A Quick Guide to the Pagan Wheel of the Year ©

 

 

The wheel begins to turn as the veil between worlds thins,

 And so we celebrate Samhain, the Pagan New Year

Children dressed as ghosts and goblins roam on this night,

Playing tricks and begging for treats

Our passed loved ones join in the festivities,

Their presence known to us on this sacred night.

 

Soon the Winter Solstice, known as Yule, is upon us,

Bringing longer days of sun, and shorter nights of darkness.

With the coldest days and nights  ahead, and we light our fires,

Bringing a peaceful warm glow to our homes and hearts.

The Earth will be covered by a blanket of pure white snow,

Protecting her until she awakens to the warmth of Spring.

 

The Goddess Brighid brings to us the celebration of Imbolc,

The preparation of new birth, for the earth, and for the animals

The melting of the ice promises  the return of flowing waters.

Candles are lit to honor the longer days and strengthening of the sun

Seedlings are started in preparation of their planting in the earth

There is a promise of growth and new birth for the coming seasons.

 

At the vernal equinox, the wheel stops to honor Ostara,

The equality of night and day, and the celebration of Spring.

New life springs from the ground and buds on the trees unfold.

The spring birds have arrived with their cheerful melody of sounds.

Baskets filled with brightly colored eggs are shared with friends

As we honor fertility and the rebirth of Mother Earth.

 

Summer’s arrival brings the celebration of Beltaine.

The door to the underworld opens and we revel in the warm sun

Bonfires are lit, and celebrations of love are in the air.

The Maypole is raised, adorned with colorful ribbons and flowers.

Young  people dance around the pole, entwining the ribbons

Much like their lives, soon be joined together in passion and love.

 

Litha brings with it the summer solstice, with its dense greenery.

Faeries dance among the flowers that the Green Man has provided.

Fireflies light the night sky and flitter throughout the evening hours.

Bless the earth and all she has provided at this fertile time,

For, from this day forward, the sun  retreats earlier each day.

The Holly King of winter will soon overtake the Oak King of summer.

 

Half way from summer to autumn, the wheel stops at Lughnasad.

More noticeable is the lengthening of the darkness of night.

The warmth of the summer sun is slowly growing cooler

The waning days of summer signal the gathering of the first harvest.

It is a time to reap all you have grown through the warm days of summer.

It is a time for baking bread, sharing your bounty, and dancing in celebration.

When the Wheel turns to Mabon, we gather the fruits of our labor.

The last harvest of the year will sustain us until the next growing season.

As the Goddess returns to the underworld, the leaves are no longer green.

Now brightly colored, they will soon turn brown, and fall to the earth.

Equal hours of day and night signal the Autumnal Equinox.

We prepare our homes, our pantries, and lives, for the cold months ahead.

 

And so,  the cycle of life brings us  again to Samhain.

Again, the veil between world is thinning,

Allowing our loved ones to come and be seen once more.

Children dress as ghosts and goblins and play their games,

as the fires are once again lit in our hearths and homes.

Our lives, like the wheel, are always turning, always changing.