🔮 The Wheel of the Year , A Guide to the Turning Seasons

 

Time is a circle, not a line.
The old ones called it the Wheel of the Year , a sacred cycle marking the eternal dance of light and shadow, life and decay, birth and return.

For those who walk the Pagan or witch’s path, the Wheel is divided into eight Sabbats or seasonal festivals that honour the Earth’s rhythms, the sun’s journey, and the unseen energies that bind us all.

You don’t need to be a practicing witch to feel it turning. You only need to notice the world shift ,the scent of rain before spring, the quiet decay of autumn leaves, the hush of winter before rebirth.

Below you’ll find each Sabbat, its pronunciation, and the energy it carries through the veil.

 

🌱 Imbolc (IM-bolk or IM-molk)

February 1st–2nd

The first whisper of spring.
The frost still lingers, but beneath the soil, new life stirs. This is a time for cleansing, inspiration, and gentle beginnings.
Light candles to honour Brigid, goddess of the forge, poetry, and renewal.

🕯️ Spell focus: Purification and preparation.

 

🌸 Ostara (Oh-STAR-ah)

Around March 20th–21st (Spring Equinox)

Day and night stand equal; the balance before bloom.
Ostara celebrates fertility, rebirth, and awakening.
Eggs, hares, and budding flowers are ancient symbols of life returning.

🌷 Spell focus: Growth, creativity, new ventures.

 

☀️ Beltane (BELL-tayn)

April 30th–May 1st

The fire festival of passion and union.The veil between worlds thins as life reaches full bloom.Dancing flames, flower crowns, and ribbons weave through this celebration of love, lust, and living magick.

🔥 Spell focus: Desire, manifestation, sacred union.

🌾 Litha (LITH-ah)

Around June 20th–21st (Summer Solstice)

The sun’s reign at its zenith.
Litha honours abundance, strength, and vitality.
Bonfires blaze, herbs dry in the warmth, and the Earth overflows with green magick.

☀️ Spell focus: Gratitude, courage, success.

🌻 Lammas / Lughnasadh (LAH-mas / LOO-nah-sah)

August 1st

The first harvest, when the fruits of our labour are gathered.
Bread, grain, and corn honour Lugh, god of skill and craftsmanship.A time to give thanks for the first rewards and to prepare for what’s to come.

🍞 Spell focus: Prosperity, reflection, appreciation.

 

🍂 Mabon (MAY-bon)

Around September 21st–23rd (Autumn Equinox)

The second harvest. Day and night once again stand equal.Mabon is a time of balance, gratitude, and letting go. Leaves fall, shadows lengthen, and we prepare to retreat inward.

🍁 Spell focus: Equilibrium, release, introspection.

🕯️ Samhain (SOW-in or SAH-win)

October 31st–November 1st

The Witch’s New Year.
The veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. We honour our ancestors, light candles for the departed, and celebrate the cycle of death and rebirth.
Pumpkins glow, spirits stir, and the air hums with memory.

💀 Spell focus: Ancestor work, divination, transformation.

❄️ Yule (YOOL)

Around December 21st (Winter Solstice)

The longest night, when the sun is reborn. Evergreens, candles, and feasting mark hope’s return amidst darkness. Yule reminds us that even in shadow, light waits to rise again.

🎄 Spell focus: Renewal, protection, rebirth.

🌙 Turning with the Wheel

To live by the Wheel of the Year is to live in rhythm, to honour every stage of existence, from bloom to decay, passion to stillness.

You don’t need elaborate rituals or altars (though we love both). Simply pause to notice the turning: the scent of rain, the rustle of harvest, the chill that whispers change.

Each Sabbat offers a mirror a chance to align your magick, your makeup, and your mindset with the season’s pulse.

After all, even beauty follows the moon. 🌒