesn't believe in literal deities or they use the deities as archetypes only, the symbolism of birth, death and rebirth are very powerful.

[Smoke]

I, personally, only observe two of the Solar Sabbats and two of the Greater Sabbats. I observe Yule, Mabon, Samhain and Beltane. Being a solitary eclectic I find I am free to observe the Sabbats and Esbats I am most drawn to. If you are initiated into a tradition, they always have very specific Sabbats and Esbats they observe and have detailed rituals that are performed during those times of celebration. If you are a solitary, your Sabbat activities can be as complex or as simple as you like. Below are some examples of how I observe the Sabbats, in no particular order:

Mabon
Make corn husk dolls with my son, drink apple cider, decorate the altar with Autumn leaves, chesnuts and the corn dolls that have been made. The altar cloth is red and I light brown candles. A prayer of thanks is offered for our Summer garden and all of the vegetables we harvested.

Yule
Yule tends to be overshadowed by traditional Christmas festivities in our family, since there are so many kids and the whole Santa thing is a pretty big deal for them, but I still try to decorate my altar with holly berries and a dark green cloth. I have some wonderful pine candles that I light and reflect on the birth of the gods.

Beltane
The altar cloth is pink and the decorations are flowers and rose quartz. We do a May pole every year with a large staff and bright, colorful ribbons.

Samhain
Samnhain is a HUGE deal in our family. It's probably the single most significant Sabbat we observe. My husband actually takes the day off from work every year. His supervisors don't find it very amusing when he tries to explain to them it's a religious holiday. Anyway, this is the day I set up the ancestral altar to honor our loved ones who have passed. This year we will be adding my beloved mother-in-law's photo to the altar. The altar cloth is orange and the candles are brown. We leave an offering on our front porch for the spirits. We also have a traditional, modern Halloween party for my son and then have one later just for the grown-ups. We always set an extra place at the dinner table for the loved ones who have passed in the last year. Weather permitting we light a bonfire in the backyard and go around and share what we hope to accomplish over the next year and what sort of goals we reached over the past year.

Thanks for sharing!

[Chatters]

Some great replies so I will just add my own practice.

As I practice my craft alone I can choose what feels right to me. My practice is also very nature and earth based and not at all ceremonial, It's quite simple and I like it that way.  I celebrate all of the changing seasons throughout the year and quite spontaneously, usually when I notice the changes happening, as soon as I begin to notice I usually go for a longer walk collecting terms such as stones and feathers, or anything I can find. However I do try and celebrate four on the day and also quietly observe the others: The four below are celebrated by me because they feel the closest to my practice

Samhain
My Ancestors and family mean a lot to me, so this is an important sabbat and usually a quiet one in that I spend time reflecting, I also like to get outside in my garden later in with some food and drinks and look at the moon. I put out photos of family that have passed on my Alter

Yule / winter solstice
I love this time of year and always have, its the magical feel that this time of year has. The  dark of the year is my favourite time and a time when we can show family and friends how important they are to us. Me and my Husband are going to give gifts this year on the winter solstice instead of christmas day. And for me its a time to celebrate the great goddess and the god through light. my Yule tree (rather than the christmas tree ) goes up before the winter solstice and I light candles in my garden to give thanks and celebrate the return of the light to the earth. My Yule tree decorates my Alter and this year I am looking for symbols of the god and the Goddess to hang on my tree.

Imbolc
This is important to me as it is also a day to honour the Goddess Brighid, its a time to celebrate the renewal of the earth, noticing the first signs of spring and when I can sow seeds, hopes, wishes and cast spells for the coming year. I also connect to the goddess Brighid as she is a Goddess I feel very close to. I love this time of year as much as I do the Autumn fall. Symbols that represent the Goddess Brighid decorate my Alter.

Mabon
This Equinox is very important to me as it marks the middle of the harvest and as my practice is very tied to the land around me, this makes very special to me. Its a time to give thanks to what the land has given and give back in preparing the land for the next spring. For me this means the soil gets fed a lot of compost. The birds also get to have a good feed as I dig over the soil and allow the flowers to drop their seeds, especially my sunflowers. I also share some of my harvest with the birds and animals that may be passing through my garden. This year I plan to decorate my Alter with Acorns, pines, leaves.    


  

[Tags:]

Jump to: Please select a destination: ----------------------------- About The Cauldron ----------------------------- => Rules and Regulations => Cauldron Announcements ===> Volunteers Needed: Site Assistants and Projects => Introductions => Board Questions, Suggestions, and Feedback => Chat and CauldronMUX Support => Test Board ----------------------------- Religion and Philosophy ----------------------------- => Paganism For Beginners => Books and Other Resources => Pagan Religions => Pagan Spirituality => Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology => Worship and Ritual => Holidays and Festivals => History and Religion => Faith in Everyday Life => Philosophy and Metaphysics => Non-Pagan Religions and Interfaith Discussions => Miscellaneous Religious Discussions ----------------------------- Magic and the Occult ----------------------------- => Magic and the Occult for Beginners => Witchcraft, Hoodoo, and Folk Magic => The Western Magical Tradition => Chaos Magic => Lodges and Other Magic Organizations => Miscellaneous Magical Discussions ----------------------------- Special Interest Groups & Special Discussions ----------------------------- => Special Topic Discussions => Chavi Memorial Chronic Illness SIG => General SIGS ===> College Pagans SIG ===> Cooking SIG ===> Divination SIG ===> Home and Garden SIG ===> Pagan Parents SIG ===> Teen Pagans SIG => Religious SIGS ===> Asatru and Heathenry SIG ===> Cauldron Cill ===> FlameKeeping SIG ===> Hazel and Oak: A Celtic Polytheism SIG ===> Neo-Druidry SIG ===> Reformed Kemeticism SIG ===> Ta Hiera Hellenic Polytheism SIG => Book/Media Discussion Boards ===> Academic Book Discussions ===> Pagan Religion Book Discussions ===> Magick Book Discussions ===> Fiction Book Discussions ===> DVD/Video Discussions ----------------------------- Life, the Universe, and Everything Else ----------------------------- => Pagan Announcements => Prayer and Energy Requests => News and Politics ===> Religious News ===> Non-Religious News ===> Political Discussions => Social Discussion Boards ===> Art, Poetry and Writing ===> Books ===> Computers and the Internet ===> Crafts and Hobbies ===> Family Life ===> Gaming ===> Health and Medicine ===> Humor and Quizzes ===> Music, Television, and Film ===> Pets ===> Science and Technology ===> Sports and Recreation