the wheel of the year

Wheel of the Year:
Sabbat is a holy day (holiday)
--Wiccans and high magicians celebrate since the dawn of time in many lands.
--There are 8 of them, four for the sun and four for the earth.
--The sun days are the winter and summer solstices and the fall and spring equinoxes which correspond with apexes and so on of the sun.


Earth: Imbolig. February the first, also Omellec, Imblog, Imbulc and Candlemas to name a few names pagans call this day. This is the feast of purification relating to the goddess Brigit, horses and cauldrons -- or other goddesses of childbirth like Artemis. Brigit was the daughter of Dagda, the good father, a warrior-protector. She multiplies food and drink such as beer/mead and bread and dried fish and meats during the dark time of the year. She was later adopted by the Christians as Mary of Gaels (mid wife to the virgin) and Saint Brigit of Ireland (also midwife…).

Sun: Spring Equinox both day and night is equal here, the 21st of the month. A time to examine one’s own balance, the sun god is an adolescent here: Ganymede, like young Apollo, as well as all sun gods, the key number is 7, which is associated with death and resurrection (for instance Jesus reduces to 7 in numerology.) And sacrifices are made to Apollo on the 7th of each month. He is, at this time, associated with ‘palm trees’, as he was born under one. Delos, the floating island and the place of his birth, was showered in gold for him. At the Equinox Hephaestus gave him the bow and arrow as well as the lyre.
--Or as Lugh, yet to be named another story entirely maybe for another day.

Earth: Belatine. The first of May, May Eve. The earth mother is now grown into the aspect of a young womyn, on her way to fullness of summer. Here the goddess is met by the green god, like Herne and the consummate the on the land with seed to assure a good crop. In Wiccan and Higher Magick circles that I have been a part of, the lord and lady were pairs/couples so that this act would be not only a ceremony but a joining of real flesh. The lady is attended by other womyn and girls, massaged in oils, and adorned with spring flowers, like the bulb plants, iris, crocus… The green god is in seclusion in a wooded area meditating and getting his energies ready, too; like the lady to scry any asked questions before retiring to the bower with his mate. (Cakes at this time are in shapes of phallus and vaginas thus the crème filled eclairs and Danishes, the triangle shaped red jellyrolls of today.)

Sun: the Summer Solstice. This is longest day of the year. We worship the sun god, Apollo, Lugh… Celebration-- of outward joy in the fullness of life. The discovery, the lady is with child, giving birth to the dark god. The earth is in blossom, plants are making ready to harvest… The richness of our worldly blessings, also in reverence of the power of the sun to bring forth light to enhance the earth and warm the soil causing plants to grow or the awesome power of the sun to scorch the land. Wear a sun block on this holy day.

Earth: Teltaine, Lughsad, Lughnasa, Lunsasa, Lammas, Mebon; and Hyacinthia--for the Spartans (who gathered pre-autumn crops like young barley and wheat. Made breads in shapes of animals made by boys and in shapes of vegetables by girls and one in the image of Hyacinth to be given to the god, Apollo for his consumption of his lost love). The Celts and the Brits create effigies of John Barley corn. A poppet to put on your altar to empower each time you do magick. Dolls are made from green leaves or from dried ones that have been soaked. There’s a contest and the best one is saved for the Autumn Equinox. There’s a bale fire utilizing all the leaves, stocks, stems and wood for this early harvest season. There should be a host of games for children as this is a holy day for youth and promise. At this time the ancient Greeks started the Olympics. Folk eat such foods as new potatoes and other roots, squash and new corn, along with meat and some early fresh fruit like green berries made into small pocket pies and leafy veggies like greens and lettuces.

Sun: The Autumn Equinox. In celebration of the second harvest this year bounty of grains again barley and corn, oats and wheat. We have another bale fire and burn John Barleycorn as previously mentioned. In this summer there was growth like bubbling juices within us. Now we prepare for this to occur most fruitfully. (With pies and cakes and marinated meats, fish and poultry using the herbs at hand. This important to have the earth, sea, and sky represented at this fest as well as a bounty of fresh veggies and fruit.) Only when we surrender to our inner nature like the flora and fauna have for the fed, shall we begin to hear the still voice within. We must set our outer affairs in order now to be ready when it calls. Thus the burning of the Wicker Man, as if to burn away all that ties us to earth in preparation of the hard time of the dark of the year.

Earth: Samhain. (saw–awn) The Celtic New Year, October the 31st/November 1st All Saint’s Day or the Celtic day of the dead thus Hallowe’en. It was a time of danger and great spiritual vulnerability. One would not eat from the fields after Samhain as the food would be given to the dead and to the pookas about. All food and fodder and fluke had been stored away for winter by this day. And there were fairs for live stock, artisans and foodstuffs. Rents and debts were paid and servant and workman received their annual wages. Each household had a festive supper and young people took part in marriage and divinatory games. Others would put on disguises to collect tribute from other villages and played some tricks on neighbors who weren’t generous when they came to call. Thus trick or treat! But most of all it was a holy day, supernatural manifestations. There were games like bobbing for apples in tubs of water representing rebirth of the souls from the cauldron of regeneration (another Brigit holy day as well).

Sun: Winter Solstice or Yule, the shortest day of the year. Celebration now for the increasing sunlight. In the dark the old god is slain and a candle is lit as a baby boy or tot is presented as the sun god newly born, Apollo, Lugh… Things like evergreen, holy are abundant and used to keep the green in the house. The joys of rebirth as well as all the solar and worldly blessings also revere of the power 0f the suns returning from absence of light once again are the focus of this holy day. Presents are naturally gives in celebration of the birth of the sun god.

Revision completed on July 24, 2007