Wheel of the Year

The Wheel of the Year outlines each of the pagan Sabbats that correspond with the years evolving seasons. The Sabbats are holidays that bring with them celebrations, each focusing on what each season brings with it and the gifts each season provides. The Sabbats that make up the wheel of the year are Yule, Imbolc, Ostra, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh/Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain.

Before todays standard time tracking methods were developed such as clocks, days, weeks and months, the Wheel of the Year was the calendar used. Ancient cultures would use the Wheel of the Year and its seasons in order to determine important dates and upcoming events such as the harvest which was essential to survival.

This vital system was be passed down from old to young. The Wheel of the Year served as a guide for planning which animals were appropriate to hunt and when crops should be planted and then harvested. 

Today’s Pagans use the Wheel of the Year although in a somewhat different manner. Today the Wheel of the Year is used to celebrate each Sabbat in a way that brings us closer to the spirit world, the earth and its vast abundance.