Connecting to the wheel of the year as a way of making meaning: anchoring and grounding through ritual and nature

The Celtic Wheel of the Year includes eight festivals or celebration days that honour the cycles and seasons of nature and it’s celebrated by Pagans, Wiccans and Druids. Before I talk more about the Wheel and working with cycles and seasons, it’s important to say that The Wheel of the Year is a relatively new system that only really dates back to the 1950s. I had an opportunity to reflect on this at a recent retreat day held by the wonderful Michelle Rose Boxley. Michelle invited us to reflect on the way we, as pagans, work with the wheel of the year and some of the more problematic issues that it raises.

The Wheel of the Year came into existence because of two neopagan groups in Britain, the Bricket Wood coven led by Gerald Gardner and the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids led by Ross Nichols. The term 'Wheel of the Year' emerged in the mid-1960s to describe the cycle of festival and celebration days. The names of the festival days come from various cultural backgrounds that include the Celtic nations of Scotland, Wales and Ireland, as well as some European origins. This is something that should be acknowledged and reflected upon because the colonisation of countries like Wales, Ireland and Scotland by the English meant that, historically, these Celtic nations weren’t legally able to speak their own languages or take part in their own spiritual traditions.

That modern Pagans in England now celebrate festivals that use names that are stolen (and I use that word with intention) from Welsh, Scottish and Irish languages and traditions is something to reflect upon as we explore seasonal celebrations through the year. We can also reflect on the dogmatic way that these seasons are uniformly presented through the pagan world, even in countries where seasonal cycles are different.

I personally do follow the wheel of the year but I am grateful to Michelle for getting me to think about the way I take meaning from it. It’s given me an opportunity to consider what following cycles and seasons specifically means to me. What do these seasons look like on the lands that I live on? How can I honour these seasons and cycles with sensitivity to the cultures that we, as English people, have taken so much from. As Michelle said, when we know better we can do better.

Observing the Wheel of the Year and living in alignment with cycles and seasons

So, with the above out of the way, let’s talk about The Wheel of the Year. What ever your spiritual or religious beliefs, the Celtic pagan way of observing the cycles and seasons of nature can serve as a beautiful framework for you. There’s no doubt that our ancestors all over Great Britain and Ireland would have led lives that connected deeply to agricultural cycles so it’s no surprise that paganism is rooted in a belief that nature is divine. This aligns beautifully with other religious that hold the belief that god, or spirit, exists is in all of creation, for example the Sikh mantra, Ek Ong Kar which means ‘the creator and the creation are one’.

I mostly define as an eclectic pagan which, to me, means that I cultivate a connection with the natural world and I honour nature as divinity. I’m also influenced by Buddhism, having identified as a Buddhist before I connected with Celtic spirituality and, in more recently years as I have deepened my yoga journey and started training as a yoga teacher, there are also aspects of Hinduism that I connect with.

Observing the Wheel of the Year can also serve as a guide to our own natural cycles. Each celebration day marks a transition and these transitions help us to understand our own transitions through life. Having these anchors in our ever-changing world, offers us the space to pause, reflect, to live with intention and express gratitude.

Our ancestors organised their lives around the cycles and seasons of nature

Following the cycles and seasons would have been a matter of life and death for ancient civilisations. The arrival of Spring meant starting to plant the seeds that would eventually become the food that sustained them through the winter. Their daily rhythms were informed by the sun and connecting with intention to seasonal changes would have led to a deep connection with the natural world around them. We can see why our ancestors nurtured a profound and reciprocal bond with the land and connected with each other in community through their shared and interconnected experiences. Many of the gods and goddesses that have been worshiped across the world have connections to the idea of bringing in abundance, having a successful harvest and protection through the darkness of winter.

So how does the wheel of the year unfold and how can we understand it and work with it?

The wheel of the year is always turning

The Wheel of the Year features eight celebration days. Four of these are specifically connected to the sun and the amount of daylight we experience. These are the winter solstice (known as Yule), spring equinox (Ostara), summer solstice (Litha) and autumn equinox (Mabon). Between these are the four fire festivals of Samhain (pronounced sah-win), Imbolc (pronounced im-olc), Beltane, and Lammas.

Each festival holds a unique essence, and there is often an association with Gods and Goddesses, trees, and folklore. Sadly, we have lost a lot of our ancient traditions and the way we celebrate these festivals today is based on a best guess about the the ways our ancestors would have followed and celebrated the agricultural year. That is not to say that the newness of this framework means it lacks meaning. We know our ancestors lived cyclically and we get to connect with the archetypal energy of these festivals and make our own meaning from them. That might be one of the reasons I’m drawn to paganism over organised religion; I get to decide how to apply it to my own life and you can too.

Rituals, whether shared with family, observed alone, or celebrated with the community, are powerful. Observing the wheel of the year encourages us to remember and reimagine the sacred aspects of our lives, to create beauty, to sow seeds of intention and to offer gratitude for our lives. To deepen your connection with these festivals, I’ve offered a brief overview below, along with a suggestion for making sense of them in the modern world. You’ll also find a link to a more in depth blog post with journal prompts and a seasonal playlist.

Imbolc (February 1st - 2nd): emerging from the darkness of winter

Imbolc sits halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Imbolc is also known as Feile Brighde or “the quickening of the year”. It’s marks the beginning of lambing season and we see signs of new life starting to push through the cold and barren earth. Imbolc is connected to the goddess Brigid, also known as Brigantia, Brid, Brigit. Brigid is a Celtic Triple Goddess, who later became a Christian saint. Brigit is the goddess of poetry and creativity, fire and the forge and healing and fertility.

To connect with this celebration day in a modern context, we can reflect on how we might emerge from the darkness of winter and what we have learned about ourselves while we’ve spent time replenishing our energy. Check out my Imbolc journal prompts and playlist here.

Ostara and the Spring Equinox (March 21st): celebrating rebirth, renewal, and fertility, as the earth awakens from winter slumber and life begins to bloom again.

The name Ostara comes from the Germanic goddess of the same name, who was associated with the dawn, springtime, and new beginnings. We celebrate the return of the sun's warmth and light. The Spring Equinox is the point of the year when night and day are of equal length. There is equilibrium between dark and light.

To connect with this celebration day in a modern context, we can reflect on what might need to come into balance and how we can bring in fresh energy. Check out my Ostara journal prompts and playlist here.

Beltane (May 1st): celebrating the peak of Spring and the coming of Summer

Beltane is a vibrant celebration of fertility, fire, creativity, and growth. Animals are out to pasture, flowers are in bloom, and the days are longer and brighter. The May Queen, and the Green Man preside are connected with festivities that would have included dancing around the Maypole and embracing the vitality of nature in full bloom.

To connect with this celebration day in a modern context, we can reflect on our gratitude for the coming of summer and what we’re creating and bringing into the world. Check out my Beltane playlist and journal prompts here.

Litha or the Summer Solstice: celebrating the longest day and acknowledging the move towards the dark half of the year

Litha, also known as the Summer Solstice, celebrates the peak of summer and the glory of the sun on the longest day of the year. Litha is a time of abundance, illumination, and appreciation for the earth's bounty and the light of the sun. We also begin to acknowledge that we are moving towards the dark half of the year.

To connect with this celebration day in a modern context, we can reflect on the bounty that we’re grateful for in the peak of summer. Check out my Litha journal prompts and playlist here.

Lammas or Lughnasadh: celebrating the arrival of Autumn and the harvest

Lughnasadh or Lammas celebrates the first Harvest. Lugh, the god who lends his name to this celebration, is connected to arts and crafts and the sun. Lughnasa, which is also known as Lammas, marks the midway point between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox. Lammas, the alternative name for this celebration day, is connected with Loaf Mass and harvesting grain.

Check out my Lammas and Lughnasadh journal prompts and playlist here.

Mabon and the Autumn Equinox: embracing balance and abundance

At Mabon and the Autumn Equinox night and day are equal in length again and we honour the fullness of the harvest. This season is all about balance, as we honour the convergence of opposites—the God and The Goddess, Yin and Yang, Shakti and Shiva, Masculine and Feminine, Light and Dark. The second harvest is where the last of the summer grain is harvested and orchards and gardens are ripe with fruits and vegetables. This is a time to give thanks to the Earth that sustains us and to consider how we can live in reciprocity with nature.

To connect with this celebration day in a modern context, we can reflect on where we can cultivate more balance and surrender as we move into the energy of Autumn. Check out my Mabon journal prompts and playlist here.

Samhain: halloween, the end of the harvest and the arrival of the dark half of the year

Our love of all things spooky at Halloween can be linked back to the belief that the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is at its thinnest at Samhain. This thinning of the veil and arrival of the dark months can be celebrated through gatherings, feasts and bonfires. Samhain is a fire festival and we light fires to light the darkness. It’s also said that Samhain marks the arrival of the Cailleach (the Crone), the queen of air and darkness. She strips away the leaves from the trees and brings decay, so that new life can emerge in the Spring.

To connect with this celebration day in a modern context, we can reflect on our gratitude for the harvest and those who came before us, including our ancestors. Check out my Samhain journal prompts and playlist here.

Yule: the winter Solstice and the return of the sun

Yule is an ancient festival that celebrates the return of the sun after the longest night of the year. It is a time of renewal, rebirth, and the promise of longer days to come. At Samhain we honour and welcome in the darkness and at the Winter Solstice we reach the depths of this darkness with the longest night of the year. The sun pauses and, for a few short days, it rises in the same place and we balance on the precipice between darkness and light. The winter solstice is the precise moment when the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky, marking the start of the astronomical winter.

To connect with this celebration day in a modern context we can connect with light in the darkness of winter. Light candles, gather with loved ones and connect with gratitude. Check out my Yule journal prompts and playlist here.

Additional resources for cyclical living and following the rhythms of nature

If you’d like to explore additional resources to support you to connect with the cycles and seasons of nature, beyond the wheel of the year, check out the links below. If you’d like to bring more ritual and ceremony into your life around living seasonally, I hold seasonal circles and ceremonies and I’m available for 121 work. You can get in touch here. You might also want to check out my regular sound baths and guided meditations in Birmingham, where we explore seasonal themes.You can find details, along with information about my other services which include counselling, here.

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