Editing Wheel of the Year

{{Short description|Annual cycle of seasonal festivals observed by modern pagans}}
{{Redirect|Sabbat|other uses of Sabbat|Sabbat (disambiguation)|Wheel of time|Wheel of time (disambiguation)|the song by GFriend|Walpurgis Night (album)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
[[File:Wheel of the Year.png|thumb|349px|The '''Wheel of the Year''' in the [[Northern Hemisphere]]. Some Pagans in the [[Southern Hemisphere]] advance these dates six months to coincide with their own seasons.]]
{{Wicca|Holidays}}

The '''Wheel of the Year''' is an annual cycle of [[seasonal]] [[festival]]s, observed by a range of [[Modern paganism|modern pagan]]s, marking the [[year]]'s chief solar events ([[solstice]]s and [[equinox]]es) and the midpoints between them. Modern pagan observances are based to varying degrees on [[folk tradition]]s, regardless of the historical practices of world [[civilization]]s.<ref name="harvey_rpe">{{cite journal |last=Harvey |first=Graham |title=The Roots of Pagan Ecology |journal=Journal of Contemporary Religion |year=1994 |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=38–41 |doi=10.1080/13537909408580720}}</ref> [[Modern Paganism in the United Kingdom|British neopagans]] popularized the Wheel of the Year in the mid-20th century,<ref>{{cite podcast| url= https://druidcast.libsyn.com/druidcast_episode_1 | title= Druidcast Episode 1 | website= druidcast.libsyn.com | publisher= | host= | date= 1 Jun 2007 | time= | access-date= 22 June 2024}}</ref> combining the four solar events ("[[quarter days]]") marked by many European peoples, with the four midpoint festivals ("cross-quarter days") celebrated by [[Insular Celts|Insular Celtic]] peoples.<ref name="Williams 2013">{{cite web | last=Williams | first=Liz | title=Paganism, part 3: the Wheel of the Year | website=The Guardian | date=2013-07-29 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/29/paganism-part-3-wheel-year-dates | access-date=2021-10-23}}</ref> 

Different paths of modern Paganism may vary regarding the precise timing of each observance, based on such distinctions as the [[lunar phase]] and [[Hemispheres of Earth|geographic hemisphere]]. Some [[Wiccans]] use the term '''sabbat''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|æ|b|ə|t}}) to refer to each festival, represented as a [[spoke]] in the Wheel.<ref name=witchcraft_today>{{cite book|title=Witchcraft Today|first=Gerald|last=Gardner|page=147|year=1954}}</ref>

==Origins==
Seasonal festival activities of pagan peoples differed across [[Prehistoric Europe|ancient Europe]]. Among the British Isles, [[Anglo-Saxon]]s primarily marked the solar stations (solstices and equinoxes), while [[Insular Celts|Insular]] [[Celts|Celtic peoples]] marked the four midpoints between them.<ref name="Hutton">{{citation|last=Hutton |first=Ronald |author-link=Ronald Hutton |title=The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles |publisher=Oxford, Blackwell |isbn=0-631-18946-7 |pages=337–341|date=8 December 1993 }}</ref> The four Celtic festivals were known to the [[Gaels]] as [[Beltane]] (1 May), [[Lughnasadh]] (1 August), [[Samhain]] (1 November), and [[Imbolc]] (1 February).

Influential works such as ''[[The Golden Bough]]'' (1890) by [[James George Frazer]] explored various European seasonal festivals and their possible pagan roots. ''[[The Witch-Cult in Western Europe]]'' (1921) by [[Margaret Murray]] examined reports of the [[Witch trials in the early modern period|European witch trials]], including a 1661 trial record from [[Forfar]], Scotland, where the accused witch (Issobell Smyth) was alleged to attend witches meetings "[[Quarter days|every quarter]]" at [[Candlemas]] (2 February), [[Roodmas]] (3 May), [[Lammas]] (1 August), and [[Hallowmas]] (1 November).<ref>Kinloch, George Ritchie. ''Reliquiae Antiquae Scoticae''. Edinburgh, 1848.</ref> ''[[The White Goddess]]'' (1948) by [[Robert Graves]] suggested that, despite [[Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England|Christianisation]], the importance of agricultural and social cycles had preserved eight holidays of "the ancient British festal system", consisting of [[Candlemas]] (2 February), [[Lady Day]] (25 March), [[May Day]] (1 May), [[Midsummer Day]] (24 June), [[Lammas]] (1 August), [[Michaelmas]] (29 September), [[Halloween]] (31 October), and [[Christmas]] (25 December).<ref>Robert Graves, ''The White Goddess'', New York: Creative Age Press, 1948. Published in London by Faber & Faber.</ref>

[[File:Witches Hut 2006 side view.JPG|thumb|left|The Witches' Cottage, where the Bricket Wood coven celebrated their sabbats (2006)]]
Two [[neopagan]] streams in Britain popularised these seasonal festival calendars in the twentieth century: the [[Bricket Wood coven]], a [[Wicca]]n group founded by [[Gerald Gardner]], and the [[Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids]], a [[Druidry (modern)|neo-Druidic]] group founded by [[Ross Nichols]]. Legend holds that Gardner and Nichols harmonised an eight-fold calendar during a [[Naturism|naturist]] retreat, merging the four solar stations alongside their four midpoints as a unified festival cycle.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} Coordination eventually had the benefit of better aligning celebrations between the two neopagan groups.<ref name="lamond_fyw-p16">{{citation|last=Lamond |first=Frederic |title=Fifty Years of Wicca |year=2004 |location=Sutton Mallet, England |publisher=Green Magic |isbn=0-9547230-1-5 |pages=16–17}}</ref> Gardner's first publications refer to the Celtic festivals as "May eve, August eve, November eve (Hallowe'en), and February eve".<ref name=witchcraft_today/>

The phrase 'Wheel of the Year' was in use by the mid-1960s to describe an annual cycle of eight observances.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Witchcraft, the Sixth Sense—and Us|last=Glass|first=Justine|publisher=Neville Spearman|year=1965|location=London|pages=98}}</ref> Prominent Wiccan [[Aidan Kelly]] gave names to the Wiccan summer solstice (Litha) and equinox holidays (Ostara and Mabon) in 1974, which were then promoted by [[Oberon Zell-Ravenheart|Timothy Zell]] through his ''[[Green Egg]]'' magazine.<ref name=kelly>Kelly, Aidan. [https://www.patheos.com/blogs/aidankelly/2017/05/naming-ostara-litha-mabon/ About Naming Ostara, Litha, and Mabon]. Including Paganism. ''Patheos''. Accessed 8 May 2019.</ref> Popularisation of these names happened gradually; in her 1978 book ''Witchcraft For Tomorrow'', influential Wiccan author [[Doreen Valiente]] did not use Kelly's holiday names, instead simply identifying the solstices and equinoxes ("Lesser Sabbats") by their seasons.<ref name=beckett>Beckett, John. [https://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2018/09/enough-with-the-mabon-hate.html Enough With the Mabon Hate!] Under the Ancient Oaks. ''Patheos''. 11 Sep 2018.</ref> Valiente identified the four "Greater Sabbats", or fire festivals, by the names Candlemas, May Eve, Lammas, and Hallowe'en, while also naming their Gaelic counterparts Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasa, and Samhain.<ref name=valiente_tomorrow>Valiente, Doreen. 1978. ''Witchcraft For Tomorrow''. London: Robert Hale Limited.</ref>

Due to early Wicca's influence on modern paganism and the [[syncretic]] adoption of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic motifs, Wheel of the Year festival names in English commonly combine the [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] names used by Gardner and the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]]-derived names introduced by Kelly, regardless whether local celebrations are based on those cultures.

==Festivals==
[[File:Eight-spoked wheel.svg|thumb|right|The eight-armed [[sun cross]] is often used to represent the modern pagan Wheel of the Year.]]
[[File:Phases of the Sun (NHemi).png|thumb|right|The annual cycle of insolation for the northern hemisphere (Sun energy, shown in blue) with key points for seasons (middle), [[quarter days]] (top) and cross-quarter days (bottom) along with months (lower) and Zodiac houses (upper). The cycle of temperature (shown in pink) is delayed by [[seasonal lag]].]]
In many traditions of [[Modern Paganism|modern pagan]] [[Religious cosmology|cosmology]], all things are considered to be cyclical, with time as a perpetual cycle of growth and retreat tied to the [[Sun]]'s annual [[Death-rebirth deity|death and rebirth]]. This cycle is also viewed as a [[Macrocosm and microcosm|micro- and macrocosm]] of other life cycles in an immeasurable [[Recursion|series]] of cycles composing the Universe. The days that fall on the landmarks of the yearly cycle traditionally mark the beginnings and middles of the four [[season]]s. They are regarded with significance and host to major communal festivals. These eight festivals are the most common times for community celebrations.<ref name="harvey_rpe"/><ref name="Zell (2006):the Wheel">{{cite book |last1=Zell-Ravenheart |first1=Oberon |author-link=Oberon Zell-Ravenheart |last2=Zell-Ravenheart |first2=Morning Glory |title=Creating Circles & Ceremonies: Rituals for All Seasons And Reasons |year=2006 |publisher=Book-Mart Press |editor=Kirsten Dalley and Artemisia |page=192 |chapter=Book III: Wheel of the Year |isbn=1-56414-864-5}}</ref><ref name=DruryModernMagicalRevival>{{cite book |last= Drury |first=Nevill |editor1-last=Pizza |editor1-first=Murphy |editor2-last=Lewis |editor2-first=James R |title=Handbook of Contemporary Paganism |year=2009 |chapter=The Modern Magical Revival: Esbats and Sabbats|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rwzttsI9-NwC |pages=63–67 |location=[[Leiden]], Netherlands|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |isbn=9789004163737}}</ref>

In addition to the quarter and cross-quarter days, other festivals may also be celebrated throughout the year, especially in the context of [[polytheistic reconstructionism]] and other [[Ethnic religion|ethnic]] traditions. While festivals of the Wheel are steeped in solar [[mythology]] and [[symbol]]ism, many Wiccan [[esbat]]s are commonly based on [[lunar cycle]]s. Together, they represent the most common celebrations in Wiccan-influenced forms of modern paganism, especially in [[Neopagan witchcraft]] groups.<ref name="Zell (2006):the Wheel"/><ref name=DruryModernMagicalRevival />

===Winter Solstice (Midwinter / Yule)===
{{Main|Winter solstice|Yule}}
{{see also|Midwinter|Brumalia|Saturnalia}}

The [[winter solstice]], falling on or about 21 December in the Northern hemisphere, is celebrated by neopagans  under various names, including ''[[Midwinter]]'' and ''[[Yule]]''. A name used by neo-druids is ''[[Alban Arthan]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/winter-solstice-alban-arthan|title=Winter Solstice - Alban Arthan|date=2012-01-10|website=Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref>

It has been recognised as a significant turning point in the yearly cycle since the [[Neolithic|late Stone Age]]. Ancient [[megalith]]ic sites [[Newgrange]] and [[Stonehenge]] were carefully aligned with the winter solstice sunrise and sunset.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Anthony |title=Solving Stonehenge: The New Key to an Ancient Enigma |publisher=Thames & Hudson |year=2008 |pages=252–253 |isbn=978-0-500-05155-9}}</ref> While commonly referred to as "Yule", after the Germanic and later Northern European winter festival of the same name, those celebrations by [[Germanic paganism|Germanic heathens]] likely followed the [[Christianisation of the Germanic peoples]]. Historical sources indicate those observances coinciding with the full moon of the lunisolar month following the winter solstice, ranging between January 5 and February 2 in the Gregorian calendar.<ref name=Nordberg>{{cite journal |last1=Nordberg |first1=Andreas |title=Jul, disting och förkyrklig tideräkning |journal=Acta Academiae Regiae Gustavi Adolphi |date=2006 |volume=91 |pages=155–156|url=https://www.academia.edu/1366945}}</ref> The reversal of the [[Sun]]'s ebbing presence in the sky symbolises the [[Death-rebirth deity|rebirth of the solar god]] and presages the return of fertile seasons.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} From Germanic to Roman tradition, this is the most important time of celebration.<ref name="Zell 2006:Yule">{{cite book |last1=Zell-Ravenheart |first1=Oberon |last2=Zell-Ravenheart |first2=Morning Glory |title=Creating Circles & Ceremonies: Rituals for All Seasons And Reasons |year=2006 |publisher=Career Press |pages=250–252 |chapter=7. Yule (Winter Solstice) |isbn=1-56414-864-5}}</ref><ref name="OEAGR">{{cite book |last=Gagarin |first=Michael |title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome: Volume 1 |year=2010 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |page=231 |chapter=S |isbn=978-0-19517-072-6}}</ref>

Practices vary, but [[Sacrifice|sacrifice offerings]], feasting, and gift giving are common elements of Midwinter festivities. Bringing sprigs and wreaths of [[evergreen]]ery (such as [[holly]], [[ivy]], [[mistletoe]], [[Taxus|yew]], and [[pine]]) into the home and tree decorating are also common during this time.<ref name="Zell 2006:Yule"/><ref name="ERE6 Gifts">{{cite book |last=Selbie |first=John A. |title=Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, Volume 6 |year=1914 |publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]]; [[T. & T. Clark]] |location=[[New York City|New York]]; [[Edinburgh]] |editor-last=Hastings |editor-first=James |editor-link=James Hastings |page=212 |chapter=Gifts (Greek and Roman) |title-link=Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics}}</ref><ref name="Harvey 2000:Midwinter">{{cite book |last=Harvey |first=Graham |title=Contemporary Paganism: Listening People, Speaking Earth |year=2000 |publisher=[[NYU Press]] |pages=6–8 |chapter=1: Celebrating the Seasons |isbn=0-8147-3549-5}}</ref>

===Imbolc (Candlemas)===
{{main|Imbolc|Candlemas}}
{{see also|Dísablót}}
''Imbolc'' is the traditional Gaelic name for 1 February and traditionally marks the first stirrings of [[Spring (season)|spring]]. In Christianity it is [[Brigid of Kildare|Saint Brigid's]] Day, while 2 February is [[Candlemas]]. It aligns with the contemporary observance of [[Groundhog Day]]. It is time for purification and [[spring cleaning]] in anticipation of the year's new life. In ancient Rome, it was a shepherd's holiday,<ref name="Plutarch">{{cite book |last=Plutarch |title=Life of Caesar |series=[[Parallel Lives]] |volume=[[Alexander and Caesar]] |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Caesar*.html#61}}</ref> while the Gaels associated it with the onset of ewes' lactation, prior to birthing the spring lambs.<ref name="Chadwick and Cunliffe">{{Cite book |last1=Chadwick |first1=Nora K. |last2=Cunliffe |first2=Barry |title=The Celts |year=1970 |publisher=Penguin |location=Harmondsworth |page=181 |isbn=0-14-021211-6}}</ref><ref name="Rabinovitch and Lewis:232">{{cite book |last1=Rabinovitch |first1=Shelley T. |last2=Lewis |first2=James R. |title=The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism |year=2004 |publisher=[[Citadel Press]] |pages=232–233 |isbn=0-8065-2407-3}}</ref>

For [[Celtic neopaganism|Celtic neopagans]], the festival is dedicated to the goddess [[Brigid]], daughter of [[The Dagda]] and one of the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]].<ref name="Rabinovitch and Lewis:232"/>

In the [[Reclaiming (neopaganism)|Reclaiming tradition]], this is the traditional time for pledges and rededications for the coming year<ref name=Starhawk>{{cite book |author=Starhawk |author-link=Starhawk |title=The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess |url=https://archive.org/details/spiraldancerebir00star/page/7 |url-access=registration |year=1979 |publisher=[[Harper and Row]] |location=New York, New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/spiraldancerebir00star/page/7 7–186, 246] |edition=1989 revised |isbn=0-06-250814-8}}</ref> and for [[initiation]] among [[Dianic Wicca]]ns.<ref name="Budapest 1980">{{cite book |last=Budapest |first=Zsuzsanna E. |title=The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries |year=1980 |publisher=Wingbow Press |isbn=0-914728-67-9}}</ref>

===Spring Equinox (Ostara)===
{{main|March equinox}}
{{see also|Liberalia|Hilaria|Nowruz}}
''Ostara'' is a name for the [[March equinox|spring equinox]] in some modern pagan traditions. The term is derived from a reconstruction produced by linguist [[Jacob Grimm]] of an Old High German form of the Old English ''[[Ēostre]]'', an [[List of Anglo-Saxon gods|Anglo-Saxon goddess]] for whom, according to [[Bede]], feasts were held in her [[Ēosturmōnaþ|eponymous month]], which he equated to April in the [[Julian calendar]].<ref name=Sermon>{{cite journal |last1=Sermon |first1=Richard |title=Eostre and the Matronae Austriahenae |journal=Folklore |date=3 April 2022 |volume=133 |issue=2 |pages=139–157 |doi=10.1080/0015587X.2021.1959143 |s2cid=249536135 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0015587X.2021.1959143 |issn=0015-587X}}</ref>

Known as ''Alban Eilir'' in strands of neo-druidry, this holiday is the second of three spring celebrations (the midpoint between Imbolc and Beltane), during which light and darkness are again in balance, with light on the rise. It is a time of new beginnings and of life emerging further from the grips of winter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/spring-equinox-alban-eilir/deeper-alban-eilir|title=Deeper into Alban Eilir|date=2012-01-18|website=Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref>

===Beltane (May Day)===
{{main|Beltane}}
{{see also|May Day|Floralia|Walpurgis Night}}
''Beltane'' comes from the Gaelic name for [[May Day]] ({{langx|ga|Bealtaine}} and {{langx|gd|Bealtainn}}), with the Welsh names being {{lang|cy|Calan Mai}}, {{lang|cy|Calan Haf}}, or {{lang|cy|Cyntefin}}. Traditionally, it marked the beginning of summer. It is known as [[Walpurgis Night]] in [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] countries.<ref name="Zell (2006):Beltane">{{cite book |last1=Zell-Ravenheart |first1=Oberon |author-link=Oberon Zell-Ravenheart |last2=Zell-Ravenheart |first2=Morning Glory |title=Creating Circles & Ceremonies: Rituals for All Seasons And Reasons |year=2006 |publisher=Book-Mart Press |editor=Kirsten Dalley and Artemisia |pages=203–206 |chapter=Book III: Wheel of the Year |isbn=1-56414-864-5}}</ref> Ancient Rome observed [[Floralia]] at the same time of year.

Following the [[Christianisation]] of Europe, the May Day festival was generally associated with [[maypole]] dancing and the crowning of the [[Queen of the May|May Queen]].

May Day is celebrated in many neo-pagan traditions; in neo-druidry, it recognises the power of life in its fullness, the greening of the world, youthfulness, and flourishing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/beltane/deeper-beltane|title=Deeper Into Beltane|date=2012-01-18|website=Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref>

===Summer Solstice (Midsummer / Litha)===
{{Main|Midsummer|Summer solstice}}
The [[summer solstice]], falling on or about 21 June in the Northern hemisphere, is celebrated by neopagans  under various names, including ''[[Midsummer]]'' and ''Litha''. A name used by neo-druids is ''[[Alban Hefin]]''.

The name ''Litha'', is found in [[Bede]]'s ''[[The Reckoning of Time]]'' (''{{lang|la|De Temporum Ratione}}'', eighth century), which preserves a list of the (then-obsolete) Anglo-Saxon names for the months of the [[early Germanic calendar]]. ''{{lang|ang|Ærra Liða}}'' (''first'' or ''preceding'' ''{{lang|ang|Liða}}'') roughly corresponds to June in the [[Gregorian calendar]], and ''{{lang|ang|Æfterra Liða}}'' (''following'' ''{{lang|ang|Liða}}'') to July. Bede writes that "Litha means ''gentle'' or ''navigable'', because in both these months the calm breezes are gentle and they were wont to sail upon the smooth sea".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Beda |first1=Venerabilis |title=Bede, the reckoning of time |date=1999 |publisher=[[Liverpool University Press]] |location=Liverpool |page=54 |isbn=9781846312663}}</ref>

In some neo-druid traditions the festival is called ''Alban Hefin''. The sun in its greatest strength is greeted and celebrated on this holiday. While it is the time of greatest strength of the solar current, it also marks a turning point, for the sun also begins its time of decline as the wheel of the year turns. Arguably the most important neo-druidic festival, due to the focus on the sun and its light as a symbol of divine inspiration. Neo-druid groups frequently celebrate this event at Stonehenge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/summer-solstice-alban-hefin/deeper-alban-hefin|title=Deeper into Alban Hefin|date=2012-01-18|website=Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref>

===Lughnasadh (Lammas)===
{{main|Lughnasadh|Lammas}}
''Lughnasadh'' or ''Lúnasa'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|uː|n|æ|s|ə}}) is the Gaelic name for a [[harvest]] festival held on or around 1 August.<ref name="Hutton"/><ref name="SpiralDance lammas">Starhawk (1979, 1989) ''The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess''. New York, Harper and Row {{ISBN|0-06-250814-8}} pp.191-2 (revised edition)</ref> Its Welsh name is {{lang|cy|Calan Awst}}. In English it is ''[[Lammas]]''. Some Wiccan traditions base their celebrations on the Celtic deity [[Lugh]], for whom the holiday is named, while others draw on more eclectic sources. While ''Lughnasadh'' is one of the most common names for the holiday in Wicca currently, in early versions of Wiccan literature, the festival is referred to as ''August Eve''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/gbos/gbos10.htm|title=Gardnerian Book of Shadows: The Sabbat Rituals: August Eve|website=www.sacred-texts.com|access-date=20 September 2017}}</ref>

Lammas is often referenced interchangeably with Lughnasadh, though the two are sometimes recognised as distinct and separate holidays. While Lughnasadh has Celtic origins, Lammas has Anglo-Saxon origins, and was often marked with the blessing of loaves of bread by the church. The name ''Lammas'' (contraction of ''loaf mass'') implies it is an agrarian-based festival and feast of thanksgiving for grain and bread, which symbolises the first fruits of the harvest.<ref name="SpiralDance lammas"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Lammas (n.) |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Lammas&allowed_in_frame=0|publisher=etymonline.com|access-date=25 November 2012}}</ref>

===Autumn Equinox (Mabon)===
{{Main|September equinox}}
The holiday of the autumnal equinox is known variously among neopagans as ''Mabon'', ''Harvest Home'', or ''Feast of the Ingathering''. A name used by neo-druids is ''Alban Elfed''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Druid Calendar - The Eightfold Wheel of the Year |url=https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/the-eightfold-wheel-of-the-year |website=[[Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids]]}}</ref> It is a neopagan festival of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and the Gods during the coming winter months. The name ''Mabon'' was coined by [[Aidan Kelly]] around 1970 as a reference to {{lang|cy|[[Mabon ap Modron]]}}, a character from Welsh mythology.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zell-Ravenheart|first1=Oberon Zell-Ravenheart & Morning Glory|title=Creating circles & ceremonies : rituals for all seasons & reasons|date=2006|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=1564148645|page=227}}</ref>

===Samhain (All Hallows)===
{{Main|Samhain|Halloween}}
[[File:Candelabra and Grave Dirt (58205188).jpg|upright|thumb|Neopagans honoring the dead as part of a Samhain ritual]]

''Samhain'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɑː|w|ɪ|n}}), or ''Sauin'', is the name of a traditional Gaelic festival held around 1 November. Its Welsh name is {{lang|cy|Calan Gaeaf}}. For Wiccans, it is a time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets, and other loved ones who have died. Aligned with the contemporary observance of [[Halloween]] and [[Day of the Dead]], in some traditions the spirits of the departed are invited to attend the festivities. It is seen as a festival of darkness, which is balanced at the opposite point of the Wheel by the festival of [[Beltane]], which is celebrated as a festival of light and fertility.<ref name="SpiralDance samhain">Starhawk (1979, 1989) ''The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess''. New York, Harper and Row {{ISBN|0-06-250814-8}} pp.193-6 (revised edition)</ref> Many neopagans believe that the veil between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest point of the year at Samhain, making it easier to communicate with those who have departed.<ref name=DruryModernMagicalRevival />

Some authorities claim the Christian festival of [[All Hallows' Day]] (All Saints' Day, Hallowmas), and All Hallows' Eve, are [[Cultural appropriation|appropriations]] of Samhain by early Christian missionaries to the British Isles.<ref name="Smith2004">{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Bonnie G.|title=Women's History in Global Perspective|access-date=14 December 2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Q8Ix-M8LWcC |year=2004|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-02931-8|page=66|quote=The pre-Christian observance obviously influenced the Christian celebration of All Hallows' Eve, just as the Taoist festival affected the newer Buddhist Ullambana festival. Although the Christian version of All Saints' and All Souls' Days came to emphasise prayers for the dead, visits to graves, and the role of the living assuring the safe passage to heaven of their departed loved ones, older notions never disappeared.}}</ref><ref name="Roberts1987">{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=Brian K.|title=The Making of the English Village: A Study in Historical Geography|access-date=14 December 2015|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CjbYAAAAMAAJ|year=1987|publisher=Longman Scientific & Technical|isbn=978-0-582-30143-6|quote=Time out of time', when the barriers between this world and the next were down, the dead returned from the grave, and gods and strangers from the underworld walked abroad was a twice- yearly reality, on dates Christianised as All Hallows' Eve and All Hallows' Day.}}</ref>

==Practice==
[[File:Romuvan ceremony (6).PNG|upright|thumb|[[Romuva (religion)|Romuva]] ceremony]]
[[File:Heathen holidays.png|thumb|Holidays of the [[Ásatrú Alliance]],<ref name=AsatruHolidays /> 
with black text used for main terms, gray text for alternative terms, and purple for minor observances]]

Celebration commonly takes place outdoors in the form of a communal gathering.

===Dates of celebration===
The precise dates on which festivals are celebrated often vary to some degree, as would the related agricultural milestones of the local region. Celebrations may occur on the astrologically precise quarter and cross-quarter days, the nearest [[full moon]], the nearest [[new moon]], or the nearest weekend for contemporary convenience. The festivals were originally celebrated by peoples in the [[middle latitudes]] of the [[Northern Hemisphere]]. Consequently, the traditional timing for seasonal celebrations do not align with the seasons in the [[Southern Hemisphere]] or near the equator. Pagans in the Southern Hemisphere often advance these dates by six months to coincide with their own seasons.<ref name=DruryModernMagicalRevival /><ref>{{cite book |title=Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia |last=Hume |first=Lynne |year=1997 |publisher=Melbourne University Press |location=Melbourne |isbn=9780522847826}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Vos|first=Donna|title=Dancing Under an African Moon: Paganism and Wicca in South Africa |year=2002|pages=79–86|publisher=Zebra Press|location=Cape Town|isbn=9781868726530}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bodsworth|first=Roxanne T|title=Sunwyse: Celebrating the Sacred Wheel of the Year in Australia |year=2003|publisher=Hihorse Publishing|location=Victoria, Australia|isbn=9780909223038}}</ref>

===Offerings===
{{See also|Blót|Holocaustos|Sacrificium Romanam|Thyesthai|Equus October|Ritual of oak and mistletoe|l1=Blótan}}
Offerings of food, [[libation|drink]], various objects, etc. have been central in [[ritual]] [[propitiation]] and [[Worship|veneration]] for millennia. Modern pagan practice strongly avoids [[Sacrifice|sacrificing]] animals in favour of grains, herbs, milk, wines, incense, baked goods, minerals, etc. The exception being with ritual feasts including [[ritual slaughter|meat]], where the inedible parts of the animal are often burned as offerings while the community eats the rest.<ref name="adf_nos">{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Kirk|title=The Nature of Sacrifice|url=http://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/nature-of-sacrifice.html|work=Cosmology|publisher=Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship|access-date=8 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Bradbury|first=Scott|title=Julian's Pagan Revival and the Decline of Blood Sacrifice|journal=Phoenix|year=1995|volume=49|issue=4 (Winter)|pages=331–356|jstor=1088885|doi=10.2307/1088885}}</ref>

Sacrifices are typically offered to gods and [[Ancestor veneration|ancestor]]s by [[Burnt offering|burning]] them. Burying and leaving offerings in the open are also common in certain circumstances. The purpose of offering is to benefit the venerated, show gratitude, and give something back, strengthening the bonds between humans and divine and between members of a community.<ref name="adf_nos"/><ref>{{cite book|first1=Galina |last1=Krasskova |first2=Swain (forward) |last2=Wodening |title=Exploring the northern tradition: A guide to the gods, lore, rites, and celebrations from the Norse, German, and Anglo-Saxon traditions|date=2005|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=9781435658943}}</ref><ref>Meuli 1946</ref>

===Heathen observances===
{{main|Heathen holidays}}

[[Heathenry (new religious movement)|Heathens]] may add to the demarcations of the Wheel of the Year with various Days of Remembrance celebrating heroes of the [[Edda]] and the [[Saga]]s and figures of Germanic history such as [[Leif Ericson]], who explored [[Norse colonization of North America|parts of North America]]. Heathen organisations using the Wheel of the Year framework for their festival calendar include the Swedish group [[Samfundet Forn Sed Sverige]], the American inclusive group [[The Troth]], and the [[Völkisch#Modern usage in Heathenry|folkish]] [[Ásatrú Alliance]].<ref name="Årets högtider">{{cite web |title=Årets högtider, Samfundet Forn Sed Sverige |url=https://www.samfundetfornsed.se/blot/%C3%A5rets-h%C3%B6gtider-1283052 |website=www.samfundetfornsed.se |access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Asatru Holidays - The Troth - Inclusive Asatru and Heathenry |url=https://thetroth.org/resources/holidays/sigrblot |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=thetroth.org}}</ref><ref name=AsatruHolidays>{{cite web|title=Runic Era {{As written|Calender}} |url=http://asatru.org/holidays.php |publisher=asatru.org |access-date=24 November 2012}}</ref>

=== Colours ===
According to some [[Neopagan witchcraft|pagan traditions]], for each holiday on the wheel, different [[Color|colours]] are displayed.<ref name="Mosely 10–13">{{Cite journal |last1=Mosely |first1=Spencer |last2=Johnson |first2=Pauline |last3=Koenig |first3=Hazel |date=September 1962 |title=Paper Decorating Ideas |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00119253.1962.10545389 |journal=Design |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=10–13 |doi=10.1080/00119253.1962.10545389 |issn=0011-9253}}</ref> This practice is not universal, however, and there are a wide range of ways which different sects or individuals would decorate for the sabbats.<ref name="Mosely 10–13"/> 
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|Colour!! style="text-align:center;"|Holiday/Time of Year!! style="text-align:center;"|Significance
|-
| style="background:black;"|{{white|Black}}|
|[[Samhain]] 
|Black is the primary colour of Samhain.<ref name="wikihow.com">{{Cite web |title=How to Celebrate Samhain: 12 Steps (with Pictures) |url=https://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-Samhain |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=wikiHow }}</ref> Black symbolises the vastness and mystery of the [[Spirit world (Spiritualism)|spirit world]] (and the [[universe]] to a greater extent).<ref name="Yeats 1902 574">{{Cite journal |last=Yeats |first=W. B. |date=1902 |title=Notes: From "Samhain" |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/20546256 |journal=All Ireland Review |volume=3 |issue=35 |pages=574–576 |doi=10.2307/20546256 |jstor=20546256 |issn=2009-2415}}</ref> It also represents the [[Death|dead]] and the [[Season|fading of light]] in the ‘dark half’ of the year.<ref name="Yeats 1902 574"/>
|-
| style="background:red;"|{{white|Red}}
|[[Beltane]], [[Yule]]
|In Beltane, red is symbolic of [[Physical strength|strength]], [[vitality]], [[Sexual arousal|sex and passion]],<ref>{{Citation |last=Habegger |first=Kimberly |title=Art as Reflection of the Rites and Rituals of Wine Consumption in Spain |date=2023-04-01 |work=Rites, Rituals & Religions |pages=6–16 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv36tpj3q.7 |access-date=2024-06-24 |publisher=Liverpool University Press |doi=10.2307/j.ctv36tpj3q.7 |isbn=978-1-78284-789-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-25 |title=Beltane April 30 - May 1 |url=https://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/blog/beltane-april-30---may-1 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk }}</ref> as well as of [[bonfire]]s and other related symbols of the holiday. For Yule, [[Red in culture|red is symbolic of abundance]], prosperity and good tidings<ref name="Make Magic With the Colors of Yule">{{Cite web |title=Make Magic With the Colors of Yule |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/magical-colors-of-the-yule-season-2562957 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref>
|-
| style="background:gold;"|Gold
|[[Imbolc]], Yule
|For Imbolc, gold is symbolic of [[candle]] flames and light.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Imbolc Traditions and Customs |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/imbolc-traditions-and-customs-2562143 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref> During Yule, gold is associated with the [[Sun]] and [[gift giving]]<ref name="Make Magic With the Colors of Yule"/>
|-
| White
|Imbolc
|White is the primary colour of Imbolc.<ref name="learnreligions.com">{{Cite web |title=Celebrating the Imbolc Sabbat, February 2 |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/guide-to-celebrating-imbolc-2562102 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref> Like gold, it symbolises [[light]] and candle flames.<ref name="learnreligions.com"/> It also symbolises the [[snow]], [[milk]] and [[Brigid]], along with other symbols of the [[Candlemas|season]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the Pagan Imbolc Celebration |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/history-of-the-pagan-holiday-imbolc-2562118 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref>
|-
| style="background:darkgreen;"|{{white|Dark Green}}
|Yule
|In Yule, dark green symbolises the [[Evergreen|evergreen fauna]] which is used to decorate during the holiday - it is symbolic of [[wealth]] (gifts), [[nature]] and [[peace]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wiccan Wheel of the Year; Robin Wood |url=https://www.robinwood.com/LivingtreeGrove/BOS/BOSPages/WheelOfYear.html |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=www.robinwood.com}}</ref> In some traditions, dark green is representative of the [[Oak King]], who conquers the [[Holly King and Oak King|Holly King]] for dominance in the next half of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Legend of the Holly King and the Oak King |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/holly-king-and-the-oak-king-2562991 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref>
|-
| style="background:lightgreen;"|Light Green
|[[Ostara]], [[Litha]], Beltane
|Light green is used in a wide range of holidays. For Ostara, light green is symbolic of the new [[Spring (season)|spring]] and the balance which nature brings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Celebrate Ostara With Rites and Rituals |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/ostara-rites-and-rituals-2562469 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref> In Litha, light green is also symbolic of balance and harmony.<ref>{{Cite web |title=10 Great Ways to Celebrate Litha |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/great-ways-to-celebrate-litha-2562249 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref> In Beltane, the colour has similar associations, but also of the [[wildness]] and raw energy of nature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the Pagan Beltane Celebration |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/the-history-of-beltane-and-may-day-2561657 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref>
|-
| style="background:yellow;"|Yellow
|[[Litha]], [[Lughnasadh|Lughnasadh/Lammas]], Ostara
|Yellow is one of the most versatile colours, and used in a plethora of holidays. In Litha, yellow is the primary colour, and symbolic of the [[Sun]], joy and light.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Customs and Traditions of Litha, the Summer Solstice |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/litha-customs-traditions-and-folklore-2561477 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref> In Lughnasadh or [[Lammas]], yellow is symbolic of the [[grain]] the holiday [[Harvest festival|celebrates]] and the Sun.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Unknown |first=Unknown |date=March 7, 2013 |title=Celebrating Lammas, August 1st |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/celebrating-lammas-or-lughnasadh-in-august-2562156 |website=Learn Religions |access-date=24 June 2024 |archive-date=24 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624134058/https://www.learnreligions.com/celebrating-lammas-or-lughnasadh-in-august-2562156 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In Ostara, it represents [[flower]]s and spring.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Everything You Should Know About Ostara, the Spring Equinox |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/all-about-ostara-the-spring-equinox-2562471 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref>
|-
| style="background:orange;"|Orange
|[[September equinox|Mabon]], Samhain
|In Mabon, orange represents the [[season|changing of the season]] and the fading of light in the darker half of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=5 Easy Decorating Ideas for Mabon |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/easy-decorating-ideas-for-mabon-2562269 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref> For Samhain, the colour comes secondary to black,<ref name="wikihow.com"/> but has similar associations as in Mabon, and also represents [[flame]]s and a connection to the spirit world. In some sects the colour represents the Sun in [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|rebirth]] when Yule arrives.<ref name="wikihow.com"/>
|-
| style="background:pink;"|Pink
|Ostara
|For Ostara, pink is symbolic of the flowers and new spring.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Set Up Your Ostara Altar |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/setting-up-your-ostara-altar-2562484 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref>
|-
| style="background:brown;"|{{white|Brown}}
|Mabon
|Brown is symbolic of the [[Autumn|fallen leaves]] and changing seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-22 |title=How to Celebrate Mabon 2024 |url=https://www.mabonhouse.co/mabon |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Mabon House }}</ref>
|}
Many of these colours are also used in the different holidays interchangeably with the others, and colour decorations are not exclusively these colours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=13 Magical Colors to Use |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/color-magic-magical-correspondences-4105405 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref> However, it is widely believed that Samhain has a particular association with black (and orange) only.<ref name="wikihow.com"/> Colour associations vary across sects and practice, nor are they an integral part to a holiday. Some practitioners do not have colour associations for sabbats at all.<ref>{{Cite web |title=10 Things You Need to Know About Paganism |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/facts-about-paganism-and-wicca-2562832 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Learn Religions }}</ref>

==Narratives==

===Celtic===
{{See also|Celtic mythology}}

It is a misconception in some quarters of the modern pagan community, influenced by the writings of [[Robert Graves]],<ref name="Hutton 1993:145">{{cite book |last=Hutton |first=Ronald |title=The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy |year=1993 |publisher=[[Blackwell publishing]] |location=[[Oxford]] |page=145 |isbn=0-631-18946-7}}</ref> that historical [[Celts]] had an overarching narrative for the entire cycle of the year. While the various [[Celtic calendar]]s include ''some'' cyclical patterns, and a belief in the balance of light and dark, these beliefs vary between the different [[Celtic polytheism|Celtic cultures]]. Modern [[Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism|preservationists and revivalists]] usually observe the four 'fire festivals' of the [[Gaels|Gaelic]] Calendar, and some also observe local festivals that are held on dates of significance in the different [[Celtic nations]].<ref name="Bonewits 2006">{{cite book |last=Bonewits |first=Isaac |title=Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism |year=2006 |publisher=Kensington Publishing Group |location=New York, New York |pages=179, 183–4, 128–140 |isbn=0-8065-2710-2}}</ref><ref name="McColman 2003">{{cite book |last=McColman |first=Carl |title=Complete Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom |year=2003 |publisher=Alpha Press |pages=12, 51 |isbn=0-02-864417-4}}</ref>

===Slavic===
{{See also|Slavic mythology}}

[[File:Kolomir00.jpg|thumb|''Kołomir'' – the [[Slavs|Slavic]] example of Wheel of the Year indicating seasons of the year. Four-point and eight-point [[swastika]]-shaped wheels were more common.]]
Slavic mythology tells of a persisting conflict involving [[Perun]], god of thunder and lightning, and [[Veles (god)|Veles]], the ''black god'' and ''horned god'' of the [[underworld]]. Enmity between the two is initiated by Veles' annual ascent up the [[world tree]] in the form of a [[Zmey|huge serpent]] and his ultimate theft of Perun's [[Cattle in religion|divine cattle]] from the heavenly domain. Perun retaliates to this challenge of the divine order by pursuing Veles, attacking with his lightning bolts from the sky. Veles taunts Perun and flees, transforming himself into various animals and hiding behind trees, houses, even people. (Lightning bolts striking down trees or homes were explained as results of this.) In the end Perun overcomes and defeats Veles, returning him to his place in the realm of the dead. Thus the order of the world is maintained.<ref name="cwm_sm">{{cite book |last=Leeming |first=David |title=The Oxford Companion to World Mythology |year=2005 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=[[New York, New York]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000leem/page/360 360] |chapter=A-Z Entries |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000leem/page/360 |isbn=0-19-515669-2}}</ref><ref name="hlobil">{{cite book |last=Hlobil |first=Karel |title=Before You |year=2009 |publisher=[[Insomniac Press]] |chapter=Chapter Eleven:Slavic Mythology |isbn=978-1-92-658247-4}}</ref><ref name="sms_11">{{cite journal
|last=Lyle |first=Emily |title=Time and the Indo-European Gods in the Slavic Context. |journal=[[Studia Mythologica Slavica]]
|url=http://sms.zrc-sazu.si/pdf/11/SMS_11_Lyle.pdf |year=2008 |volume=11 |pages=115–126 |doi=10.3986/sms.v11i0.1691|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The idea that storms and thunder are actually divine battle is pivotal to the changing of the seasons. Dry periods are identified as chaotic results of Veles' thievery. This duality and conflict represents an opposition of the natural principles of earth, water, substance, and chaos (Veles) and of heaven, fire, spirit, order (Perun), not a clash of good and evil. The cosmic battle between the two also echoes the ancient [[Proto-Indo-European religion#Mythology|Indo-European narrative]] of a fight between the sky-borne storm god and [[chthonic]] [[dragon]].

On the ''great night'' ([[New Year]]), two children of Perun are born, [[Jarilo]], god of fertility and vegetation and son of the Moon, and [[Marzanna|Morana]], goddess of nature and death and daughter of the Sun. On the same night, the infant Jarilo is snatched and taken to the underworld, where Veles raises him as his own. At the time of the spring equinox, Jarilo returns across the sea from the world of the dead, bringing with him fertility and spring from the evergreen underworld into the realm of the living. He meets his sister Morana and courts her. With the beginning of summer, the two are married bringing fertility and abundance to Earth, ensuring a bountiful harvest. The union of Perun's kin and Veles' stepson brings peace between two great gods, staving off storms which could damage the harvest. After the harvest, however, Jarilo is unfaithful to his wife and she vengefully slays him, returning him to the underworld and renewing enmity between Perun and Veles. Without her husband, god of fertility and vegetation, Morana&nbsp;– and all of nature with her&nbsp;– withers and freezes in the ensuing winter. She grows into the old and dangerous goddess of darkness and frost, eventually dying by the year's end only to be reborn again with her brother in the new year.<ref name="cwm_sm"/><ref name="hlobil"/>

===Wicca and Druidry===
{{Further|Wiccan views of divinity}}

[[File:Wheel of the Year.JPG|thumb|Painted Wheel of the Year from the [[Museum of Witchcraft]], Boscastle]]
In [[Wicca]], the narrative of the Wheel of the Year traditionally centers on the [[sacred marriage]] of [[Wicca#The God and the Goddess|the God and the Goddess]] and the [[god]]/[[goddess]] duality. In this cycle, the God is perpetually born from the Goddess at Yule, grows in power at the [[vernal equinox (Northern Hemisphere)|vernal equinox]] (as does the Goddess, now in her ''maiden aspect''), courts and impregnates the Goddess at [[Beltane]], reaches his peak at the [[summer solstice]], wanes in power at [[Lammas]], passes into the underworld at [[Samhain]] (taking with him the fertility of the Goddess/Earth, who is now in her ''crone aspect'') until he is once again born from Her mother/crone aspect at Yule. The Goddess, in turn, ages and rejuvenates endlessly with the seasons, being courted by and giving birth to the [[Horned God]].<ref name=DruryModernMagicalRevival /><ref>{{cite book|author=Vivianne Crowley|title=Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Age|location=London|publisher=Aquarian Press|year=1989|isbn=9780850307375|pages=162–200|author-link=Vivianne Crowley}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess: 20th Anniversary Edition|year=1999|publisher=HarperOne|location=San Francisco|isbn=9780062516329|pages=[https://archive.org/details/spiraldancerebir00star_0/page/197 197–213]|author=Starhawk|author-link=Starhawk|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/spiraldancerebir00star_0/page/197}}</ref>

Many Wiccan, [[modern Druids]], and eclectic modern pagans incorporate a narrative of the [[Holly King and Oak King]] as rulers of the waning year and the waxing year respectively. These two figures battle endlessly with the turning of the seasons. At the summer solstice, the Holly King defeats the Oak King and commences his reign.<ref name=fer>{{cite book|last1=Farrar|first1=Janet & Stewart Farrar; with line illustrations by Stewart|last2=Farrar|first2=photographs by Ian David & Stewart|title=A witches bible|date=1984|publisher=Magickal Childe|location=New York|isbn=093970806X}}</ref>{{rp|94}} After the [[Autumn equinox (Northern Hemisphere)|Autumn equinox]] the Oak King slowly begins to regain his power as the sun begins to wane. Come the [[winter solstice]] the Oak King in turn vanquishes the Holly King.<ref name=fer />{{rp|137}}After the [[spring equinox (Northern Hemisphere)|spring equinox]] the sun begins to wax again and the Holly King slowly regains his strength until he once again defeats the Oak King at the summer solstice. The two are ultimately seen as essential parts of a whole, light and dark aspects of the male God, and would not exist without each other.<ref name=DruryModernMagicalRevival /><ref name="Farrars 1988">{{cite book|author=Farrar, Janet and Stewart|title=Eight Sabbats for Witches, revised edition|publisher=Phoenix Publishing|year=1988|isbn=0-919345-26-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Joanne Pearson|title=A Popular Dictionary of Paganism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3W02UMPejRwC |year=2002|pages=80|location=London|publisher=Taylor & Francis Ltd|isbn=9780700715916}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Carl McColman|title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism|location=Indianapolis, IN|publisher=Alpha|year=2002|isbn=9780028642666|pages=121}}</ref>

The Holly King is often portrayed as a woodsy figure, similar to the modern [[Santa Claus]], dressed in red with sprigs of holly in his hair and the Oak King as a [[fertility god]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Raven Grimassi |title=Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kzp63ep-MlQC |year=2000|pages=219|location=St Paul, Minnesota|publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide|isbn=9781567182576}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wigington|first=Patti|title=The Legend of the Holly King and the Oak King|url=http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yulethelongestnight/p/Holly_KIng_Yule.htm|publisher=paganwiccan.about.com|access-date=25 October 2012|archive-date=29 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129233157/http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yulethelongestnight/p/Holly_KIng_Yule.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
* [[Ember days]], quarterly periods (usually three days) of [[prayer]] and [[fasting]] in the [[liturgical calendar]] of [[Western Christian]] churches.
* [[List of neo-pagan festivals and events]]
* [[Medicine wheel]], metaphor for a variety of [[Indigenous peoples of North America|Native American]] spiritual concepts
* [[Solar term]]s, year's divisions in China and East Asia
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->

=== Calendars ===
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
* [[Celtic calendar]]
** [[Gaelic calendar]]
** [[Welsh seasonal festivals]]
* [[Germanic calendar]]
** [[Runic calendar]]
* [[Hellenic calendars]]
** [[Attic calendar]]
** [[Ancient Macedonian calendar|Macedonian calendar]]
* [[Roman calendar]]
** [[Roman festivals]]
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
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{{Commons category|Wiccan holidays}}
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* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20221107203437/https://archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html Astronomical cusps and pagan holidays]}}
* [https://www.circlesanctuary.org/index.php/celebrating-the-seasons/celebrating-the-seasons Celebrating the Seasons at Circle Sanctuary] 
* [https://sunmooncalendar.com/sun-moon-calendar/sun-moon-calendar-model.htm Sun Moon calendar]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20210111101711/http://piereligion.org/festivals.html Festival Calendar for the Indo-Europeans]}}

{{Wheel of the Year}}
{{Calendars}}
{{Time in religion and mythology}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheel Of The Year}}
[[Category:1950s in modern paganism]]
[[Category:Autumn equinox]]
[[Category:Modern pagan holidays]]
[[Category:Neo-druidism]]
[[Category:Solstices]]
[[Category:Spring equinox]]
[[Category:Time in religion]]
[[Category:Wicca]]

[[cs:Sabat (wicca)]]