The Wheel of the Year is the cycle of the seasons as shown though the coming and going of the power of the Sun.
Often the Wheel of the Year is used to tell the story of the God and Goddess. As we move through the year they go through a cycle of Birth, Death and Re-Birth just as the world we live in goes through it’s own cycle.
The Wheel of the Year is divided by eight sacred days. These are the Sabbats, the Solstices and Festivals of the Pagan Calendar that are times of celebration and worship.
In the South we follow the Wheel with the following dates;
Yule ~ Winter Solstice (June 21st)
Imbolc ~ The Quickening (July 31st)
Ostara ~ Spring Equinox (September 21st)
Beltane ~ The Love Festival (October 31st)
Litha ~ Summer Solstice (December 21st)
Lammas ~ The Harvest Festival ( February 2nd)
Mabon ~ Autumn Equinox (March 21st)
Samhain ~ Festival of the Dead (April 30th)
In the Northern Hemisphere these dates are offset by six months to bring them in line with the seasons in the north.
We follow the Wheel of the Year as part of our reconnecting to our past when we were closer to the land that we are in this modern age where we live in the cities. The Wheel of the Year is an important part of many pagans lives.
They are as important to us as the holy days of any religion.