The Wicca Faith & The Wheel of the Year.

The Wheel of the Year is the pagan solar calendar created by the Celtic people of Ireland and other regions of Western Europe, more specifically by their priests, the Druids. It was developed — and thus redefined — over time, particularly after the founding of the polytheistic neopagan religion/faith Wicca (inspired by the religion/faith of the ancient Celtic people, Druidism) by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s.

At the time of its creation (there is no reliable reference to the exact date), this calendar was different from the current one and similar to the zodiac, as time was not viewed linearly, but rather circularly and cyclically. They considered solar cycles (seasons and periods of transition, celebrated by the Sabbath festivals) and lunar cycles (phases of the Moon, called Esbbaths).

The Celtic people recognized that sunlight and everything on Earth transforms cyclically throughout the year. Life unfolds, and so it is necessary to unfold with it. To live in harmony with these cycles, it was necessary to identify what was (or was not) available at different times.

They realized it was wise to respect the beginning of life that blossoms in spring, celebrate the abundance of summer, give thanks and evaluate the harvest, plant new crops in autumn, and rest during the winter retreat.

Wheel of the Year Calendar - Purpose and Symbolism.

This calendar symbolizes the pagan, and thus the Celtic, conception of time as a search for sacred connection with all the facts of life, not only out of necessity but also out of reverence. It synchronizes our energy with the seasons, bringing about the change of the life-death-life cycle, of planet Earth, and of the universe.

It describes the path of the Sun throughout a year, representing the various faces of the God — his birth, growth, union with the Goddess, his decline, and death. Just as the Sun rises and sets every day, and just as spring rebirths the Earth after winter, God teaches us that death is just one point in the infinite cycle of our evolution.

In the practice of the Wicca faith, in its original Gardnerian tradition, in addition to using the Wheel of the Year calendar to celebrate solar cycles, we also use it to celebrate our Goddess — also called the Great Mother (her name varies depending on the pantheon), who represents Mother Nature/Mother Earth — and our Horned God, also called the Stag King (also with different names, depending on the pantheon), god of fauna and flora, represented by the Sun.

In other philosophies and pagan religions/faiths, other gods are celebrated, as not all have these two deities at their center.

✡️ Wheel of the Year Structure.

The Wheel of the Year is composed of eight Sabbaths (four considered major and four minor), and their start and end dates are divided according to the geographic hemisphere (equator) you wish to work on— Northern Hemisphere (NH) or Southern Hemisphere (SH) — and may vary according to the solar cycle of each region.

Major and Minor Sabbats:

Major Sabbaths - Periods of transition between the seasons.

🌾 Lammas/Lughnassadh: Period of transition between the Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox.
🎃 Samhain: Period of transition between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice.
🕯️ Imbolc: Period of transition between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
💐 Beltane: Period of transition between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice.

MINOR SABBATHs - Equinoxes and Solstices.

🍁 Mabon: Autumnal Equinox
🌲 Yule: Winter Solstice
🐇 Ostara: Spring Equinox
🌻 Litha: Summer Solstice

Major Sabbaths: Sun Position and Astrological Degrees.

The Sabbaths Major dates are sometimes calculated based on the day the Sun enters a 15° angle in specific astrological signs:

♏ 15° in Scorpio for Samhain (HN = late October or early November)
♒ 15° in Aquarius for Imbolc (HN = late January or early February)
♉ 15° in Taurus for Beltane (HN = late April or early May)
♌ 15° in Leo for Lammas (HN = late July or early August)

And often, they are defined by the positioning of the Sun at certain astrological degrees:

♌ Lammas/Lughnassadh: when the SUN reaches 15° of LEO
♏ Samhain: 15° of SCORPIO
♒ Imbolc: 15° of AQUARIUS
♉ Beltane: 15° of TAURUS

NOTE: Gerald Gardner, in establishing the Wicca faith, initially standardized the celebration of only the Major Sabbats. The celebration of the Minor Sabbats was only adopted in 1958 by Wiccan witches of the Bricket Wood Coven, before influencing and being adopted by other members of the Gardnerian tradition, and eventually by the Alexandrian and Dianic traditions.

The Sabbaths: Dates & References.

🔸 LAMMAS LUGHNASSADH (GREAT SABBATH)

Harvest Festival.
Summer Solstice and Autumnal Equinox Transition.

In the Southern Hemisphere: February 1 to March 19-20
In the Northern Hemisphere: August 1 to September 20-21

🔸 MABON (MINOR SABBATH)

Autumnal Equinox.

In the Southern Hemisphere: March 20-21 to April 30
In the Northern Hemisphere: September 21-22 to October 30

🔸 SAMHAIN HALLOWEEN (GREAT SABBATH)

Halloween Night.
Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice Transition.
The most important day in the CELTIC calendar.
Marks the end of autumn and the beginning of winter and the New Year.

Southern Hemisphere: May 1 to June 19-20
Northern Hemisphere: October 3 to December 20

🔸 Yule (Minor Sabbath)

The True Christmas.
Winter Solstice.

Southern Hemisphere: June 20-21 to July 31
Northern Hemisphere: December 21 to January 31

🔸 Imbolc Candlemass (Major Sabbath)

Night of Fire.
Winter Solstice Transition and the Spring Equinox.

Southern Hemisphere: August 1 to September 20-21
Northern Hemisphere: February 1 to March 19

🔸 Ostara (Minor Sabbath)

The True Easter.
Spring Equinox.

Southern Hemisphere: September 21-22 to October 30
Northern Hemisphere: Northern Hemisphere: March 20 to April 30

🔸 Beltane May Eve/Day (MAJOR SABBATH)

Fertility Festival.
Spring Equinox Transition and Summer Solstice.
Second most important festival in the CELTIC calendar.
Marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer.

In the Southern Hemisphere: October 31 to December 20
In the Northern Hemisphere: May 1 to June 19-20

🔸 Litha (MINOR SABBATH)

Summer Solstice.

In the Southern Hemisphere: December 21 to January 31
In the Northern Hemisphere: June 20-21 to July 31

Universalism and Contemporary Significance.

The names of the festivals derive from traditions of Celtic and Germanic paganism, but their current significance is not restricted to historical reconstruction. They take on a universalist character, connecting different spiritual cultures in a common symbolic practice: the respect and celebration of nature and its sacred cycles.

Observations of the rituals can reveal this cultural influence of the festivals, based on the names they have acquired over time, as well as the influence of other independent cultures.

Celebrating the Wheel of the Year is celebrating the cycles of life—and thus, life itself, magic—and sharing with nature and the magical (loving, fertile, and perfect) encounter of the sacred feminine and masculine: the Goddess and the God.

Experiencing these transformations of nature in our hearts, soul, spirit, and mind is like walking in the footsteps of our ancestors to reclaim the blessings of important cyclical events. It is sharing with existence and with the divine that permeates everything, awakening respect and engaging in the responsibility of preserving Life = Magic.

The Wheel of the Year as a Path to Self-Knowledge.

By observing nature with presence, we internalize that it pulses in continuous cycles of renewal, thus silently conspiring so that we can exist in genuine, true, and universal love.

The practice of the Wheel of the Year in the Wiccan faith strengthens respect for Mother Earth and promotes a profound spiritual experience, rooted in harmony with the planet. It invites each individual to walk in tune with the forces of nature, understanding the role of spirituality as an instrument of personal and collective balance.

🧙‍♀️ Practical tips from Thali:

To deepen your journey, record each Sabbath in your Book of Shadows, including rituals, feelings, emotions, and acquired learnings/wisdom. At the end of each annual cycle (12 months), this practice will reveal your own Wheel of the Year—your personal solar calendar—a unique instrument of self-knowledge, personal growth, and spiritual connection.

The Sabbaths can be celebrated throughout their entire period, considering that the first three days are the most magically powerful, as they represent the beginning of the respective hemisphere's magic.

The choice of geographic hemisphere to follow is personal. One can be in the Northeast and celebrate according to the Southeast, and vice versa. It is only important to remember the contrasting seasons—while in the Northeast it is summer, in the Southeast it is reversed, and so on.

What matters is the practitioner's intention toward nature (all types), the universe—what is in their heart, soul, spirit, and mind. That is where true magical power lies.

👽 AUTHOR'S NAME: Thali Sampaio 🛸 ON INSTAGRAM: @Thali_Sampaio 🛸 ON QUANTIC SQUAD: READ POSTS