Williams, Liz (29 July 2013). "Paganism, part 3: the Wheel of the Year". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 October 2021.

Many Wiccan, modern Druids, and eclectic modern pagans incorporate a narrative of the Holly King and Oak King as rulers of the waning year and the waxing year respectively. These two figures battle endlessly with the turning of the seasons. At the summer solstice, the Holly King defeats the Oak King and commences his reign. [57] :94 After the Autumn equinox the Oak King slowly begins to regain his power as the sun begins to wane. Come the winter solstice the Oak King in turn vanquishes the Holly King. [57] :137After the spring equinox the sun begins to wax again and the Holly King slowly regains his strength until he once again defeats the Oak King at the summer solstice. The two are ultimately seen as essential parts of a whole, light and dark aspects of the male God, and would not exist without each other. [13] [58] [59] [60] Since the Christianisation of Europe, a more secular version of the festival has continued in Europe and America, commonly referred to as May Day. In this form, it is well known for maypole dancing and the crowning of the Queen of the May.Imbolg is the first Wiccan holiday of 2021, and it always falls on February 1st. This year, that date is a Monday. Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Steele Alexandra Douris, author of the new Spirits, Seers & Séances. Moon Calendar 2024 EST Time Lunar Calendar Eastern Time Zone Astrological Art Lunar Planner Wall Moon Art Zodiac Poster Milky Way Moon Phase If you’re interested in learning more about Wiccan holidays or Wicca in general, be sure to sign up for the Explore Wicca mailing list. You’ll be first to know about any new content or offers from us when you sign up! Mabon is the second of the three harvest festivals on the Wheel of the Year. During this celebration, we express thanks for the gifts that the God and Goddess have blessed us with during the year. Traditionally, these would be thanks for a good harvest, but we thank the Lord and Lady for all sorts of things these days.

It’s perfectly fine for Wiccans to celebrate Halloween, but we also have our own holiday that we celebrate on the 31st. Imbolc is the traditional Gaelic name for 1 February and traditionally marks the first stirrings of spring. It aligns with the contemporary observance of Groundhog Day. It is time for purification and spring cleaning in anticipation of the year's new life. In Rome, it was historically a shepherd's holiday, [21] while the Gaels associated it with the onset of ewes' lactation, prior to birthing the spring lambs. [22] [23] Festivals [ edit ] The eight-armed sun cross is often used to represent the modern pagan Wheel of the Year. The annual cycle of insolation for the northern hemisphere (Sun energy, shown in blue) with key points for seasons (middle), quarter days (top) and cross-quarter days (bottom) along with months (lower) and Zodiac houses (upper). The cycle of temperature (shown in pink) is delayed by seasonal lag.Apr. 15: Sigrblot/Sumarsdag – Norse celebration of the first day of summer in Scandinavian countries Because solstices and equinoxes are tied to exact astronomical moments, the holidays shift slightly from year-to-year. There is a celebration about every six weeks, so there’s always something to look forward to! At the end of this post, I’ve included the Wheel of the Year dates for 2023 and 2024. a b Starhawk (1979, 1989) The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. New York, Harper and Row ISBN 0-06-250814-8 pp.191-2 (revised edition) Lamond, Frederic (2004), Fifty Years of Wicca, Sutton Mallet, England: Green Magic, pp.16–17, ISBN 0-9547230-1-5