Wheel Of The Year - Celebrating the 8 Pagan Sabbats

You don’t need to be a witch or pagan to celebrate the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel reflects ancient festivals that celebrate the changing seasons. There are eight Pagan Sabbats that make up the Wheel of the Year, with each Sabbat inspiring greater connection with the natural cycles of our planet. Learn more about these powerful celebrations and how you can incorporate them into your spiritualism.

The 8 Pagan Sabbats – Wheel of the Year

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Why a Wheel of the Year?

When looking at the Wheel of the Year, the circle is such a perfect representation of the cycles of our planet and the festivals celebrated by pagans as the seasons change. The wheel divides the circle into Quarters or Lesser Sabbats which align with the seasons and the Solstices and Equinoxes.

Then in between the Quarters we have the Cross Quarters or Greater Sabbats (also known as Fire Festivals). These mark the midpoint between the solstices and equinoxes. The Greater Sabbats have their origins in Celtic traditions. As the wheel turns so do our seasons.

The solstices and equinoxes represent exact astronomical moments, so the exact dates move slightly every year. For solstices, this is the exact moment when night and day are at their extremes (longest night or shortest night), while equinoxes represent when night and day are balanced or equal.

The 8 Pagan Holidays

The Pagan Sabbats or holidays, also known as the Wheel of the Year, are the eight seasonal celebrations observed by many modern Pagan and Wiccan traditions. Not all traditions celebrate every holiday. Each Sabbat marks a significant point in the agricultural and astronomical calendar, as well as in the spiritual journey of the practitioner.

The eight Sabbats are:

Samhain
Yule (Winter Solstice)
Imbolc
Ostara (Spring Equinox)
Beltane
Litha (Summer Solstice)
Lughnasadh/Lammas
Mabon (Autumn Equinox)

Samhain

This festival is popularly known as Halloween. Pronounced “sow-en”, Samhain is celebrated on October 31st or November 1st, this Sabbat marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker half of the year. It is also considered the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, making it a time for honoring ancestors and communing with the dead. This is the Celtic New Year or Witches New Year. Learn more about Samhain here.

Yule

Celebrated on the winter solstice, usually around December 20 – 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and June 20-22 in the Southern Hemisphere. This popular sabbat marks the longest night of the year and the return of the sun. It is a time for lighting fires, exchanging gifts, decorating trees and celebrating the rebirth of the sun. From this day forward, the nights start getting shorter and the days longer. Learn more about Yule.

Imbolc

Pronounced “im-bolk”, Imbolc is celebrated on February 1st or 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere and August 1 or 2 in the Southern Hemisphere. Also known as St. Brighid’s Day or Candlemas this Sabbat marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It is a time for purification and renewal, and is associated with the goddess Brigid/Brighid. Many rituals for this date include candles, light, fire and feasts.

Ostara

Celebrated on the vernal or spring equinox, usually around March 20 – 22 North of the equator, September 20-22 south of the equator. This Sabbat marks the balance between light and dark, and the beginning of the growing season. It is a time for planting, fertility rites, and celebrating the renewal of life. This is a celebration of renewal and abundance. In Wiccan traditions this is a celebration of the goddess as Maiden. Learn more about Ostara.

Beltane

Also known as the Fire Festival or May Day. This fiery festival is celebrated on May 1st or May Eve in the North and October 31 in the South. This Sabbat marks the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It is a time for celebrating fertility and the greening of the Earth. A popular ritual at Beltane festivals is dancing the maypole. The maypole and the twirling of ribbons around it represent fertility and the spiral of life. Bonfires are also a popular part of the celebrations. Many beliefs follow that, like Samhain, the veil is thinner at this time of year. In Wiccan traditions this is when the god and goddess come together. Beltane is a very popular festival in many cultures and is known as a time to celebrate love, weddings and romance. Learn more about Beltane.

Litha

Pronounced “lee-tha”, Litha is celebrated on the summer solstice. This falls on June 20-22 in the Northern Hemisphere and December 20-22 in the Southern Hemisphere. This Sabbat marks the longest day of the year and the height of the growing season. It is a time for celebrating the power of the sun and the abundance of the earth. Learn more about Litha.

Lughnasadh (Lammas)

Pronounced “loo-nah-sah”, this sabbat is celebrated on August 1st or 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere and February 1 or 2 in the Southern. This festival marks the beginning of the harvest season and is the first of the harvest festivals. It is a time for giving thanks for the abundance of the earth and, in some traditions, for honoring the Celtic sun and blacksmith god Lugh. So it isn’t a surprise this is a favourite sabbat for us, and will usually find us in the forge. A popular tradition with this festival is baking bread with the first grain harvest. Learn more about Lugnasadh.

Mabon

Celebrated on the autumn equinox, usually around September 21st in the Northern Hemisphere and March 21st in the Southern Hemisphere. This festival marks the balance between light and dark, and the second harvest of the year. It is a time for giving thanks for the blessings of the earth and for preparing for the darker half of the year. In Wiccan traditions it his when the goddess grows from mother to crone. Learn more about Mabon.

Celebrating the Sabbats

How you celebrate the Sabbats is a highly personal decision inspired by your worship practice, your beliefs, and your spiritual needs. If you are part of a coven you may have certain rituals or festivals that you do together. As an individual practitioner, your path will likely dictate how you want to mark the festivals. For many, the Sabbats are a time for reflection, connection, education and personal growth. In many communities you can find like minded people to celebrate together.

I personally love to spend Sabbats with loved ones, meditating, making and burning candles, working with tarot, cooking and baking, and getting out into nature (including night sky gazing). I wish I lived near sacred monuments like Stonehenge. Although I have been blessed to walk amongst the stones twice in my lifetime, I have never been at a sacred site on a Sabbat. Maybe one day!

For now, my spiritual practices stay close to home and are a special time when I get to step back from the rush of the world and spend time with my faith and beliefs.

No matter how you decide to celebrate the Sabbats, enjoy this powerful connection to the natural cycles of our planet and cosmos.