Wheel of the Year

The eight Wiccan holidays are known as Sabbats. They are divided into two sets of four–the Grand Sabbats, which are feminine and dedicated to the Goddess, and the Lesser Sabbats, which are masculine and dedicated to the God. The year is divided into a dark half and a light half with two Grand Sabbats and two Lesser Sabbats in each.

Samhain (October 31)

Dark, Grand Sabbat

Samhain (pronounced SOW-en) marks the beginning of the ancient Celtic liturgical year. At Samhain, the Festival of the Dead, we pay tribute to the spirit world and the spirits of our ancestors. Samhain is a deeply spiritual time, sacred to Wiccans, during which we reflect upon the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. It marks the descent into the dark half of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Samhain is sacred to the Crone Goddess (who, not coincidentally, is the symbolic basis for the iconic Halloween witch.)

Yule (On or around December 21)

Dark, Lesser Sabbat

Yule is a solar Sabbat to celebrate the winter solstice. Yule marks the darkest night of the calendar year, and yet the glory of Yule is that after its passing the days gradually begin to grow longer as the light returns to the earth.

Yule is sacred to the Old God, the lord of winter, who has many names including Cernunos, Odin, and the Holly King. He is the ancient inspiration for our modern representation of the season–Santa Claus.

Imbolc (February 1)

Dark, Grand Sabbat

Imbolc, also called Candlemas, is the festival of the beginning of Spring, celebrating the growing strength of the sun’s light. It’s traditional to celebrate late, and chase the winter away, by lighting any candles. The custom of Groundhog Day has its roots in the Imbolc festival.

Imbolc is sacred to the Maiden Goddess, the goddess of dawn and fire–not only fire of the physical sort, but the fire of inspiration and creativity.

Ostara (On or around March 21)

Dark, Lesser Sabbat

Ostara marks the spring (vernal) equinox, a day when light and dark are of equal length. It celebrates spring and the renewal of life. Icons from the modern Christian celebration of Easter are rooted in Pagan rites. Eggs, rabbits, ducklings and chicks are all symbolic of fertility and rebirth.

Ostara is Sacred to the Young God, lord of the rising sun and of life, and custodian of growing plants and animals, as well as the growing light of the sun. It is also sacred to the Maiden Goddess.

Bealteinne (May 1)

Light, Greater Sabbat

Bealteinne (pronounced BALL-tuh-nuh or BELL-tane) marks the beginning of the light half of the year. It is the opposite of Samhain–rather than being a festival of death, it the Festival of Life. Great bonfires are often lit to celebrate the union of the God and Goddess. The modern celebration of May Day, with its symbolism of flowers and the maypole (representing sexual union and fertility), has its roots in the ancient Bealteinne festival.

Bealteinne is sacred to the Great Mother Goddess, the lady of life, who represents fertility and the bearing of new life.

Midsummer (on or around June 21)

Light, Lesser Sabbat

Midsummer is celebrated at the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the high point of the summer season. It marks the pinnacle of the sun’s strength, but also reminds us that the days to follow will gradually grow shorter as we begin the march toward Autumn and Winter.

Midsummer is sacred to the Sun God, lord of life and the physical world.

Lughnassadh (August 1)

Light, Grand Sabbat

Lughnassadh (LOO-nuh-suh), also called Lammas, celebrates the traditional beginning of the harvest season and the approach of Autumn. It is the festival of First Fruits, when we give thanks for the fertility of the fields. It is a time when the first bread baked from the new harvest was traditionally blessed and broken.

Though Lughnassadh celebrates the death of the god Lugh, it is a Lunar or Grand Sabbatt sacred to the Mother Goddess, lady of the harvest, who provides the bounty of the Earth. We know it as the time when she fulfills the promise of Bealteinne, bringing forth the Earth’s blessings.

Mabon (on or around September 21)

Light, Lesser Sabbat

Mabon marks the fall (Autumnal) equinox, when again the day and night are equal in length, and the middle of the harvest season. It is sacred to Wiccans as the time when the sun’s power begins to slowly wane, and the plants that bore fruit during the early harvest begin their descent into sleep or death.

Mabon is sacred to the Father God, Elder of the community, King and Judge. This God is the “good parent,” willingly surrendering his life for the renewal of the land.