Most pagans follow an agricultural calendar in their practice, moving through the seasons in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. When I was new to paganism, following this practice was sometimes difficult and confusing. Living in a cold, northern climate, I just wasn’t feeling the stirrings of Spring at Ostara, nor was I ready for the summer revelry at Beltane.
Over the years, it all started making more sense. I still have months of shoveling snow ahead of me, when Imbolc tells me to celebrate the stirrings of spring. I now think of it as the quickening a mother feels when the baby in her womb first begins moving—a feeling so subtle, that first time mothers are unaware of it. A mere few days after the coldest month in my realm, below the snow and frozen permafrost, Mother Nature is quickening, preparing to later emerge. And if I pay careful attention, I can see the shifting angle of the sun, feel it's warming energy.
There are four Quarter days in the Wheel of the Year, two equinoxes and two solstices. These are astrological occurrences, the day and precise moment of each occurrence varies slightly from year to year, but they fall past mid-month in December, March, June and September. Astrologically known as Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Fall Equinox, the pagan holidays are Yule, Ostara, Litha, and Mabon.
In addition to the quarter days, there are four cross quarter days that fall between the quarters. Imbolc comes between Yule and Ostara. You may recognize it as Groundhog Day, or even Candlemas. Beltane falls between Ostara and Litha, and is also known as May Day. Lammas (or Lughnasadh) lands between Litha and Mabon, and Samhain falls between Mabon and Yule.
Pagan celebrations include ritual, feasting, singing and/or dancing, and fire—even if the fire is a single candle flame. Each holiday has specific activities and crafts associated with the time of year, many of which have overlapped into our secular, or mainstream culture. This fact usually leads to the theory that Christian and other religious observances were appropriated from the pagan traditions. There may be truth in that, but I take it with a grain of salt.
Much of what we practice in witchcraft today, no matter how eclectic it might be, stems from early leaders in the modern witchcraft movement, such as Alister Crowley, Gerald Gardner, and Doreen Valiente, who claimed to be resurrecting an ancient religion of feminine divine worship, what is now known as Wicca. The aspect of the Goddess and God in the wheel of the year is of Wiccan origin.
The question becomes, did the architects of Judeo-Christian religions usurp pagan holidays, or did the founders of a pagan resurgence, create a liturgical calendar using yearly observances they were familiar with? To me, it’s the chicken or egg theory—which came first? I tend toward being pleased for what we all have in common across cultures and traditions.
For the next twelve months, I will be sharing history, current practices, and my thoughts on each of the observances in the wheel of the year, beginning with Samhian. As always, I’ll be keeping it simple for beginning and busy witches.
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~ Blessed Be and Journey Well
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