Pocket guide

🎡 Wheel of the Year

The eight sabbats, from Samhain to Mabon.

The Wheel of the Year is a cycle of eight seasonal festivals, called sabbats, that follow the sun and the turning of the seasons. Four are solar: the two solstices and two equinoxes. The other four fall roughly halfway between, and are called the cross-quarter days.

The modern Wheel took shape in the mid-20th century, drawing on older European traditions. It's a living practice, and there's no wrong way to mark the seasons.

The eight sabbats

Dates below are for the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere the Wheel is reversed: when it's Yule in the north, it's Litha in the south.

SamhainThe witch's new yearSamhain (October 31 – November 1) is when the veil between worlds is said to be thinnest. A time to honor the dead and release what has ended.Read more →YuleThe return of the lightYule, the winter solstice around December 21, is the longest night of the year, and the moment the light begins to return.Read more →ImbolcThe first stirrings of springImbolc (February 1–2) celebrates the first signs of spring and the goddess Brigid. A time for fresh intentions and cleaning house.Read more →OstaraBalance and new growthOstara, the spring equinox around March 20, is a moment of perfect balance between light and dark, and a celebration of new growth.Read more →BeltaneLife says yesBeltane (May 1) is a joyful fire festival of love, fertility and the full bloom of spring.Read more →LithaThe sun at its peakLitha, the summer solstice around June 21, is the longest day of the year: the sun at full power, and the gentle turn toward the dark.Read more →LughnasadhThe first harvestLughnasadh, or Lammas (August 1), is the first harvest festival: a time for gratitude, baking bread, and taking stock of what you've grown.Read more →MabonBalance, gratitude and letting goMabon, the autumn equinox around September 22, is the second harvest: a time of balance, gratitude and releasing what's complete.Read more →

The Wheel inside you

The seasons turn inside us too, whatever the calendar says:

Samhain to Yule: the dark night, rest, the underworld
Imbolc to Ostara: a dream becoming an intention
Beltane to Litha: the full yes, peak expression
Lughnasadh to Mabon: the harvest, the reckoning, the letting go

Ask yourself: which season am I in right now?

The modern Wheel of the Year draws on older traditions, and practices vary widely. Take what feels true to your own relationship with the seasons.

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