The Wheel of the Year
| CELTIC NAME | MEANING | TIME OF YEAR
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Nos Galon-Mai | Beltaine or May eve
| Begins sundown, April 30
| Gwyl Canol Haf | Midsummer Day
| Begins sundown, (June 20th or 21st or the day before Summer Solstice) Day of the Heather
| Nos Gwyl Awst | Lammas
| Begins sundown, July 31| Nos Galon Gaeof | Samhain or Halloween
| Begins Sundown, October 31
| Gwyl Canol Gaeaf | Winter Solstice or Yule
| Winter Solstice begins Sundown, December 21 (day before Solstice)
| Nos Gwyl Fair | Candlemas
| Sabbat begins sundown, February 2
| Gwyl Canol Gwenwynol | Spring Equinox
| Begins sundown, (March 20th or 21st or the day before the Equinox) Day of the Gorse
| Gwyl Canol Hydref | Fall Equinox
| Begins sundown, September 21 (day before Equinox)
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SAMHAIN (pronounced sow-en)
NAMES - Halloween, All Hallows Eve, All Saints & All Souls, Day of the Dead
GODDESSES -
GODS - Horned Hunter, Cernnunos, Anubis
COLORS - Black, Orange, Indigo, Silver, Gold
HERBS - Pumpkin, Apple, Nuts, Thistle, Chrysanthemum, Broom, Oak Leaves, Sage
INCENSE - Apple, Nutmeg, Sage, Mint, Heliotrope
STONES - Jet, Obsidian, all black stones
FOODS - Apples, Corn, Nuts, Cider, Mulled Wine, Pumpkin Dishes, Cranberry Muffins, Herbal Teas
SPECIAL - Celtic New Year
Samhain is also known as the Celtic New Year, and is noted as being a time when the veils between the worlds of the living and the dead are the thinnest. It is during this night that we take the time to remember those who have passed from our world to the next.
Samhain is also, as many farmers will tell you, the last great harvest before winter begins.
For some reason, many people are willing to assume that Samhain is a Celtic God of the Dead or demon. Those who know little or nothing of Celtic lore, off to the library we must hurl you! Samhain was indeed a Celtic god, although not very well known. The only mention of him is about his cow being stolen. Other than that, Celtic mythology has nothing that states there was a Celtic God or demon of the Dead.
There may be a misconception brought on by the words 'Dark Lord'. I bet someone just thought, "SATAN!". Didn't I ask you to go to the library? The Dark Lord is the son of the Dark Mother (the Crone aspect of the Goddess). The dark aspect of deity represents death, the death of all things. It is during this time that the Dark Lord travels into the underworld to become the seed of his own rebirth. He will return again at Yule, reminding us that spring is on it's way and that life will return to the Earth once again. This is the shortest night of the year. What? Were you expecting something scary?
Fall Equinox
NAMES - Mabon, Michaelmas
GODDESSES - The Muses, Persephone, Morgan, Pamona, Modron, Epona
GODS - Thoth, The Green Man, Mabon, Hermes, Thor
COLORS - Orange, Red, Brown, Purple, Blue
HERBS - Hazel, Corn, Acorns, Oak, Wheat Stalks, Cypress Cones, Pine Cones
INCENSE - Myrrh, Sage, Pine, benzoin
STONES - Lapis Lazuli, sapphire, and yellow agate
FOODS - Breads, Corn, Cornbread, Beans, Squash, Apples, Roots (Carrots, Potatoes, Onions), Cider
SPECIAL - Thanksgiving
Mabon is a time when day and night are equal, and the second time of year that the veil between the worlds are thin. It symbolizes light giving way to dark, as we see the nights growing longer and the days growing shorter. It is a time for rebirth as the Goddess mourns the death of her consort. This is also a time that many go into the fields to gather fallen seeds that can be used to plant in the next year's harvest if properly cared for.
Winter Solstice
NAMES - Yule, Jul, Saturnalia, Christmas, solar/secular New Year
GODDESSES - Great Mother, Brighid, Gaea, Isis, Diana
GODS - Sun Child, Horus, Mithras, Odin, Saturn, Holly King, Apollo, Ra, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Divine Child, Mabon, The Green Man
HERBS - Holly, Mistletoe, Rosemary, Oak, Pine Cones
INCENSE - Bayberry, Pine, Cedar, Rosemary, Juniper, Cinnamon
STONES - Garnets, Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, Bloodstones
FOODS - Nuts, Apples, Oranges, Caraway rolls, Mulled wine, Roast turkey
SPECIAL - Honor & Renewal
Ahh, Yule. My favorite time of year. Yes, that's right. Not Halloween, it's Yule dollface! Yule has the shortest day of the year and symbolizes that the light is returning to the Earth and spring is upon us! It's the longest night of the year and a time when the Goddess gives birth to the Sun Child.
It is a time to set new goals and to settle our regrets or leave them behind.
There's a lot of hub-bub about Christians getting the Yule colors from Pagan sources. Uh, a sentence. Are you high? Colors belong to Nature. And any similarity between 'Pagan' colors and 'Christian' colors is purely coincidental. You know, when there are lots of people involved someone is bound to have the same idea as you.
Candlemas
NAMES - Imbolc, Oimelc, Brigid's Day; merged with Lupercalia/Valentines Day
GODDESSES - Brigid, All virgin (maiden) goddesses, Athena, Aradia, Gaia, Inanna, Februa
GODS - Angus Aeog, Februus, Eros
COLORS - White, Red, Yellow, Pink,
HERBS - Snowdrop, Bay, Heather, First Flowers of the Year, Coltsfoot, Violets, Iris, Myrrh
INCENSE - Rosemary, Cinnamon, Wisteria, Frankincense, Vanilla, Basil, Myrrh, Bay, Violet
STONES - Turquoise, Amethyst, Garnet, Ruby, Bloodstone
FOODS - Dairy Products, Onions, Garlic, Spiced Wines, Seeds, Herbal Teas
SPECIAL - Groundhog & Possible Early Spring
If we wanted we could put this to the tune of 'Happy Days'...Goodby Winter, Hellllloooooooooooo Spring! The birth of the Sun Child is a joyous occasion and the warmth of the sun is beckoning us out doors. Cast your wool coats aside, to the beach we must go. It's during this time that some Wiccan groups find ideal for their initiations.
Spring Equinox
NAMES - Ostara, St. Patrick's Day, Easter
GODDESSES - Eostre
GODS - The Green Man, The Stag King, Cernunnos
COLORS - Green, Yellow
HERBS - Honeysuckle, Iris, Peony, Violet, All Spring Flowers
INCENSE - Jasmine, Rose, Strawberry, Floral
GEMSTONES - Jasper
FOODS - Seeds, Leafy Green Vegetables, Spiced or Flower Cupcakes, Fruits, Hard-Boiled Eggs
SPECIAL - Rebirth of Nature
This is the time when the veils between light and dark are equal and you can pull out your eggs and watch them stand on end. Ok, not a clear description I know. It is during this time that Spring really begins to bloom and seperates itself fully from Winter. Eggs are decorated, wild flowers are picked and in Christian tradition, this is a time when Christ's resurrection is remembered. Yes, I find it necessary to point out Christian traditions. Lest we forget Dionysos?
Beltane
NAMES - May Eve, May Day, Walspurgis Night
GODDESSES - May Queen, Flora
GODS - May King, Jack in the Green
COLORS - Rainbow, Blue, Green, Pastels, all colors
HERBS - Honeysuckle, St. John's Wort, Hawthorn, All Flowers
INCENSE - Frankincense, Lilac, Rose
GEMSTONES - Jasper
FOODS - Dairy, Oatmeal cakes, Cherries, Strawberries, Wine Punches, Green Salads
SPECIAL - Maypole dances
This is a time of union between the Lord and Lady. Also in many traditions it is a time of Maypole dancing and balefire jumping.
Summer Solstice
NAMES - Midsummer, Litha, St. John's Day
GODDESSES - Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Any mother aspect of the Goddess
GODS - Father Sun/Sky, Oak King, Pan, Mercury, Cernunnos, Thor
COLORS - Yellow, Gold, Rainbow colors
HERBS - Mugwort, Wild Thyme, Carnation, Chamomile, Lily, Lavender, Rose, Vervain
INCENSE - Pine, Rose, Myrrh, Frankincense, Lemon
GEMSTONES - Any green stones, Emerald
FOODS - Ale, Mead, fresh fruits and summer vegetables
SPECIAL - Feasting
This is the longest day of the year. A time to revere the Sun King and all his glory. Many Pagans reinact the battle between the Holly King and the Oak King in the fight over light. The Oak King, a youth who represents the waxing year, is overcome by the Holly King. This symbolizes the end of Summer and the begining of Autumn.
Lammas
NAMES - Lughnassad
GODDESSES - any Mother/Crone aspect of the Goddess
GODS - Grain God, Lugh, John Barleycorn, Corn King, Bel, Balinus, any aged Gods
COLORS - Orange, Yellow, Brown, Green
HERBS - Ash, Camphor, Juniper, Mistletoe, Fern, Marjoram, Mandrake, Thyme, Geranium
INCENSE - Rosemary, Carnation, Vanilla, Allspice
GEMSTONES - amethyst
FOODS - Harvest foods/fruits, breads, maise
SPECIAL - First Harvest
Lammas is the first harvest of the season. The Sun God, now seen as the Dark Lord (not do to evil, but because the nights are growing longer), expends his energies into the crops in order to sustain life through out the colder months. The Dark Mother now prepares to shed her Crone aspect as well.
The making of corn dolls is one of the many traditions of this time. (I should mention that when I refer to corn, I don't mean what Americans think to be corn corn. The English term for corn is wheat, and what American's term corn is actually maize in England.)
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