The Wheel of the Year

The Wheel of the Year
from Merlin's Calends

adapted by Serphant

This was ever the way of the Old Religion:
To celebrate the Turning of the Year, and the
Silver Pulsing of the Moonlit Tides of Life.

And when our Lord, the Horned One, lies with the young Goddess at Beltane, or sacrifices himself in Life's Cause at Lughnasadh, we tread the old Paths of Magic. Come dance with us in the Dead of Night; in Firelit Forest; in Sunshine Bright! This is the way of the Old Religion.

In Roman times the "Calends" were the first days of the month. Hence the saying 'on the Greek Calends' which means 'never'. Although the Gregorian Calendar is now in general use, its months and yearly cycle do not reflect the importance of the Sun and Moon to the followers of the Old Religion.

Equinoxes, Solstices & Cross Quarter Days

For the ancient Celts the days began with sunset, with a period of rest. This is similar to their year, which began with Samhain, at the onset of Winter. Most religious festivals which have roots going back to pre-Christian times are celebrated on the eve before the actual festive day - a remnant of this Celtic custom. The ancient Celts only celebrated the Cross Quarter Days, and not, as is often thought the Solstices and Equinoxes. Their religious importance is of a later date, possibly introduced by the Druids and the Megalith Builders of pre-Christian times.

Thirteen Moons & Celtic Moon Months

"But how many merry monthes be in the yeere?
There are thirteen, I say;
The Mid Summer Moone is the merryest of all,
Next to the merry month of May."

The time of Full Moon and the time of New Moon are very important to the followers of the old Religion. But the Moon also influences everything else on Mother Earth! For example, I have found that the weather is particularly unstable around the times of New and Full Moon, whilst during the weeks between these times it won't change its general character. Similar effects can be discovered in politics, farming, etcetera, if we are but willing to look for them!

The Lunar Months are again a Celtic custom. The Celts used 13 months of 28 days, totaling 364 days, hence our saying 'A Year and a Day' which is of course 365 days. However, the time between two full moons is more than 28 days (about 29.5 days) and this means that there are usually only 12 lunar months in one year. This results in the inclusion of a 13th moon every two or three years: the Ice Moon. The Ice Moon is included whenever a Celtic Year (from Samhain to Samhain) numbers 13 full moons. The Ice Moon full moon falls in early January.

Many other names exist for the 13 moons, and indeed many other systems exist to line up the moon's phases with the solar year. The Celtic system has the advantage that the moons stay fairly close to their 'own' season: the Blood Moon for example is always the Full Moon leading up to Samhain, when the last animals are slaughtered and the Harvest Home festival is celebrated. Each full moon has its own character, even when the time of the full moon may shift a few weeks every year, and patient observation will put you in touch with these subtle forces.

The Wheel of Life

Birth? For many Christians and pagans alike, the birth of the God is celebrated at Christmas, or Yule. Yule is a solar festival of course, celebrating the longest night, the death and rebirth of the sun. In ancient Rome the cult of Sol Invictus, on December 25, celebrated the rebirth of the Sun, and this was in accordance with the old Persian Sun religion. Later, Christianity moved the birthday of Christ from January 6, if I'm not mistaken, to December 25 as well, to fall in line with general Roman practice. It has been like this ever since. It is not very surprising that pagans would assume, more or less automatically, that the birth of our God would also fall on December 25, or to be more precise around December 22, the actual Winter Solstice. The rebirth of the light, the birth of the Sun or Son, is such an archetypal image by now that there doesn't seem to be any reason to think any further and question this general practice. However, there are two reasons to think again. Firstly, birth in nature happens around Candlemas, at least at our latitude, and secondly, it seems quaint that a 'lesser sabbat' such as the Winter Solstice, would have such an important meaning: none of the other lesser sabbats are in any way comparable to this!

The Solar Cycle

If one examines the cycle of eight festivals, it is immediately clear that it consists of two distinct cycles. The solar cycle is fairly well known: Midwinter, Spring Equinox; Midsummer and Autumn Equinox. These are called the 'lesser sabbats'. They are strict astronomical occurrences, governed by the yearly rhythm of the sun. They can be calculated to the minute, and are the same for the whole earth. This rhythm reflects the interplay between earth and sun, as it takes place against the backdrop of the fixed stars.

In our cycle of eight festivals, the solar festivals are actually more recent than the other sabbats: it is likely that the Druids introduced the solar festivals.

The Cycle of Life

The second cycle of festivals is comprised of Samhain (October 31), Imbolc (February 1), Beltane (April 30) and Lughnasadh (August 1). These festivals are also called the 'greater sabbats' or 'cross quarter days'. This set of festivals is not related to any astronomical occurrence, but instead celebrates the cycle of life as it occurs in nature around us. Samhain celebrates death, and rebirth in the spiritual realms; Imbolc celebrates the physical birth; Beltane celebrates the time of mating; and Lughnasadh is the time of marriage and sacrifice, the beginning of the harvest, leading up to Samhain again.

This cycle of festivals is definitely a lot older than the solar cycle. Also, it is quite likely that this set of four greater festivals was never fixed to a solar calendar, but has always been movable and reflected the actual processes as they occurred in nature. Thus, Imbolc would be celebrated only when the first signs of life were actually visible: the first lambs, the first flowers, etcetera. It is most likely that these festivals were celebrated at the closest full moon.

The Eight Festivals

Thus the Eight Festivals actually are made up of two distinct cycles: a solar one, which is by nature a cosmic cycle, linking the earth and the sun and the stars; and a life-cycle, linking the earth and nature and human existence. A 'cycle of the spirit' and a 'cycle of life'.

The spiritual cycle represents the eternal side of things, the life cycle represents the temporal, earthly and natural aspect of our existence. The cosmic cycle is the same for the whole earth, it is a 'law' which is way beyond human intervention. The life cycle is different for every locality, and it is highly receptive to our efforts.

The solar cycle is very symmetrical. It has a high point, a low point, and two points of equilibrium. These two points can be seen as the points where life changes to death and death to life, or light changes to dark and dark to light.

Cross Quarter Days

Contrary to the solar cycle, the cycle of the greater sabbats or Cross Quarter Days is very individual. In terms of human existence it starts with Imbolc, which celebrates birth. It is the time that the first lambs are born, the first flowers can be seen, and even though it is still winter, it is clear that life is returning.

Next, we celebrate Beltane, the festival of mating. This is the time when most species mate and build their nest; it is also the most blatantly sexual of all the festivals, in spite of the white purity of the Hawthorn which the girls bring with them after their night of revelry! In the old days many marriages (for a Celtic year and a day only!) were celebrated shortly after this festival, and the 'Honey Moon' still refers to the Moon of Honey which follows the Beltane Festival (I haven't found any data, but I suspect the Honey Moon would be the same as the Planting Moon: a time of tending young seeds, be they in the Earth or in the Womb...)

Lughnasadh celebrates the beginning of the harvest. It is the festival of the sacred marriage: the mating of the Goddess and the God, after which the God is sacrificed to fertilize the land once again. If we take this not too literally, the sacred marriage means that both partners sacrifice some part of themselves in order to create something which is greater than either of them: a child, fertility, responsibilities, etc. This is not like the carefree mating at Beltane, but the conscious joining of two individuals who want to become something more than the sum of their parts. In this sense the word marriage may be a good term to describe this festival: a marriage that entails the forging of a link which has consequences, not only for the couple, but for the people around them too.

And lastly, at Samhain, we celebrate death. It is the end of the harvest, and in nature too everything has died. Now it is time to take stock and prepare for the winter to come. Samhain is also a festival of rebirth, because the seeds of life have already been sown, and birth will take place at the beginning of Spring, at Imbolc. In terms of human life it is a time of taking stock too: reevaluating one's experiences, being more concerned with the spiritual - for example through the telling of stories and legends and fairy tales during the long winter evenings.

Blood Rituals

The four greater sabbats, or cross quarter days, in effect celebrate the major turning points in life: birth, puberty, marriage and death. These memorable days are often called 'blood rituals' because they all involve blood, and through blood the life force itself. These four experiences are so important that they warrant special attention. Although puberty is not celebrated in our society as a 'public' festival, it is definitely noted by the children themselves: they are very conscious of what is going on and often have to find a new way of dealing with the boys and girls around them, seeing them with new eyes and realizing that a change in their own consciousness has taken place.

These turning points in life have been celebrated from time immemorial: from the dim pre-historic times to our own day, and it doesn't make any difference if you are part of a so-called primitive tribe in the jungle of the Amazon, or if you are part of today's high-tech society: birth, puberty, marriage and death are still ~the~ ritual occasions in life!

Could it be that the four greater sabbats, the 'cycle of life', form the ground plan of the Craft as a whole? Could it be that everything links together, and more has survived the burning times than we realize?

The Craft is a fertility religion, a tribal religion, and this is certainly true in so far as we celebrate the seasons and the Wheel of the Year. But is there more to this? What about the structure of the degrees for example. Are they a logical part of this 'cycle of life' too? Let's see how far we get.

The Three Degrees

The first degree is considered to be some kind of acceptance into the Coven. One becomes part of a 'spiritual family'. The initiation rituals in many tribes incorporate some sort of rebirth' procedure: crawling through a hole in the ground, for example, or as in our case, being blindfolded and then 'being brought into the light'. The first degree ritual can thus be seen as a ritual signifying birth. The candidate is being 'reborn' into the Coven, into his or her spiritual family, s/he has 'come home' and will now go through a period of training or 'upbringing': s/he will become familiar with how things are done in that particular Coven.

The second degree in most Gardnerian groups is indicative of the witch having 'grown up' to the point of potentially being able to lead her own Coven (i.e. potentially becoming a parent in a spiritual family!). However, the witch is not ready yet for a start there is no practical experience with leading a group or conducting rituals. This stage could be seen as the reaching of puberty: on the one hand the person is physically mature, on the other hand the person is not ready yet to take on all the responsibilities that go with having a family of your own.

Traditionally, after reaching second degree, a lady might be invited to become a Maiden, that is a High Priestess 'in training', thus formalizing the intent to lead one's own Coven at some time in the future.

The third degree ritual includes the Great Rite, but if we interpret that as the consummation of marriage, than we can see that the third degree would fall in line with the 'marriage' concept of Lughnasadh. It is the time when the newly trained High Priestess and High Priest are completely independent. They are 'adults', and from now on should be able to be responsible for their own family, or Coven. That this entails sacrifice too will be admitted by anyone who is running their own Coven! But even if you are not, it is possible to equate the third degree with being married and having all the responsibilities - whether it is having children or a house or having to take care of others. Although it is often joyful, sometimes it may be a real burden!

A Fourth Degree?

So far the three degrees do correspond with Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh. But what about Samhain? There is no 'fourth degree' that we can link with Hallowe'en. However, we can think about this festival and see which stage in life would correspond with it. Samhain celebrates death and rebirth, but as the first degree doesn't signify physical birth, a fourth degree wouldn't celebrate physical death either. In human life it would be the point when the adult has left the family-phase behind, and is now free to become the Wise Old Woman or the Wise Old Man. The person is no longer tied down by earthly responsibilities. The children have left the home, the job is no longer very important, money is not such a headache anymore, in short: it is time to enter a new phase in one's life.

This is the period when the experience of a lifetime has to be examined, and the seeds of truth have to be uncovered. All the pretty trappings will have to go, so that only the bare essence will be left over. But it is this bare essence which the Wise Old Woman or Man can use to instruct the younger generation. It is as the seeds which are planted at Samhain, to germinate and sprout at Imbolc.

Within Craft settings this could designate the period when a former High Priestess or High Priest is no longer involved in running a Coven, maybe even has become more or less solitary, and is devoting their main effort to helping the younger generation, and focusing on the spiritual aspects of life, uncovering the meaning behind the tapestry!

Whether an individual Coven wants to celebrate this point or not, at least it is clear that the three degrees, as they exist, are not 'badges of rank', to be acquired every year. The degrees are too meaningful for that!

Conclusion

And so we arrive at a cycle of Eight Festivals, which is on the surface made up of two very distinct rhythms. First the cosmic, solar swing between light and dark, between spiritual and earthly influences. Secondly, the highly movable cycle of major sabbats, which celebrate life in general, and the major turning points in human life in particular: birth, puberty, marriage and death. This cycle forms the groundplan of the Craft as a whole. It ties in to the three degrees, and to the major phases in a person's life. It may also give meaning to the phase that many of us dread: that of old age. This shouldn't be a phase of being society's liability, but instead one of increased value on account of the accumulated wisdom of a lifetime.

Is the solar cycle of equal importance? It is too simple to say that the solar cycle was a recent insertion into Craft practice, and that we could quite easily do without. The constant change between a solar, cosmic festival and a lunar, life festival in the course of the year makes sure that the cosmic influences - even though they may be rather impersonal - are constantly renewing life on earth, and thus bringing new initiatives into being. The solar festivals could be seen as celebrating the 'see of the season: they give the impulse. All life begins with a seed, which needs nourishment and a period of rest and quiet before the actual manifestation will occur. And the following Cross Quarter Day celebrates the sprouting of that seed: it is the culmination of the season as far as the aspect of life is concerned. Maybe the meanings of the Cross Quarter Days were transferred to the preceding solar festival, once the solstices and equinoxes were celebrated and the Cross Quarter Days faded in people's memory, leading to the celebration of 'birth' at Yule...

The Craft is also called a 'mystery religion', and maybe this article has lifted another tip of the veil. The mysteries are accessible through all genuine spiritual streams, and the Craft is certainly one of them!

"There be Thirteen Monthes In The Yeere..."

The following correspondences are given as is - they may or may not prove to be an inspiration. See Robert Graves' The White Goddess for more information. Remember that the Celts started their year at Samhain, so the Blood Moon is the month close to Hallowe'en, the Long Night Moon is close to Yule, etcetera. The letters given refer to the Celtic Ogham alphabet.

Blood Moon / Falling Leaf Moon: Elder Tree Esbat; Colour: Blood red; Bird: Rook, Goose; Letter: R; Goddess: Triple Morrigan: Ana-Badh-Macha. Timelessness, youth and old age balanced, life in death and death in life; the ending of the old to renew the coming new start, change and creativity all linked.

Tree Moon / Blood Moon: Yew Tree Esbat; Letter I; Colour: Dark green; Bird: Eaglet, Rook; Goddess: Hecate. The ability to be reborn, continuously, everlasting, the reference point for what has been and what is to come.

Long Night Moon: Birch Grove Esbat; Colour: white; Letter: B; Bird: Pheasant; God: Belinus. Expel all evil thoughts and influences, new star, protection against bad influences, inception.

Ice Moon: (inserted every two or three years). Rowan Tree Esbat; Colour: Grey; Bird: Duck; Goddess: Morrigan Macha; Letter: L. Protection against enchantment, Rowan is good for metal divining, development of oracular powers.

Snow Moon: Ash Grove Esbat; Letter: N; Colour: Bright Green; Bird: Snipe; God: Gwydion. The link between above and below, Microcosm and Macrocosm, Yggdrasil. The inner pathway shown to the outer world.

Death Moon: Alder Tree Esbat; Letter: F; Bird: Gull; Colour: Purplish red; God: Bran. Best in disputes when protecting, oracular as Bran's oracular head, buried under the White Mount in Lugdunum.

Awakening Moon / Rising Sap Moon: Willow Grove Esbat; Colour: Brightness/Night; Bird: Hawk, Thrush; Goddess: Astarte; Letter: S. Controlled by moon-tidal energies, protection against 'damp' diseases, more active at night than during the day.

Grass Moon: Hawthorne Esbat / Whitethron Esbat; Colour: Pink; Bird: Night-crow; Goddess: Hag Hadaig; Letter: H. Cleansing, protects the inner realms (Sidhe), enforced chastity before the fertile Oak-month.

Planting Moon / Honey Moon: Oak Grove Esbat; Colour: Black; Bird: Wren; God: Cernunnos; Letter: D. Strengthens all powers; gateway to the inner realms, lasting endurance; receives the fertile symbol of the Mistletoe at Mid Winter.

Rose Moon: Holly Tree Esbat; Letter: T; Colour: Dark grey; Bird: Starling; God: Green Knight. Directed balance, unifying capacity, paternity and rebirth. An indicator of what lies ahead after the fertile Oak-month preceding.

Lightning Moon: Hazel Tree Esbat; Colour: Brown; Bird: Crane, Hen; Goddess: Macha; Letter C. A capacity for the use of words, strong in meditation and divining, the inspiration or capacity to produce creative energy, especially in others.

Harvest Moon / Barley Moon: Apple Tree Esbat; Colour: Green; Bird: Titmouse; God: Arthur; Letter: Q. The beauty of life and youthfulness, the choice of beauty, the link to the hidden worlds, the apple-land, Avalon, lies within, it's sigil is the Pentagram.

Hunter's Moon / Wort Moon: Blackthorn Esbat / Sloe Esbat; Colour: Purple; Bird: Mute Swan; Goddess: Black Annis; Letter: SS. Strong and determined vision, forceful control, a possession by supernatural forces, something that cannot be avoided, the determination to overcome all resistance.

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