A guide to seasons and sabbats
The Wheel of the Year
Explore eight seasonal observances, their distinct histories and the ways modern Pagan traditions have brought them together in a living ritual calendar.
History and practice
A modern calendar with several inheritances
The eight-part Wheel of the Year is a modern ritual calendar popularized by Wicca and other forms of modern Paganism in the 20th century. It brings together the solstices and equinoxes with four traditional British and Irish seasonal dates.
Each marks a distinct moment in the natural cycle. This guide explores their symbols, seasonal practices and the ways they accompany the passage from one season to the next.
The seasonal map
Travel through the eight sabbats
Select a point on the wheel to situate each festival in the year and open its complete guide.
Around December 21 · Solar point
Yule
Yule accompanies the winter solstice, when the night reaches its greatest length before the gradual return of light. This observance invites rest, gathering and the opening of a new cycle with clarity.
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February 1 · Seasonal threshold
Imbolc
Observed in early February, Imbolc marks the gradual awakening of the land and the approach of spring. Associated with Brigid, fire and purification, it invites preparation for what we wish to see grow in the months ahead.
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Around March 20 · Solar point
Ostara
Ostara accompanies the spring equinox, when day and night reach a point of balance. It is a time of renewal, movement and attention to the first signs of growth.
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May 1 · Seasonal threshold
Beltane
Beltane celebrates the opening of the bright season and the vitality of life. The fires, flowers and gatherings associated with it express energy, connection and the fertility of the land.
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Around June 21 · Solar point
Litha
Litha accompanies the summer solstice, when daylight reaches its height. The festival honours abundance, solar strength and nature in full expansion before the gradual return of shorter days.
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August 1 · Seasonal threshold
Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh opens the time of the first harvests in early August. Connected with gathering and sharing, it invites recognition of work completed, gratitude for present resources and preparation for the next part of the cycle.
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Around September 22 · Solar point
Mabon
Mabon accompanies the autumn equinox, another point of balance between day and night. It offers a time for harvest gratitude, discernment and inward preparation before the dark season begins.
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October 31 · Seasonal threshold
Samhain
Samhain marks the passage into the dark season at the end of October. It is a time of remembrance, transmission and closure, suited to honouring those who are absent and welcoming the beginning of a new cycle.
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The eight guides
Each sabbat, in depth
Origins, symbols, customs and suggestions for observing each seasonal transition with context.
Around December 21
Solar point
Yule
Yule takes place on the threshold of the longest night. The Sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, winter begins, and the course...
February 1
Seasonal threshold
Imbolc
Imbolc opens the first gate of Gaelic spring. The earth remains cold, but the days grow longer, the ewes begin giving milk again and...
Around March 20
Solar point
Ostara
Ostara takes place at the bright threshold of the spring equinox. Around March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun crosses the celestial equator...
May 1
Seasonal threshold
Beltane
Beltane opens summer in the old Gaelic calendar. Celebrated on the eve of May 1 and throughout the following day, the festival marks the...
Around June 21
Solar point
Litha
Litha celebrates the summer solstice, when light reigns longer than on any other day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun then...
August 1
Seasonal threshold
Lughnasadh
Lammas and Lughnasadh open the harvest season, when summer remains powerful but the first ripe grains already announce its decline. Around August 1, the...
Around September 22
Solar point
Mabon
Mabon celebrates the autumn equinox, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator and the day approaches the length of the night. In the Northern...
October 31
Seasonal threshold
Samhain
Samhain opens winter in the ancient Irish calendar. The evening of October 31, called Oíche Shamhna, leads into the first day of November: the...
Explore the seasonal selections
Objects, plants and ritual tools gathered for each time of the year.
Wheel of the Year: understanding the eight sabbats and the seasonal cycle
What is the Wheel of the Year?
The Wheel of the Year is an eight-part ritual calendar now associated with Wicca and several forms of contemporary Paganism. Its present form is a modern synthesis: it brings four astronomical points—the two solstices and two equinoxes—together with four older Gaelic seasonal festivals. It is therefore not a single ancient calendar passed down unchanged, but a recent framework in dialogue with several distinct inheritances.
This distinction helps readers approach the sabbats accurately. Solstices and equinoxes describe observable points in Earth’s journey around the Sun; customs, symbols and correspondences belong to historical traditions or modern ritual practice. The two perspectives can meet without being confused.
What are the eight sabbats?
The cycle often begins with Samhain, the threshold of the dark season, followed by Yule at the winter solstice. Imbolc accompanies early renewal, while Ostara corresponds to the spring equinox. Beltane opens the bright season and Litha marks the summer solstice. Lughnasadh or Lammas evokes the first harvests, and Mabon, the modern name used for the autumn equinox in this wheel, precedes the return to Samhain.
Each guide places the festival in context, presents its symbols and distinguishes documented material from contemporary interpretation.
Dates, seasons and contemporary practice
Solstice and equinox dates vary slightly with the year, time zone and place of observation. February 1, May 1, August 1 and October 31 are commonly used reference dates in contemporary calendars. The seasons shown here apply to the Northern Hemisphere; their seasonal order is reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.
Observing the Wheel can be simple: record changes in daylight, follow local flowering, cook with seasonal produce or create an altar with thoughtfully chosen elements. Explore the Wicca collection, books on Wicca and the sabbats and the Botanical Grimoire for further study. These resources support inquiry but do not replace historical sources or personal observation.
Connecting cycles without confusing them
The Wheel of the Year follows a solar and seasonal rhythm. The lunar calendar describes the Moon’s phases, while the planetary hours calculator belongs to another way of measuring time. They can enrich the same journal when the logic of each cycle remains clear.
Continue reading: lunar calendar · planetary hours · all guides and grimoires
