Celebrating the Wheel of the Year

January 14th, 2019 - filed under: The Farm » Family

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Last year, for New Year’s Eve 2017 –> 2018, I only had one real resolution. I wrote down:

Create family traditions around the 8 sabbats: Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, Mabon, Samhain, and Yule. Include the coven and close friends. Create community. 8 parties this year!

It was an ambitious goal, but for the most part, I was totally successful! 2018 was the year that my magical practice fully bloomed and rooted. It feels so deeply ingrained in my everyday life, now. And as I’ve finally begun to feel more comfortable sharing this part of myself (mostly on Instagram stories), I’ve gotten so many private messages from others out there, on a similar magical journey . . . or wanting to be!

Which makes a lot of sense. One of the reasons I’ve always been drawn to witchcraft, is because of the way I feel that it connects me to the natural rhythms of the earth. Now granted, there are a million ways to be a witch, and mine is just one of them. But I think this sense of connection is calling to a lot of people, these days.

In my own practice, I am a secular solitary green witch, which means that my craft is based around natural cycles: the monthly waxing and waning of the moon, the slow but steady changing of the seasons, or even the daily passage of the sun, from dawn into dusk. Attuning myself to these natural rhythms bring me a profound sense of connection. It helps to settle the existential angst that’s otherwise always humming softly in the background of my mind. We are each of us small and insignificant, yes — but we are also intimately woven into something unimaginably large and exquisitely beautiful. What a gift!

And that’s why witches celebrate The Wheel of the Year. To remind us of this.

Imbolc — February 1st(ish) — Mid-Winter
“First light in the dark of winter”

Ostara — March 20(ish) — Vernal (Spring) Equinox
“Spring’s arrival”

Beltane — May 1(ish) — May Day
“The fertile earth”

Litha — June 21(ish) — Summer Solstice
“The longest day of the year”

Lughnasadh — August 1(ish) — First Harvest
“Abundance between lightness and dark”

Mabon — September 21(ish) — Autumn Equinox
“The harvest is home”

Samhain — October 31(ish) — Final Harvest
“The witches New Year”

Yule — December 21(ish) — Winter Solstice
“The shortest day of the year”

~~~

I’m planning to do a series of posts about the Wheel of the Year, and how I celebrate each of these 8 sabbats, over the course of 2019. I’m so very excited to share them with you!

Lots of Love,
~Sayward

♥ ♥ ♥

  • SJ Smith

    As one of the many who’ve DM’ed you about it, I’m SO excited to see that you’ll be sharing more about it this year! Thank you!

  • http://lightweighteats.com/ Michaela@The Lightweight Eats

    Thank you.

  • Gem Wilder

    Can’t wait to read these posts. I’m thinking how I could instigate something similar here in the Southern Hemisphere. In Māori culture there is Matariki – a winter festival otherwise known as Māori new year, which relates to the Pleiades constellation and harvesting kumara/sweet potato.

  • http://www.one-sonic-bite.com/ Jennifer

    I would love to see these posts. I am becoming increasingly more interested in witchcraft, in particular celebrating nature and the seasons.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    First post will be up in a week or so!

    Witchcraft and nature are so intimately linked. I think that’s why so many people are being drawn to witchcraft/paganism right now. We live in this tech heavy world and we’re all yearning for that deeper connection with the earth. And then when we get it, it feels like worship! ♥

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    That’s so awesome! You could definitely find a way to work that into your own celebration. Here in southern California there’s a ton of Mexican and Latinx influence, and I do a lot of my shopping for magical supplies at my local Botánica (Latinx folk medicine shop). It’s not all my style of magic, but I love to support my local community and learn more about what my neighbors feel and believe.

    I wonder if there’s a Maori equivalent somewhere near you?

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Yay! I’m really really excited to begin sharing. First post will be up in a week or so!

  • http://kittensgonelentil.blogspot.com Susan

    Thank you! Secular witchcraft! Exactly the term I have been looking for to describe me!!!! Great resource, thank you.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    There’s a fantastic podcast I listen to called The Fat Feminist Witch, and she has an episode called “Godless Heathens” all about secular witchcraft. It’s sooooo good! Highly recommended.

  • Pingback: Celebrating the Wheel of the Year: Imbolc | Bonzai Aphrodite

  • Nikki

    I am so excited fo this! Thank you!!