When the Wheel begins to turn, let the Beltane fires burn. When the Wheel has turned to Yule, light the log, and the Horned One rules.
*Wiccan Rede *
The Wheel of the Year
The Wheel of the Year is the cycle of seasonal festivals as celebrated by many pagans. The festivals are based on our connection with nature, connected with the cycle of nature, death, and rebirth. Within the cycle of nature and death and rebirth, lie lessons for living as well. In winter, you will spend more time indoors and in yourself; in spring, you start to go outside more, and in summer, you enjoy the power of the sun and the outdoors. Living with this natural balance will give you balance in your daily life. The Wheel of the Year and the festivals are also related to farming and harvesting. If you get more into the natural circle of instead of eating what the land provides at that moment and are aware of what harvest is coming, what fruits and plants grow at the moment, you can balance yourself better with your natural environment.
There are 8 festivals, each signaling a shift in the seasons, light, nature, and the world around us. There are 2 solstice events (summer and winter), 2 equinox events (spring equinox Ostara and Autumn Equinox), and the 4 greater sabbats being Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas, and Samhain.
Southern Hemisphere
In the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed, which means that the sabbats fall on different dates.
