Wheel of the Year
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sabbats |
|---|
| Samhain |
| Yule |
| Imbolc |
| Ostara |
| Beltane |
| Midsummer |
| Lughnasadh |
| Mabon |
The Wheel of the Year is a Wiccan metaphor and calendar for the cycle of the seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are often referred to as Sabbats.
In Wicca and Wiccan-influenced forms of Neopaganism, natural processes are seen as following a continuous cycle. The passing of time is also seen as cyclical, and is represented by a circle or wheel. The progression of birth, life, decline and death, as experienced in human lives, is echoed in the progession of the seasons. Wiccans also see this cycle as echoing the life, death and rebirth of their God and the fertility of their Goddess.
Contents |
[edit] Eight Festivals
Wiccans, and some Neopagans who base their practices on Wicca, observe eight festivals, which are commonly referred to as "sabbats". These fall on the solstices, the equinoxes and the four intermediate dates between these events. The solstices and equinoxes are commonly known as "quarter days"; the four dates falling (approximately) midway between them as the "cross-quarter days" or "fire festivals". In some calendars each cross-quarter day marks the start of a season. The eight festivals are distinct from "esbats", which are smaller festivals falling on a full or new moon. Many Neopagans consider days to begin at sundown rather than at midnight, in which case these festivals begin on the preceding evening. The quarter days are loosely based, or named after, the Germanic festivals, and the cross-quarters are similarly inspired by the Gaelic festivals. However, modern interpretations vary widely, so Wiccan groups may celebrate and conceptualize these festivals in very different ways, sometimes having little in common with the cultural festivals but the shared name.
| Festival name | Traditional date | Alternative date | Sun's Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samhain (/ˈsawənʲ/), Last Harvest, Blood Harvest | 1 Nov | 5-10 Nov | ≈ 15° ♏ |
| Yule, Alban Arthan, Midwinter | 20-23 Dec | Winter Solstice, 0° ♑ | |
| Imbolc, Brigid's Day, Candlemas | 2 Feb | 2-7 Feb | ≈ 15° ♒ |
| Ostara, Alban Eilir, Lady Day | 19-22 Mar | Spring Equinox, 0° ♈ | |
| Beltane, May Day | 1 May | 4-10 May | ≈ 15° ♉ |
| Midsummer, Alban Hefin, Litha | 19-23 June | Summer Solstice, 0° ♋ | |
| Lughnasadh (/luːnəsə/), Lammas, 1st Harvest, Bread Harvest | 1 Aug | 3-10 Aug | ≈ 15° ♌ |
| Mabon, Alban Elfed, Harvest Home, 2nd Harvest, Fruit Harvest | 21-24 Sept | Autumn Equinox, 0° ♎ |
[edit] Etymology
While most of these names derive from historical festivals, the names Litha and Mabon, which have become popular in North American Wicca, were invented by Aidan Kelly in the 1970s. The word "sabbat" itself derives from the same roots as Sabbath (Christian) and Sabbath (witchcraft), namely Old English sabat, Old French sabbat, Latin sabbatum, Greek sabbaton (or sa'baton), and Hebrew shabbat, which means "to cease or rest".
[edit] Dates
Dates for the festivals vary widely. There are many forms of Wicca and Neopaganism, all of which may have somewhat different traditions associated with the festivals. Therefore there is no definitive or universal tradition observed by all the groups. Most Pagans are somewhat flexible about dates, tending to celebrate at the nearest weekend for convenience.
[edit] Hemispheres
As the Wheel originates in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere most Neopagans advance these dates six months so as to coincide with the natural seasons as they occur in their local climates. For instance, an Australian Wiccan may celebrate Beltane on the 1st of November, when a Canadian Wiccan is celebrating Samhain.
[edit] Quarter Days
While the cross-quarter days traditionally fall on the Kalends of the month, some Neopagans consider them to fall on the midpoint of the two surrounding quarter days. These modern calculations tend to result in celebrations held a few days after the traditional dates (see above table).
[edit] Sun Sabbats and Moon Sabbats
| Imbolc: | new, crescent, 1st quarter |
|---|---|
| Beltane: | 1st quarter, gibbous, full moon |
| Lammas: | full, disseminating, 3rd quarter |
| Samhain: | 3rd quarter, balsamic, new |
"Sun sabbats" refer to the quarter days, which are based on the astronomical position of the sun. "Moon sabbats" can be observed on Full Moons, typically the one closest to the traditional festival date or the 2nd full moon after the preceding quarter day. This would place the Moon sabbat anywhere from 29-59 days after the preceding solstice or equinox. Moon sabbats can also be observed on the nearest Lunar phase to the Cross-quarter day according to the table at right.
[edit] Origins
The holidays of the Wheel of the Year take their names from Pre-Christian Celtic and Pre-Christian Germanic religious festivals. However, a great deal of liberty has usually been taken with the forms and meanings of these festivals, due to the influence of turn of the century romanticism as well as the elements introduced by Wicca. The similarities between these holidays generally end at the shared names, as Wicca makes no effort to reconstruct these ancient practices. Wiccans observe the festivals of the Wheel of the Year together in a form of universalism not corroborated by any historical continuity.
There is no place in Europe where all eight festivals have been observed as a set, and the complete eightfold Wheel of the Year was unknown prior to modern Wicca. In early forms of Wicca only the cross-quarter days were observed. However in 1958 the members of Bricket Wood Coven added the solstices and equinoxes to their original calendar, as they desired more frequent celebrations. Their High Priest, Gerald Gardner, was away visiting the Isle of Man at the time, but he did not object when he returned, since they were now more in line with the Neo-druidism of Ross Nichols, a friend of Gardner's and founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.[1]
- "No known pre-Christian people celebrated all the eight festivals of the calendar adopted by Wicca. Around the four genuine Gaelic quarter days are now ranged the Midwinter and September feasts of the Anglo-Saxons, the Midsummer celebrations so prominent in folklore and (for symmetry) the vernal equinox, which does not seem to have been commemorated by any ancient northern Europeans."[2]
[edit] Narratives
The most common Wheel of the Year narrative amongst Wiccans is the God/Goddess duality. In this narrative, the God is born from the Goddess at Yule, courts Her maiden aspect at Beltane, wanes in power at Lammas, passes into the underworld at Samhain, then is born from Her mother/crone aspect again at Yule. The Goddess, in turn, ages and rejuvenates endlessly with the seasons, being courted by and giving birth to the Horned God.
Another, more solar, narrative is of the Holly King and the Oak King. These two figures battle with each other endlessly. At Midsummer the Oak King is at His height, but the weakened Holly King also begins to regain His strength at that moment. At the Autumn Equinox, the tables finally turn in the Holly King's favor, and He vanquishes the Oak King at Yule. At this moment, the Oak King begins to regain His footing, and finally manages to turn the tables at the Spring Equinox.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Lamond, Frederic (2004). Fifty Years of Wicca. Sutton Mallet, England: Green Magic, pp. 16-17. ISBN 0-9547-2301-5.
- ^ Hutton, Ronald. The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles.
[edit] External links
- Seasons (astronomically) by Archaeoastronomy
- About the Sabbats by Judy Harrow
- The Eightfold Wheel by Moonhunter
